To consider any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies received.

To consider any Member Declarations of Interest.

There were no declarations of interest at this meeting.

To consider the report relating to the Staff Attendance & Recording System (StARS) (CFO/51/24).

Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, introduced the Staff Attendance and Recording Systems (StARS) report.

Members were provided with an overview of the StARS application, which allowed the Authority to record individual attendance across all duty systems. It was noted that application enhancements had taken place, with the Authority collaborating with the providers to create bespoke functionality for the service.

Attention was drawn to paragraphs 11 and 18, which highlighted potential development opportunities and how the Authority could incorporate any further changes in duty systems into the application.

Councillor Bell inquired if the application had been included in the Authority's budget for the upcoming year.. It was clarified that the application was factored into both the Authority’s budget and the Medium-Term Financial Plan.

With regard to the recent Task and Finish Review of Sickness Absence, it was noted that some data scrutinised had been provided through the StARS system, and Councillor Maloney noted that the information presented was easy to read. The Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the end user feedback was also positive in terms of the software’s usability. 

Councillor Hanratty entered the meeting at 13:07pm.

Councillor Murray questioned whether the Authority had planned to undertake any testing as part of the development process. The Chief Fire Officer assured Members that the Authority always sought to work with developers to test that the application reflected the nuances of the Authority, such as its bespoke duty systems.

The recent His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection highlighted the efficiency of the Authority’s diverse duty systems in meeting staff needs and delivering services. It was noted that developers consistently had displayed a willingness to collaborate with the Authority to represent diverse duty systems and better address the Authority’s needs.

Councillor Murray queried whether the overall cost for development had been included in the price and the Chief Fire Officer confirmed that the price was inclusive of all costs. Members were advised that in some cases, additional costs may arise if additional functionally was requested that had not initially been part of the scope. It was clarified that in some instances, developers could absorb the cost of new applications if they were mutually beneficial for both parties.

Councillor Hanratty expressed concerns about security and potential cyber-attacks, questioning the Authority's dependency on the system and highlighting the need for adequate safeguards. Members were informed that the Authority was aware of those risks and that HMICFRS had indicated that it could seek to assess the Authority’s cybersecurity arrangements within the next two years. The Chief Fire Officer assured Members that the Authority was vigilant in the face of evolving hacker technology’. Additionally, Councillor Byrom raised concerns about the telecom outage of the 999 system earlier this year, which prompted a review by The Local Government Association (LGA). It was explained that the telecom company had been fined and this therefore closed the Authority’s review of that particular issue.

Councillor Wood queried the adequacy of training relating to the application  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider the Revenue & Capital Outturn Report 2023/24 (CFO/52/24).

The Director of Finance and Procurement, Mike Rea, introduced the Revenue & Capital Outturn Report for 2023/24.

Members were informed that the Revenue Budget movements in Quarter 4 were outlined in Paragraph 10. The most notable change pertained to the planned draw-down of £0.581m from the Inflation Reserve to address the rise in premises energy prices.

It was noted that a small drawdown from reserves was made for IT equipment and software, and that the remaining adjustments consisted of some self-balancing virements and other minor changes.

Members were drawn to paragraph 10, page 24 where it was verified that the final budget aligned with the original approved budget of £67.921m. It was noted that the revenue Outturn position, indicated the year-end revenue underspend of £3.312m, when compared to the final budget.

It was explained that after accounting for the £0.803m year-end reserves requested by budget managers for projects and initiatives spanning the 2023/24 and 2024/25, the available underspend for 2023/24 was £2.509m.

Member's attention was drawn to Paragraph 13 and pages 25-26, which overviewed the details on revenue differences and the comprehensive revenue analysis.

It was noted that the Authority aimed to maximise savings for future financial challenges and for infrastructure investment. Members were advised that the report recommended allocating the £2.509m underspend to increase the general reserve by £0.700m, in line with the external Audit's recommendation.

It was suggested that increasing the Capital Investment Reserve by £1.809m would minimise future capital borrowing costs. Mike Rea advised Members that the reserve allocations and the overall revenue Outturn position, would align with the existing budget.

It was discussed that the 2023/24 Capital Budget and Outturn position, was outlined in paragraphs 15-21. Members were advised that within Quarter 4, the 2023/24 Capital programme budget increased by £0.331m, with the overall 5-year capital budget increasing by £0.089m.

It was noted that paragraph 16, page 27 detailed the capital budget amendments made in Quarter 4. The Capital Outturn Position was summarised, with actual spend at the end of 2023/24 explained at £8.711m below budget.

Mike Rea advised that £8.619m had been re-phased into 2024/25. Additionally, a small saving of £0.092m was noted on various 2023/24 schemes, which was identified at year-end.

Regarding reserves, paragraphs 22-31 detailed the reserves available for the year, the changes in Quarter 4, and proposed year-end adjustments. It was noted that excluding year-end adjustments, committed reserves decreased by £0.018m in Quarter 4to £9.562m.

Members were advised that officers had reviewed the year-end revenue position statements and requested year-end reserves to allocate funds for the anticipated expenditures in 2024/25 or beyond. Paragraph 26 outlined the £0.803m of year-end reserves requested by officers.

It was concluded that the amount of committed reserves decreased by £7.615m during the year, from £19.789m to £12.174m. Members were advised that the report suggested using the £2.509m revenue underspend to bolster the General Revenue Reserve and Capital Investment Reserves, which was detailed in paragraph 27.

Members' attention was drawn to the table on page 32 and Appendix A4,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider the public and exempt minutes of the last meeting held on 21^st March 2024.

RESOLVED that the public and exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 21^st March 2024 were agreed as an accurate record.