CRP Quarterly Briefing - Issue 06

Welcome to issue six of the Community Risk Programme’s quarterly briefing.

Over the last quarter, the Programme’s three live projects have made significant progress in developing products that will bring improvement to fire and rescue service (FRS) community risk management planning (CRMP). We are confident the evidence base, research and foundations for the products are robust. We have engaged stakeholders through peer reviews and consultations to help shape products, and are engaging subject-matter experts to commence work on developing further guidance. Read on for a brief update on programme and project developments.

Programme Level Update and Successes

Across the UK, FRSs refer to their risk management plans under different titles. In recognition of this, the CRP Board recently took the decision to replace the use of the term ‘Integrated Risk Management Plan’ with ‘Community Risk Management Plan’ (CRMP) in all our work moving forward. We feel this term is more inclusive and representative of our members. This development has resulted in a change in title for one of our projects; the (I)RMP Guidance project will now be called the CRMP Guidance project.

We are not developing improvement products and guidance alone. We believe by working with subject-matter experts, fire sector colleagues and listening to our stakeholders – particularly the UK FRS, we will deliver products that are accessible and applicable to all services regardless of their governance structure, geography and size. Furthermore, we review our stakeholder analysis regularly, to ensure that we are talking to and reaching the right people and organisations throughout our journey. We are also working closely with work streams – both internal and external to the NFCC – where dependencies exist with our work. If you feel you should be involved in our work, but if we haven’t been in touch, please contact us in the usual way.

This is an exciting time for us as we work with the sector to develop and deliver guidance and products to bring improvement in the management of community risk. Our Programme Executive, Phil Loach, has written an article to tell the wider sector about where we are in our work, you can read it here in the November issue of the FIRE magazine.

Project Updates

CRMP Guidance

Project Executive: Nikki Richards, Director of Support Services, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

In the last issue, we told you the project would be developing a draft fire standard. The draft Community Risk Management Planning Standard has now undergone a peer review, some peer reviewers are listed below:

  • HMICFRS
  • Home Office
  • Fire Brigades Union
  • Fire Services Management Committee
  • Fire Standards Board
  • Institute of Fire Engineers
  • Fire Service College

The draft standard was amended as a result of feedback received from the peer review and is now out for wider consultation. To view more information on the draft standard and to take part in the four-week consultation, please click here. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 7 December 2020, the Fire Standards Board is looking to publish the standard in spring 2021.

The project team are now looking to procure subject-matter experts to help develop guidance for several components of the CRMP process. This includes guidance on conducting equality impact assessments and guidance on conducting public engagement and consultation for community risk management plans. Work has also commenced to produce guidance on FRS data and business intelligence assessments. We will ensure the guidance is quality assured and peer reviewed so UK FRSs can use them with confidence.

The expected date of delivery for these products is spring 2021.

Definition of Risk

Project Executive: Ian Hayton, Chief Fire Officer, Cleveland Fire Brigade.

In May, the project consulted UK FRSs on a draft definition of risk, risk framework and a glossary of risk related terms. As a result, some minor amendments were made to the products. The team are looking to release the report produced by consultants to chief fire officers in coming weeks, the report covers:

  • The rationale and thinking behind the definition of risk that has been formulated
  • The risk conceptualisation framework
  • A glossary of risk related terms
  • Feedback from the surveys carried out in January 2020 and May 2020 and how these have fed into the work

In the current version, these products contain very high-level detail and require more guidance and information to ensure they meet the needs of services. In the feedback to the recent consultation, people asked us for more guidance to support them in implementing and using the products, this is what we will be working towards in the next phase of this project.

The delivery of the definition of risk will meet a recommendation of the HMICFRS first State of Fire report, the team will work closely with the HMICFRS to support the integration of the products into the inspection framework.

The full scope of work for the next steps in this project are currently being developed.

Economic Value of the UK Fire Service

Project Executive: Dan Quinn, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service

In phase one of this project, the Nottingham School of Economics explored approaches that could be used to calculate the FRS activities. The report developed simple methodologies and metrics and made recommendations.

In October, the Project Board accepted the recommendations in the report. Work will now commence to further refine and build on the methodology and, using this, produce a report on the economic and social value of the UK FRS – incorporating prevention, protection and response activities. The team will look to test the methodology and identify the data needs for future calculations and projections, and also commission independent experts to quality assure the final product.

As part of the scope for this next step, the team will explore the creation of a tool to help FRSs calculate the value of the protection, prevention and response activities they deliver to their communities. An explanation of the methodology and guidance on how to use the tool will also be produced to support the use of the tool. This product will improve community risk management plans by supporting fire service financial planning, key decision-making and evaluation of activities.

The expected date of delivery is summer 2021.

Contact us

General CRP updates are provided on the CRP webpage and in quarterly briefings.

If you have any questions, comments or would like to get involved in any of our work streams, please email the Programme Team: CommunityRiskProgramme@nationalfirechiefs.org.uk

Or contact the CRP Programme Manager, Vanessa Walker:  vanessa.walker@nationalfirechiefs.org.uk