Director, Major Projects and Resilience. To: Planning and Performance Committee 6 November 2014

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1 Item Number: B1 By: Director, Major Projects and Resilience To: Planning and Performance Committee 6 November 2014 Subject: Classification: KENT RESILIENCE TEAM Unrestricted FOR DECISION SUMMARY This report updates Members on the progress and achievements of the newly formed Kent Resilience Team (KRT). The KRT is a multi-agency team based at The Godlands, comprising staff from the Authority, Kent County Council and Kent Police, which ensures that the statutory responsibilities of the Kent Resilience Forum are discharged. In addition the report asks Members to approve the priorities for the KRT work plan up to April RECOMMENDATIONS Members are requested to: 1. Approve the priorities for the KRT work plan up to April 2015 (paragraph 9 refers). 2. Consider and note the remaining contents of the report. LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Director, Major Projects and Resilience Steve Demetriou TELEPHONE NUMBER: ext steve.demetriou@kent.fire-uk.org BACKGROUND PAPERS: None B1: 1

2 COMMENTS Background The Kent Resilience Forum 1. The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is the principal mechanism for multi-agency cooperation and co-ordination for the county, operating under the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 guidelines. The KRF is not a legal entity and therefore has no statutory powers. It provides the forum for those organisations delivering services within the Kent policing area (covering the whole of the area served by Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway Council), to fulfil their collective responsibility under the CCA to prepare, plan and communicate in a multi-agency environment. 2. The Responders are divided into two categories (Category 1 and 2) and a full list of Category 1 responders can be found at Appendix 1. Category 1 Responders are those organisations at the core of emergency response, e.g. emergency services, local authorities and NHS bodies, and have a duty to:- undertake risk assessments; conduct emergency planning; ensure business continuity arrangements are in place; inform, warn and advise the public; co-operate in resilience activities; share information. Category 2 Responders are those organisations and agencies that will assist Category 1 Responders in the event of an emergency such as utilities and transport companies. They have a duty to:- co-operate with Category 1 Responders; share information. The Kent Resilience Team 3. In April 2013 a project to explore a new delivery model for emergency planning in Kent was initiated. There was a collective desire to transform the delivery of services to achieve better outcomes for the people of Kent and improve the effectiveness of the KRF. 4. In July 2013 it was agreed to scope the concept of a co-located, integrated team comprising staff from KCC, the Authority and Kent Police. This integrated team was designed to provide a new model for delivering statutory responsibilities on behalf of B1: 2

3 all three Category 1 responders whilst retaining individual accountability. It also provides capacity to deliver partnership and business support for the KRF. 5. In April 2014 the Kent Resilience Team (KRT) became operational, hosted at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters. The team consists of ten staff from KCC, two from the Authority, two from Kent Police and two members of the KRF Business Management Support Unit. KRT Progress and Achievements 6. Significant progress has already been made by the KRT since April, with clear indications that the defined benefits outlined in the business case for integration (enhanced productivity, reduction in work duplication and improved crossorganisation communication) are being realised. For example:- (a) (b) (c) (d) Multi-agency work is being delivered more quickly and efficiently since the introduction of the KRT, with many key KRF documents reviewed and published, and the Kent Prepared website reviewed and upgraded. Computer systems have been integrated and the team has full access to KCC, Kent Police and Authority systems from the new office, meaning that critical information is available when needed. The team is able to communicate response information quickly and effectively and work is under way to ensure that this is formally embedded into the county s response arrangements. In addition new partnership agreements will provide a role for the KRT during the incident response phase which will assist in the provision of tactical advice to multi-agency partners. This has already shown its worth at several operational incidents where the KRT was able to coordinate critical support and advice to operational crews, e.g. the DFDS ferry fire at Dover Docks. Informal partnership arrangements have been agreed with both the National Health Service and the Environment Agency. 7. The primary focus of the work of the KRT in the first few months has been to formalise the working relationship between the KRT and all the Category 1 Responders, including the Kent District/Borough councils and Medway Council. The KRT is planning to have partnership agreements in place with all of the Category 1 responders in the County, and this will provide a more responsive, lean and flexible business model. 8. These partnership arrangements will replace the current service level agreements in place between KCC and District Councils. They will also establish a single payment B1: 3

4 to the KRT which will cover KRF revenue and wider activity costs together with options for the provision of emergency planning consultancy assistance to partners at an additional cost. In real terms, a significant reduction in costs is expected to be delivered to all 18 of the Category 1 responders, whilst continuing to improve operational performance through the KRT. Future Priorities 9. The KRT has prioritised further areas of work to ensure continued improvement and development. Members are asked to approve the following priorities for the KRT work plan up to April 2015 and note the progress to date in each area:- (a) (b) (c) (d) Assess the impact of the Kent Resilience Team (KRT) on Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) business and effect changes as appropriate. Staff from within the KRT are now integral to all areas of work and associated meetings within the KRF and a review proposing cost reductions for all 18 Category 1 responders is in place. The KRT has also appointed staff to chair meetings and drive the work of the KRF ensuring multi-agency compliance with the Civil Contingencies Act. Examine current strategic documentation, the constitution and business plan together with working practices for the Business Management Support Unit with a view to reducing bureaucracy. All relevant strategic documentation has been revised and published and the administration team within the KRT has been reviewed resulting in the appointment of a new member of staff to fill the vacant project officer s post. Update all strategic/overarching KRF plans, including the Pan Kent Flood Plan. Work is ongoing to review key plans within the KRF in line with the KRF annual operating plan. The Pan Kent Flood Plan is being reviewed, taking into account the significant number of recommendations from the winter floods of 2013/14. It will be published and tested before this winter. Revise multi-agency command and control facilities and arrangements, to include the role of the Kent Resilience Team in incident response and recovery. A gap analysis of the current arrangements for Command and Control facilities and arrangements has been completed by the KRT. The findings of this gap analysis show that arrangements are fit for purpose, although areas relating to multi-agency critical on scene command and control have been enhanced. A full review of these arrangements will take place in 2015/16. B1: 4

5 (e) (f) (g) Improve the current process for implementing recommendations from incidents and exercises. The focus of the work in this area has been around lessons learned from flooding and severe weather. Significant progress has been made to enhance the multi-agency response to flooding but there is further work to be done. A specific workstream has been established within the KRF to focus on flooding. Arrange discussions with KRF partners to explore opportunities to enhance the role of the KRT. As discussed previously in this document it is proposed that partnership agreements will be in place with all relevant partners during 2015/16. Other Category 1 responders are also being approached to integrate with the KRT. Co-ordinate and complete all risk assessments (associated guidance and templates) required by KRF organisations under the CCA. A member of the KRT management team has taken responsibility for driving the work of the KRF Risk Assessment Group and good progress is being made on the full review of the County community risk register, which will be published in January IMPACT ASSESSMENT 10. Funding is required to support the work of the KRF and a subscription model for all responder organisations has been in place since the KRF was formed. All Category 1 Responders share the funding commitment to the KRF helping to achieve greater consistency of performance, as suggested in Emergency Preparedness, the supporting guidance for the CCA. Secure funding allows the KRF to plan its business both long and short term and enables the provision of general administrative support, training and exercising. 11. The KRT has proved the benefits of integrated working, and future phases of development will allow participating services to identify further improvements to front line service delivery as well as highlighting the potential for further efficiencies. RECOMMENDATIONS 12. Members are requested to: 12.1 Approve the priorities for the KRT work plan up to April 2015 (paragraph 9 refers) Consider and note the remaining contents of the report. B1: 5

6 Appendix 1 to Item No: B1 Emergency Services: Local Authorities: Category 1 Responders Kent Police (also acting for Port of Dover Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Ministry of Defence Police) British Transport Police Kent Fire and Rescue Service Maritime and Coastguard Agency South East Coast Ambulance NHS Trust Kent County Council Medway Council Ashford Borough Council Canterbury City Council Dartford Borough Council Dover District Council Gravesham Borough Council Maidstone Borough Council Sevenoaks District Council Shepway District Council Swale Borough Council Thanet District Council Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Health: Kent and Medway Area Team, NHS England Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Medway Foundation Trust Kent and Medway Partnership Trust Kent Community Health Care Trust Medway Community Health Care Trust CIC Public Health: Port Health Authorities: Government Agencies: Public Health England London Port Health Authority (on behalf of all other Kent Port Health Authorities: Dover Harbour, Folkestone Harbour, Medway Ports and Port Ramsgate) Environment Agency B1: 6