AGENDA ITEM 7

BOROUGH OF POOLE

EMERGENCY COMMITTEE

5TH NOVEMBER 2007

DRAFT PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO THE DORSET LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM

PART OF PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN: No

1 PURPOSE AND POLICY CONTEXT

1.1. The purpose of this report is to advise members of the draft proposals for changes to the structure and processes of the Dorset Local Resilience Forum (DLRF).

2. DECISION REQUIRED

2.1. Members are asked to consider the draft proposals.

  1. BACKGROUND

3.1. The concept for the current structure of the DLRF, which was established in 2004, is a Policy Group consisting of Chief Executives of category 1 responding agencies supported by a Planning Group of emergency planning/civil contingency leads together with a range of ‘Issues Groups’ to address specific areas (i.e. an issues group for Voluntary agencies, one for media, health etc). As such this structure is not very different to the previous ‘Dorset Committee for Disaster Planning’ which was in existence prior to the Civil Contingencies Act.

3.2. There have been a number of concerns regarding the effectiveness of the DLRF and its business processes for some time, in particular:

a. The Policy Group meetings have not been attended by senior executive level officers from the Category 1 responders. For the most part the attendees have been those who are also members of the Planning Group. This has led to the situation where, on a DLRF meeting day, the Policy Group meets in the morning, and the same people then re-form as the Planning Group which meets in the afternoon.

b. The Planning Group is not structured to undertake any significant planning activities and has become more of a reporting/discussing forum.

c. Issues Groups have not been active and/or have not delivered the expected outcomes. It is also the case that the number of issues groups (in excess of 10) has meant that attendance has been difficult or not possible for those responding.

agencies with very limited resources, and that initially the same people who attended the Policy and Planning groups were also attending issues groups.

d. There are some concerns regarding administration of the LRF in terms of the secretariat aspects of minutes, agendas and papers for the Policy and Planning groups and the issues groups, all of which have to date been provided on an ad-hoc basis.

e. There have been concerns surrounding the attempts to make the DLRF structure a hierarchal one which has led to discord particularly in relation to the Bournemouth & Poole Resilience Group, which has been a particularly effective resilience group and covers the area of the conurbation with approx half of the Dorset population.

3.3. To address these concerns a review group consisting of Chief Inspector Colin Mathews (Chair of the Planning Group) and Simon Parker (Dorset County Emergency Planning Officer) have produced a draft set of proposals for change to the DLRF.

4.REVIEW FINDINGSAND DRAFT PROPOSALS

4.1. At ANNEX A is a copy of the findings together with draft proposals for change (in particular a schematic which illustrates the proposed new system). In summary the key findings are:

a. It was found that Resilience Forums in other areas had initially established themselves in a similar fashion to Dorset.

b. These forums were experiencing similar problems in relation to chief executive officer attendance, resources, secretarial support and hierarchal structures.

4.2. In order the address these findings the following main draft proposals have been suggested:

a. The suspension of the Planning Group and the reformation of the existing Policy Group as the ‘Local Resilience Forum’ with members of Chief Executive/Strategic Director officers from the Cat 1 Responding Agencies and the Voluntary Agencies. The basis for this proposal is that it would be these officers who would form a Strategic Co-Ordination (GOLD) Group if a (Dorset-wide) incident or event were to occur.

b. Establishing a ‘Business Performance Review Group’ consisting of emergency planning/civil contingency leads in the three Authorities, Dorset Fire and Rescue, Dorset Police, Coastguard and S.W. Ambulance Services to develop a business plan and establish work groups & task and finish groups (in addition to existing issues groups) with agreed TOR’s and defined deliverables.

c. Joint funding of a permanent, full time DLRF co-ordinator/secretariat support post to co-ordinate meetings, agendas, minutes etc to support the business performance review group and the work of the work groups. The cost of this officer is expected to be £31750 - £41250 per annum. Of the Category 1 responders only the Police, DFRS, Health and the 3 Authorities have been identified as contributors which would mean an annual contribution of approx £7000 from the Council. This post would be located at Dorset Police or as part of the Dorset County Council EP team. It should be noted that his has been attempted before and at that time the Environment Agency, the Military and the Coastguard Agency declined to contribute (which is still the case now) which led to the proposal being rejected by the other agencies.

  1. INITIAL CONSIDERATIONS

5.1. Initial considerations of these proposals are as follows:

a. General - It is suggested that, overall, there are very positive aspects to the proposals

b. Local Resilience Groups - These have been recognised as the primary means to address the set of risks that are extant at the community level, and no longer as some form of subordinate 'issues groups'. These two groupings are very much in line with the Dorset Police new organisation of two divisions (Bournemouth/Poole conurbation and (rural) Dorset). The BPRG in particular has developed this role for some considerable time within the conurbation and is considered to be central and vital to the new arrangements. It is also the case that a significant number of incidents occur within the urban and industrial areas of the conurbation so this is very welcome.

c. Local Resilience Forum - It is logical that the existing Policy Group becomes the Local Resilience because it is this group that will become a Strategic Co-ordination (GOLD) group should a pan-Dorset or regional incident occur. Our understanding is therefore that the LRF (and the Business Performance Review Group) will be concerned only with those risks or issues that are wide area in nature and will require the formation of an SCG. Happily these set of risks will by definition be relatively small with a low probability but, of course, a very significant impact should they occur.

e. Service Delivery and Priorities - The proposals support our priorities which should remain as follows: 1st: Development of arrangements and facilities within the Authority via the Poole Emergency Committee...2nd: Development of arrangements and facilities at the Community Level via the Bournemouth and Poole Resilience Group....3rd: Support to the Local Resilience Forum and the Business Performance Review Group for pan-Dorset risks.

f. Resources - The one concern is that of resources. It is not yet clear what is likely to be required in terms of issues groups/capabilities groups/task and finish groups and how these are expected to be resourced from the various agencies. Clarification of this has been requested from the review group and a response is awaited.

e. Co-ordinator/Secretarial Post The funding of the proposed co-ordinator post is an issue. Only a limited number of Ca1 responder agencies have been asked to provide funding for this post (which was proposed two years ago and turned down primarily because some responders declined to contribute). It is also not clear exactly what the co-ordinator’s duties would entail. There are no additional funds from existing EP budgets to meet the costs of a co-ordinator, particularly as we are recruiting ourselves. The views of other responders, particularly Bournemouth Borough Council have therefore been requested and a response is awaited.

SIMON HENDEY

HEAD OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES

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