MINUTES OF EXECUTIVE BOARDMEETING
17thDecember 2008 – 10:30 hours, Bayswater Inn Hotel, 8-16 Princes Square, London W2 4NT
1. Attendance
Attendance
Tony LawsonAlan TranterAndy ReveszDavid Gill
Jeff McCallSteve JenkinsAndie MacKayAde Robinson
Clive RobinsonCraig ThomsonMichael DavidsonGlyn Morgan
2. Apologies for Absence
Bob StevensonJohn Salt
3.Minutes of the Last Meeting and Matters Arising
The minutes were accepted as true record of the meeting held on 17th December 2008.
Action - Item 2b: Legal insurance
The Chief Executive advised that he had not managed to contact Birmingham Law School to explore the scope for accessing free advice through a partnership arrangement. He also advised that Alan Tranter had been asked to look into this matter.
Action - Item 3: Finance
It was reported that no action had been taken towards finding a bank account paying higher interest as the state of the financial market is currently such that it would be unlikely to realise significant benefits.
Action - Item 4: National Officials
It was reported that Ade Robinson had been elected as the Executive Board’s representative on the Management Board and that the process for electing a Vice President and vacant Regional officials' positions had been commenced with a 17th April 2009 closing date for nominations.
Action - Item 5b: MMNB
The Board was advised that some guidance had been issued in relation to local negotiation of pay and conditions. The Chief Executive reported that more comprehensive information will be developed in due course.
Action - General matters
The Chief Executive reported that he had written to fire authority chairs to invite dialogue, unfortunately, the response had been very poor. It was agreed that contacting fire authorities on a more regular basis might eventually improve awareness of the FOA and lead to engagement.
J McCall reported that he had considered the request to circulate a 2007 recruitment letter used in London. He thought that it would require to be heavily modified if it were to be used more widely.
Action - Item 7: Repercussions of Warwickshire firefighter fatalities and FOA reaction
The Chief Executive reported that he had not yet prepared aresponse to the Audit Commission report, nor had he prepared a paper dealing with the issues likely to arise from reports on firefighter fatalities.
He suggested that it might be better to deal with all FRS issues concerning the FOA in a single paper since he feels that it is difficult to look at any one area in isolation. The suggestion was accepted and the Board would be provided with an outline document identifying areas for inclusion, with an invitation to offer comments and additions, before progressing this further.
Action - Item 8: Planning and performance management
It was reported that an outline business plan had been prepared and included as an agenda item for the current meeting.
Action - Item 9: Marketing & recruitment
A data projector had been purchased and Craig Thomson is using it during his visits to fire and rescue services.
Action - Item 11: Regional control centres
It was reported that a policy statement had been issued to members that copies had been sent to fire authority chairs.
The meeting was also advised that nominations for representation on regional training groups had been invited but no responses had been received by the 7th January closing date.
Action - Item 12: FOA approach towards local conditions of service
The Chief Executive advised that a position statement on this matter had not yet been prepared.
Action - Item13. Widening access to FOA membership
The Chief Executive reported that he had taken legal advice and established that members’ insurance cover would extend to members employed outside local authority fire and rescue services. There being no identifiable barriers to widening membership, the Board agreed that the Association could now take steps to notify other fire related industries that FOA membership has been opened up.
Action - Item 14: Update on website and e-mail
It was reported that a list of required FOA e-mail addresses had been prepared and that Jeff McCall had developed guidance on setting up access to new e-mail accounts.
Actions - Other business
Unions 21: G Morgan advised that correspondence is being received from Unions 21 and that he had returned a questionnaire relating to the economic climate. He reported his wariness about close involvement due to apparent connections between this organisation and the TUC. He would find out more and consider whether membership would provide any benefits for the FOA.
Widower(s) A paper for the Firefighters Pension Committee would be prepared once details of the
Pensionsproposed police provisions are known.
Commutation It was reported that the FBU had won an appeal on 17th March, over access to ill
Factors-health pensions and that information would be circulated to FOA members
4. Planning and Performance Management
The Chief Executive presented outline proposals for a FOA business structure. The proposal distinguishes between the core business of the trade union, i.e. the provision of direct services to members, and other work to influence national and local FRS affairs though professional groups.
He suggested that the Association’s staff must focus on member services except where surplus capacity allows them to assist with other areas of business.
The Association’s ability to become involved in wider areas of the FRS would be dependent upon the capacity of Elected Officials to accept responsibility for particular subject matter. It is proposed that members of the Management Board take strategic responsibility for key ‘business streams’ and they would then co-ordinate the activity the officials, practitioners and volunteers who represent the Association in committees and working groups.
Co-ordination responsibilities would include the communication of information and policy between representatives, the Executive Board and individual members.
At this stage, strategic business streams had not been specifically identified. Similarly, Executive Board members had not been allocated lead roles for specific areas. It being unlikely that such roles could be identified during the time available, it was agreed to consult Management and Executive Board members outside the meeting. This consultation would seek views on the outline plan and to allow them to indicate which areas they would be able to take responsibility for.
It was stressed that the ambitions of the Association need to be realistic and achievable and therefore dependent upon the capacity of elected officials. The Chief Executive urged that they carefully consider their ability to undertake FOA work before offering their services but also suggested that it might not require much additional effort to take on work relating to areas that overlap with those dealt with within their FRS roles.
A map and table showing FOA recognition and branch status had been circulated prior to the meeting and the Chief Executive explained that it had been difficult to establish the actual position since information sources differed. Local contacts had been approached to confirm the position but the response was limited. As this information is crucial for informing development strategies and targets it was agreed that Regional representatives would be contacted and asked to provide up to date information on the status of services within their respective areas.
Action:Consult national officials to seek views on areas of strategic responsibility and individual preferences for areas of operational responsibility
Action:Consult regional officials to establish the recognition status and branch structure of fire and rescue services within each Region.
5. Internal communication and availability of information to members
Following discussion, it was agreed that the Association should endeavour to be as open as possible to the membership and that minutes of meetings should be made readily available. However, it was understood that delivery would be dependent on the development of suitable security for the FOA website.
Jeff McCall advised that the recent change of service provider meant that it would be much easier to restrict access to information to members only and this would be addressed once current site development work had been completed.
It was also agreed that as much relevant information as possible should be circulated to the Board to maintain currency on FOA and national affairs whilst allowing individuals to select specific items of interest,
6. Financial report and Chief Executive’s report
Finance
The Chief Executive issued draft balance sheets for the 2008 business year and reported that the Association is in a sound financial position with an end of year balance exceeding expectations. This excess largely resulted from salary savings during the year and it was anticipated that there would be an under-spend in 2009. However, it is intended that existing resources be used to greater effect and some of the budgeted funds would be used to make full use of the time allocated to National Officers.
The Board were asked to bear in mind that monies had been set aside to cover MMNB costs but the actual cost was not yet known as the FBU have not formally approached the Association.
From informal discussion with the FBU, we believe that they intend to charge 50% of the full NJC staff side costs. This is considered to be totally unreasonable but until the actual cost has been considered it is considered prudent to set aside sufficient finds to cover a worst-case scenario; estimated to be in the region of £20,000 for the 18 month life of the MMNB.
Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust
It was reported that the FOA is now an official supporter of the Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust and their website now includes information about the FOA.
Tax relief on subscriptions
It was reported that several enquiries had been received after members had heard that FBU members have been told they can claim tax relief on membership subscriptions.
The basic position is that there is no income tax relief on the trade union subscriptions paid by
members.
The Association’s accountants had been consulted on this matter and they reported that there is income tax relief is only allowable in respect of subscriptions paid to approvedbodies. However, neither the FBU nor FOA are included in the approved list. However, a small amount of relief available in respect of the portion of subscriptions relating to superannuation, life insurance and funeral benefits (not merely death benefits) is allowable. For the FOA this amounts to around £10 per year.
CFOA
The meeting was informed that there has been no formal dialogue with CFOA despite agreement to hold regular meetings with the CFOA Presidential team. The lack of meetings has been brought to their attention on an informal basis and the Chief Executive will write seeking in an attempt to re-establish regular liaison.
Action:Chief Executive to Write to CFOA President to request re-establishment of regular liaison meetings,
Meetings with Shona Dunn and Sadiq Khan
The President and Chief Executive had met with Shona Dunn in January and Sadiq Khan on 23rd February. FOA concerns and opinions on a range of subjects were expressed, some of which were: -
•Governance - effectiveness of Practitioners Forum
•Standards and consistency
•Audit Commission report “Rising to the Challenge”
•MMNB experience and update on progress
•Equality & Diversity scrutiny
•Relationship with CFOA
•Resilience & contingency planning
•Learning & development
•Standards and consistency
•External scrutiny
It was evident that CLG share many of the Association’s concerns but they appear reluctant to direct the service.
Meeting with Brian Fraser (SFRAU)
Glyn Morgan reported that he had attended an informal meeting with Brian Fraser where a range of service issues were discussed. There had been a high level of agreement on many issues and it was hoped that some positive action would emerge from the Advisor’s Unit in due course, not least, commencement of a review of IRMP which has been given high priority.
Learning and Development reviews
G Morgan reported that there were indications that someone has been listening to the FOA’s concerns about learning and development in the fire and rescue service. At our January meeting with Shona Dunn we were advised that CLG would be conducting a review of “development and maintenance of operational competence” and the FOA would receive an invitation to participate.
It also appeared that the FOA paper rejected by the ODC Stakeholders Group had prompted the Learning and Development Project Board to prepare a paper for the Practitioners Forum calling for a review of the national learning & development strategy. This development removes the need for a FOA paper to the Forum and it is hoped that coming from the Fire Service College’s Chief Executive, it might receive the support that might not be present for a FOA proposal.
Informal comments on the approach that might be taken have been submitted to the person charged with preparing the proposal.
Fire Losses
The meeting discussed a recent report of increased fire losses across the UK and agreed that reasons might include: -
Falling levels of operational competence
Inappropriate balance between intervention and prevention
Pressures to deliver efficiency savings
Rather than address this matter of fire losses as a separate issue, it was agreed that it would be specifically included in a wider ranging discussion paper identifying areas of concern and attempting to show the impacts of national pressures as well as internal management failings.
Review of Technical Bulletin 1/97 and Generic Risk Assessments
The Association has accepted an invitation to sit on the project board for a CFRA-led review of Technical Bulletin 1/97. Craig Thomson has agreed to represent the Association at this level and will be seeking nominations from serving members of the service forparticipation in technical groups convened to undertake practical elements of the review.
CFRA is undertaking a review of all existing Generic Risk Assessments at a rate of around 2 per month. Considering draft assessments and preparing responses will create an additional workload for the Association. The assistance of Executive Board, as serving FRS members, will be required to service such work. It was agreed that assessments would be shared between Board members whilst having regard to their areas of expertise.
Fire authority liaison
G Morgan advised the meeting that letters had been sent to the chairs of the local government associations prior to Christmas 2008 and not response had been received.
During February 2009, letters and policy statements had been sent to the chairs of individual fire authorities. These also failed to attract the desired response in terms of establishing dialogue on the many matters lying outwith the scope of the NJC.MMNB.
Despite failing to generate direct liaison, it was agreed to make regular contact with FRAs in order to raise awareness of the FOA and in the hope that they will eventually recognise the benefits of dealing with the FOA
Contingency planning
The Board discussed the situation in Lancashire regarding the FRA’s refusal to consult FOA members collectively and the authority’s initiative seeking individuals’ agreement to work during periods of strike action.
The local contact had been attempting to represent members in dealings with management without success. He had already sent a letter and had drafted a second which had been circulated to the Management Board for comment and amendment. Any revised version of this letter would be sent back to Lancashire following the Executive Board meeting.
Branch representatives and contacts had been asked to complete an online survey that would provide evidence of involvement (or non-involvement) of the FOA or FOA members during the preparation of local contingency/resilience plans. It was reported that 27 responses had been received and these indicated that around 90% of services had not attempted to engage with the Association.
Action:CEO to issue press release on FRA failings in contingency planning with a target date 1st April
7. National Officials and Officers
The Chief Executive advised that one nomination for the vacant Vice President position had been received and he considered it unlikely that any further nominations would be received by the 17th April closing date. On this basis, he expected that Alan Tranter would be appointed unopposed.
A nomination had been received for the position of Wales Regional representative but, due to Andy Revesz stepping-down a new representative for the South West Region would be required.
8. Membership Issues
Rank/role
The meeting was informed that a request had been made to remove the word “rank” from the online membership application form. After discussion, it was decided to retain the word, for the time being, as several fire and rescue services had not yet implemented rank to role.