Members are requested to consider the identification of:

a)  declarations of interest by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the Agenda

b)  any additional items of business which the Chair has determined should be considered as matters of urgency; and

c)  items of business which may require the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information.

Members considered the identification of declarations of interest, any urgent additional items, and any business that may require the exclusion of the press and public.

Resolved that:

a)    no declarations of interest were made by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the Agenda

b)    the Chair determined that one additional item of business, Report CFO/041/14 Collaboration with the Fire Service College, be considered as a matter of urgency; and be included on the Agenda at item 9

c)      items 8 and 9 of the Agenda require the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof, because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information:

item 8 CFO/036/14 Application for Early Release of Pension deferred LGP Scheme and associated Appendices - contains EXEMPT information by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972,

item 9 CFO/041/14 Collaboration with the Fire Service College, at Appendix A - contains EXEMPT information by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee, held on 14^th January 2014, are submitted for approval as a correct record and for signature by the Chair.

Members considered the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 14^th January 2014.

Resolved that:

The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee, held on 14^th January 2014, be approved as a correct record and signed accordingly by the Chair.

To consider Report CFO/040/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning an update on the Critical Incident Stress Management Procedure; which was introduced to Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority in July 2013.

Members considered report CFO/040/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer regarding the Critical Incident Stress Management procedure; which was introduced to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MF&RA) in July 2013.

Members were also provided with a presentation in support of this report during a learning lunch, prior to the opening of the meeting. During the learning lunch Members took the opportunity to discuss, in some detail, the nature of the work which has been undertaken to introduce the procedure, how this has worked in practice to date, and potential development of the facility in the future, to support employee’s.

Resolved that:

a)     Members note update report and supporting presentation; and

b)     Members thanked all involved in the development and implementation of the procedure.

To consider Report CFO/031/14 of the Deputy Chief Executive, concerning approval for ICT to open up access to Social Media Sites on the Corporate network, for all Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority staff.

Members considered Report CFO/031/14 of the Deputy Chief Executive, requesting approval for ICT to open up access to Social Media Sites on the Corporate network, for all Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority staff.

Resolved that:

Members;

a)     Note the recent upgrade of Websense, the corporate Web Filtering and Email filtering solution,

b)     Approve the access to Social Media on the Corporate ICT Network for all staff; and

c)     Note the mitigation measures in place to avoid abuse or misuse

To consider Report CFO/032/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning a summary of the recent Access Audit carried out across 22 Stations.

Members considered Report CFO/032/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, regarding a summary of the recent Access Audit carried out across 22 Stations, and information provided therein to enable decisions to be made regarding improvement work to be completed, the timeframe and determine costs.

Discussion took place with regard to the importance of these improvements, especially the female firefighter changing and washing facilities, and Members requested that work commence on these improvements as soon as possible.

Resolved that:

Members:

a)     approve the work required to make improvements for Female Firefighter facilities (changing and washing facilities) as highlighted in Appendices 1, 2 & 3, starting with those stations that currently have female Firefighters in post, with this work deemed a priority to be completed, commencing April 2014 in line with the specific work outlined in Appendix 6 table 1at a cost of £34,400,

b)     approve the Priority 1 work highlighted in Appendix 6 in line with the costings outlined in Table 3 of £95,035, and Table 4 of £133,845; and

                i.       the list of recommended phasing for works across stationsat Appendix 6, as Estates priority work streams for 2014/15 be noted; and

               ii.       the list of work in Table 5, £96,550 be noted at this time, as the station merger options may make these works obsolete.

c)     approve specific additional work recommended from Priority 2,3 and 4as deemed appropriate by Estates Manager (e.g. Signage) highlighted in Appendix 2; and

                i.       the total value of this work is £530,640 be noted; and

               ii.       a £100,000 initial budget for this work to fund the priority work as deemed appropriate by the Estates Manager be approved.

d)     note that costs are budgeted figures (already contained within existing budgets) based on industry guides and best value will be obtained in accordance with MFRA standing orders; therefore;

                i.       an increase in the current DDA Capital budget from £139,000 to £364,000, seeing an increase of £225,000, to be funded from the £510,000 Equality and DDA reserve be approved; and

               ii.       note that as additional DDA work is confirmed, requests for further drawdown from this reserve will be made

e)     agree that ongoing monitoring of the access audit work will be reported by the Estates Manager as part of the Estates Equality and Diversity action plan quarterly progress report, discussed at Strategic Equality Group meetings.

To consider Report CFO/012/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning the Policy and Service Instructions that have been developed to enable the Authority to implement the requirements of the Governments Protective Security Strategy.

Members considered Report CFO/012/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, regarding the development of Policy and Service Instructions to enable the Authority to implement the requirements of the Governments Protective Security Strategy.

Resolved that:

Members;

a)     note each of the documents have been through the Authority’s consultation process with some minor changes made as a result; and,

approve the Protective Security Policy, Protective Marking Service Instruction, and Personnel Security Service Instruction which were attached as appendices A, B and C to the report.

To consider Report CFO/039/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning progress and outcomes in relation to the Authority’s Improvement Scheme.

Members considered Report CFO/039/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, regarding progress and outcomes in relation to the Authority’s Improvement Scheme.

Resolved that:

Members note the progress and outcomes resulting from the Improvement Scheme.

To consider Report CFO/036/14 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning an application for an early release of pension.

This Report contains EXEMPT information by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The following items were deemed confidential by the Chair, therefore both items required the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof, because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information.

Members of the Press and public were requested to leave the meeting.

Members considered Report CFO/036/14 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning an application for an early release of pension (deferred member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

This Report contains EXEMPT information by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Resolved that:

Members note and endorse the actions taken by the Chief Fire Officer following an application for an early release of pension.

To consider report CFO/041/14 of the Chief Fire Officer concerning the intention to collaborate with the Fire Service College.

Members considered report CFO/041/14 of the Chief Fire Officer concerning the intention to collaborate with the Fire Service College.

This Report at Appendix A contains EXEMPT information by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Resolved that:

Members approved the recommendations contained within the reports with regard to collaboration with the Fire Service College.

Close.

Date of next meeting to be agreed at the Annual meeting.