PURPOSE OF REPORT

To present for Members’ approval a draft assessment of North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority’s performance during 2019/20 in relation to:

(i) its progress towards achieving its long-term Improvement and Well-Being Objectives, and medium-term Equality Objectives; and

(ii) its compliance with applicable Welsh Language Standards.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Authority made good progress last year towards meeting its long-term improvement and well-being objectives. This was achieved in part through the successful delivery of the planned actions outlined in the Authority’s published Improvement and Well-being Plan for 2019/20.  

Steady progress was also made during the year towards achieving the Authority’s 2016-20 equality objectives; and the Authority continued to comply with the applicable Welsh Language Standards. 

RECOMMENDATION

That Members:

(i) retrospectively approve the draft assessment of the Authority’s performance in 2019/20 (subject to minor additions and corrections if required) which has already been published on the Authority’s website by the statutory deadline of 30/10/2020; and

(ii) note the Service’s intention to publish a simple summary version of the key elements of the assessment report.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE PANEL/AUDIT COMMITTEE

This report has not previously been considered by Members.

BACKGROUND

The Authority is required under various pieces of legislation to give a public account of its performance, progress and compliance. These pieces of legislation include: 

• the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 which requires the Authority to set and publish objectives that will contribute to improving local well-being and to moving Wales closer to achieving its well-being goals. Having set these long-term objectives, the Authority must take all reasonable steps to pursue them and to report publicly after the end of each financial year on the progress it has made.
• the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 which requires the Authority to set and publish improvement objectives and to publish performance information annually by 31 October in relation to the preceding financial year.
• the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 which require the Authority to produce a strategic equality plan and to report annually by 31 March on the progress that it has made towards fulfilling its equality objectives.
• the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 which requires the Authority to comply with Welsh Language Standards and to report annually by 30 September on its compliance with those Standards.

For convenience, reporting against all four of the above has been incorporated within a single document for publication on the Authority’s website. 

INFORMATION

The introductory sections of this year’s Annual Performance Assessment Report (Appendix 1) describe the legal requirements for reporting and present information about the area covered by the Authority. This provides context to aid understanding of the Authority’s provision of services and its contribution to the well-being of North Wales communities. Reference is also made to the findings of the public services boards’ well-being assessments. 

The middle section of the assessment report gives a detailed account of the specific actions that the Authority took last year to meet its two long-term improvement and well-being objectives. Responding to recent recommendations from the Well-being of Future Generations Commissioner’s office, more emphasis has been placed in this year’s report on narrative and case studies that demonstrate the real difference that the Authority’s work makes to people’s lives.

Fourteen actions that the Authority planned for the year were achieved.  The 5% shortfall in the number of safe and well checks delivered during the year was counterbalanced by having 30% of those checks directed at more vulnerable households through referrals from partner organisations. The target for the year had been to achieve at least 25% from referrals.

This middle section of the assessment report also presents information on the Authority’s compliance with the Welsh Language Standards. As at 31 March 2020, almost 83% of the Service’s 866 employees had self-assessed or been assessed as having at least some Welsh language skills, with 34% categorised as fluent Welsh speakers. Of new or vacant posts advertised during the year 41% had been categorised as “Welsh essential”. For the third year in succession, no complaints had been received during the year in relation to the Welsh language. The many steps taken by the Authority to promote the Welsh language and proactively encourage a language choice for all staff and Service users are also described in this section. 

Given the September deadline for reporting against the Welsh Language Standards, this information was published on the Authority’s website in that month, and is included again for convenience in the annual performance assessment report.

The progress that was made during 2019/20 towards meeting each of the Authority’s six strategic equality objectives is also described in this middle section of the assessment report. Through a range of actions the Authority has been able to contribute to improving aspects of people’s lives under each one of the subject areas of: life and health; employment; education; personal safety; representation and voice; and access to services, information and buildings.

The final sections of the assessment report include performance indicator information in the Welsh context and an account of how the Authority has met its commitments under the ‘All-Wales Dwelling Fires Response Charter’. Activity during the year included:

• handling 12,304 emergency 999/112 calls;
• attending 4,872 emergency incidents, of which 1,950 were fires;
• responding to 82% of dwelling fires in under 15 minutes (which includes both the time taken for personnel to turn in to the fire station and the travel time to the incident);
• delivering fire safety talks in schools to 21,251 children and young people at key stages 1 to 4.

Additional information at the end of the assessment report includes the outcome of work undertaken by Audit Wales that looked specifically at how the Authority involves stakeholders when proposing service and policy changes, and in the design of activities. Focusing on two specific areas of the Service’s recent work to a) reduce the incidence of arson and b) design and develop an on-line educational resource hub, Audit Wales concluded that although there was room to develop a more integrated approach to involvement, the Authority had pockets of good engagement activity on which to build.

IMPLICATIONS

Well-being Objectives -This assessment describes the Authority’s progress during 2019/20 in relation to achieving its adopted long-term improvement and well-being objectives.   

Budget - None identified.

Legal - The combined document discharges the Authority’s duties under: the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009; the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015; the Equality Act 2010 and the (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011; and the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.

Staffing -None identified.

Equalities/Human Rights/ Welsh Language - Implications for the protected characteristics are covered within the draft assessment.

Risks - None identified.