The Scottish Government

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Scottish Fire and Rescue Services
Guide to Community Planning

Scottish Fire and Rescue Services are committed to ensuring the safety of communities and improving service delivery

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Contents

Foreword

This guide has been produced to provide information for SF & RS staff on Community Planning with the aim of encouraging personnel to make a valued and professional contribution to partnership working at Local Authority level.

Fire and Rescue Authorities in Scotland have a duty to participate in the process of community planning and it is the responsibility of each local authority to invite services and agencies to work together as equal partners.

Fire and Rescue Service Authorities place a high level of importance on Community Planning and support the Scottish Executive objective of continuous improvement in service delivery. Moreover improved partnership working and community engagement are essential to the development and delivery of Community Fire Safety and Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP).

Involvement in Community Planning processes, improved consultation and collaboration at all levels will be essential to the strategic development of Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland for the benefit of the people of Scotland.

Brian P. Sweeney QFSM MA DipEFEng MIFireE
Community Fire Safety Champion
Jan 2005

1. Introduction

The Local Government Scotland Act 2003 provides a statutory framework for securing best value, community planning and community well-being.

Fire Services in Scotland have a duty to participate in the process of Community planning and it is the duty of each local authority to facilitate Fire Service membership of Community Planning Partnerships.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Services are committed to working with the Scottish Executive, COSLA and local authorities through the process of community planning to improve the safety and quality of life of local communities.

Community Planning involves the corporate planning and prioritising of service provision, aimed at achieving sustainable social and economic improvement.

• It is based on the principles of partnership, collective responsibility, social inclusion and regeneration.
• It provides a mechanism for community consultation and development, shaping services around the needs of individuals and communities.
• It functions at local, regional and national level.
• Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland have a statutory duty to participate.
• Fire and Rescue Services should contribute towards non-fire related community planning objectives.

Community Planning is recognised as being essential to the strategic, tactical and dynamic operation of Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland and the responsibility for making suitable and sufficient arrangements in relation to Community Planning rests with corporate management of each Fire and Rescue Service Authority.

2. Overview

This guidance sets out the principles and priorities for developing and delivering Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Community Planning aims and objectives in partnership with the Scottish Executive, Local Authorities and key stakeholders.

The prime objective of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services is to minimise the economic and social impact of fire and other emergencies, reduce risk and improve community safety by :

• Reducing injury and loss of life from fire and accidents.
• Reducing the number of fires.
• Reducing damage to the built and natural environment.
• Reducing fire related crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Providing value.

The intention is to make sure that although delivered in accordance with local priorities Scottish Fire and Rescue Services have a committed, coherent and coordinated approach towards Community Planning.

Participation in local authority Community Planning allows the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to demonstrate a professional approach towards risk reduction underpinned by sound business management practices.

In meaningfully engaging with others the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can show that it is prevention focused and acting in support of the broader agenda of improving public safety.

Formal Community Planning Structures provide a useful mechanism for consultation and dissemination of information on developments within the service that affect local service delivery.

Integrated Fire Risk Management and Community Fire Safety Plans are two good examples of the contribution Scottish Fire and Rescue Services are making toward meeting the strategic aims and objectives of Community Planning.

3. Background

The concept of "Community Planning" is not new therefore much of this guidance reflects the high level of current SF&RS involvement and formalises existing good practice.

Section 16(1) of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 places a statutory duty on key public bodies to participate in the process of Community Planning.

The legislation provides a framework for the better delivery of public services and this statutory duty applies amongst others to each Fire and Rescue Authority in Scotland.

The Act is supported by statutory guidance, and non-statutory advice notes, for participants and comprehensive information outlining national community planning aims, objectives and recommendations for future development are available online @ www.communityplanning.org.uk

Two main aims of Community Planning are: -

• Making sure people and communities are genuinely engaged in the decisions made on public services that affect them

and

• A commitment from organisations to work together to provide better public services

In addition, Community Planning is viewed as a means of sharing strategic aims and linking national, regional and local priorities. Through the process of community planning,Community Planning Partnerships will be able to influence national direction and help co-ordinate the delivery of national priorities in ways that are sensitive to local needs and circumstances.

The statutory duty to participate in Community Planning compliments core F&RS strategic plans, aims and objectives. In addition there are clear opportunities within the emerging Community Planning process to ensure that local authorities and other services and agencies better understand F&RS priorities and adopt shared goals and shared success criterion.

Following the establishment of the Community Regeneration Fund targeted funding has been made available to Community Planning Partnerships to support strategic, social, environmental and economic improvement.

In particular Community Planning Partnerships have been given specific responsibilities in connection with community regeneration priorities and expenditure, targeted at areas of multiple deprivation. Historically there has been a strong correlation between demand for Fire and Rescue Services and levels of deprivation and in general the higher the level of deprivation the greater the number of fire calls within any given area.

Fire related problems in Scotland are not evenly distributed but heavily concentrated within areas of multiple deprivation, moreover the incidence of accidental fire and fire injury also is significantly higher within disadvantaged communities and groups.

We would expect Local Authorities as part of the community planning process to acknowledge the high social and environmental cost of fire in Scotland and consequently Scottish Fire and Rescue Services should be invited to contribute towards determining priorities for action, particularly within socially disadvantaged or deprived areas.

4. Community Planning - what is it?

Community Planning is a process where a Local Authority and other organisations in partnership plan, provide and promote the well being of their communities. It allows the active involvement of communities in the decisions on local services, which affect people's lives.

The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 came into force on 1st April 2003 and place's a statutory obligation on the Local Authority to make Community Planning arrangements. Chief Constables Joint Police Boards, NHS boards, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Joint Fire Boards, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority are all statutorily obliged to participate.

Each Local Authority is required to produce a Community Plan which will be the result of Partner Agencies agreeing priorities and formulating an action plan. It requires a significant commitment from all partners to produce a meaningful plan that will make a real difference to the way services are delivered. The Fire and Rescue Service contribution will primarily involve advising on issues and functions falling within the direct responsibility of Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Essentially Community Planning is about working with "others" to bring about improvements in service delivery.

It is a long-term process working towards greater integration and sharing of priorities. The Community Planning process is an evolving process, which will improve year on year as all organisations build on their relationships with each other and ensure that agreed priorities are met.

Central to Community Planning is recognition that the needs of individuals and communities if they are to be successfully met must be addressed collectively. Services should be delivered in an integrated way, that responds to need, rather than according to individual organizational limitations or constraints.

Community Planning is about bodies working more effectively together to improve the communities they serve, ensuring that they are working to a shared vision and that services are planned and provided taking account of the needs of people who use the services. The outcome should be to create communities that are safe and vibrant and where people are assured that key public services such as Health, Education, Police, Fire, Transport, are being effectively planned and delivered.

Developing policies and delivering services which best meets the requirements of local people should be at the heart of Community Planning.

Effective joint working between bodies means not just meeting round the table periodically but having a real commitment to a shared vision and common objectives. In practical terms this may mean the clarification of respective roles, working jointly where required, sharing budgets and staff resources, cutting out unnecessary duplication and filling gaps in service provision. It also implies public, private, voluntary and community bodies working together and learning from each other.

Community Planning is vitally important as a process to improve the way public services are planned and delivered but it needs to be relevant as a concept and of practical benefit to people and communities.

5. What are the responsibilities of community planning partnership members?

In the first instance you should familiarise yourself with the Community Plan, Community Safety Action Plan for your local authority area and any service specific plans or priorities.

• Make their own individual and service contribution to determining and realising partnerships objectives.
• Acquire the necessary skills and motivation to engage meaningfully in the Community Planning Process.
• Be fully committed to realising agreed aims and objectives
• Adopt a leadership role on policy issues or tasks on behalf of the partnership commensurate with knowledge, experience and competencies.
• Act ethically and honestly.
• Treat other partnership members with dignity and respect.
• Uphold the principles of fairness and equality.

It has been recognized that the management skills and leadership qualities of Fire and Rescue staff can add considerably to the outcomes of successful partnership working.

Successful community planning outcomes are not however guaranteed much depends upon the quality of partnership working and community engagement. A range of learning resource modules are available to support effective community partnership working.

"Community Engagement Standards" which represent best practice together with other information and advice on regeneration and community development is available online from www.ce.communitiesscotland.gov.uk

Practical advice, information and support on community engagement and regeneration is also available through Communities Scotland local offices.

As part of normal risk management processes guidance should be sought from Legal Advisers prior to F&RS members taking up formal appointments as partnership office bearers, particularly where responsibility extends to financial governance of monies or funds.

This should not normally preclude F&RS members taking on such specific duties or responsibilities on behalf of Community Planning Partnerships only that levels of accountability and the extent of any liability or risk are known and accepted.

6. Strategic Context of Community Planning

It is acknowledged that the broader Fire and Rescue Service objectives and outcomes require to be made known and better understood by all partner organisations. In particular within disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the community, opportunity exists to make linkages between SF&RS activities and national priorities.

Community Planning should therefore be viewed in the context of the Scottish Executive's commitment to economic and social regeneration, safer communities and continuous service improvement.

Community Planning is a long term undertaking, which will take time to become fully established within the culture of public services and make a difference to service delivery. As community planning experience develops there will be a need for partnerships to become more focused on outcomes and service delivery improvement.

There is also a requirement to accept, that community planning is a fundamental change in the way we go about planning and delivery of our core business. It is all about engaging with others at strategic, tactical and operational levels to bring about change.

The Fire Service has a long tradition of working in partnership with a number of agencies, however Community Planning has two major differences; the statutory duty to participate in partnerships and the notion that partnership working must become mainstreamed.

By improving collaboration with local authorities, services and agencies not only can we comply with statutory obligations but we will also deliver on community needs and community expectations.

Working in partnership means sharing ideas, skills, experience, knowledge, information & resources and then taking responsibility for the outcome.

Community Safety Partnership work is a service delivery facet of Community Planning which focuses on problem identification and solving based on quantification and assessment of risk - resulting in the generation of local solutions by local participants to locally identified problems.

Whilst there are regional and national issues that transcend Local Authority boundaries, requiring complex solutions and involvement of many agencies, it is only proper that local needs and concerns drive the business planning of partnerships.

7. Strategic Objectives

The aim of Fire and Rescue Services participation in the Community Planning process is to create safer, healthier, better communities.

Community Planning offers Fire & Rescue Services the opportunity to engage with the communities served. It provides a focus for service delivery and the opportunity to agree a range of outcome measures that reflect the overall "health" of a community. It is worthy of note that the provisions of the Act specifically refer to community consultation and engagement, and that the reporting mechanism is directed towards the community. In simple terms, communities care most about whether service delivery and the quality of life in their area is actually improving and "practical evidence" carries much more weight than data or statistics.

As a public service organisation we must be prepared to enter into meaningful dialogue with communities and ensure our activities are complimentary to the aims and objectives of the partnerships that we have entered into.

Successful integration into local authority community planning processes will require: -

• Cultural Change
• Capacity Building
• Information Sharing

8. Cultural Change

Commitment to community planning must exist at the highest levels within the SF&RS and it is vital to the success of community planning activities that all involved in the process show an equal level of awareness and commitment.

There must be a growing realisation of what involvement in Community Planning processes means and also a change of culture and working practices within our organisation to accommodate the requirements of community planning.

In some cases F&RS organisational structures may require to be altered to meet community planning commitments and reflect the important linkages between Community Safety Partnership Plans, Regeneration Outcome Agreements and Community Safety and Integrated Risk Management Plans.

Essentially Community Planning is a corporate responsibility but best determined and delivered by persons having direct responsibility for local service delivery.

At every level in Scottish Fire and Rescue Services the role of all staff should be to contribute to the wider social agenda at every opportunity and deliver safer communities.

9. Capacity Building

Partnership working occasionally has been hampered by the perception of a lack of commitment. In reality perceived inaction was due to a lack of staff with sufficient training and experience of working in partnerships.

Collaborative activities such as networking, shadowing and temporary secondments alongside more formal joint training opportunities in negotiating, budgeting and partnership should be encouraged to increase community planning knowledge, skill and experience.

Lack of capacity will be partially overcome when the cultural change highlighted takes place and CP activities are seen as mainstream, rather than ancillary. Medium to longer term IRMP will result in a redistribution of resources and emphasis within F&RS which should provide increased capacity to support wider community planning activities.

There is a particular requirement at present to identify training and development needs and in the short term central funding provided to CPPs to support capacity building may be accessed to jointly train and develop staff. This may in due course lead to the widening of job descriptions to encompass new remits and responsibilities associated with Community Planning. It must be acknowledged that only by including such broader functions within formal job roles will community planning become part of normal business management activity.

10. Information Sharing

The sharing of information is prerequisite to effective partnership working as without baseline figures it will be impossible to accurately gauge success or failure. The issue is what information can and should be routinely shared, how it can be shared and how available information can be accessed and managed more effectively.

There is a fundamental difference between anonymised or aggregated service data that is appropriate to share and personal data that readily identifies individuals. It should also be borne in mind that fire or other statistics may require to be placed in context and should normally be supported by sufficient explanatory or contextual information.

Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland are able to provide anonymised and aggregated local fire related data and statistics to assist or support the Community Planning process.

However it is important appropriate legal protocols are put in place by partnerships to comply with data protection and freedom of information legislation.

National Statistics publications which include fire are available online from:- www.scotland.gov.uk/stats

11. Partnership Working

Effective partnership working is not easy, difficulties have been experienced by staff at all levels when working with others and it often requires a great deal of inter-personal skill and personal commitment.

Potential problems:-

• Increased demand to become involved in partnerships and unreasonable expectations or demands placed upon individual members.
• An apparent lack of structure and accountability in some partnerships.
• A perception that partnerships lack clarity of focus.
• Parochialism and protectionism.
• Lack of training or resources to service all levels of partnerships effectively.

Participation in Community Planning and Partnership working will provide knowledge and experience of wider social issues and improve both communication and managerial skills. It should therefore be undertaken as part of continuous professional development and will improve both the competencies and confidence of participants whilst providing a valuable insight into the workings of partner services and agencies. This CP guidance has been provided to give an overview and support improved partnership working and must not be treated as a rigid set of policies, procedures and practices that restrict or constrain participation. It has primarily been produced as a means of assisting SF&RS personnel who are either working in partnerships, invited to form a new partnership, or been asked to join an existing one, to engage with them much more meaningfully.

This advice and guidance should assist SF&RS staff involved in partnership working:

• Influence the work of partners in identifying community safety priorities.
• Negotiate joint ownership of Action Plans and key outcomes.
• Ensure partnerships function more effectively to the benefit of communities.

12. Membership of Community Planning Partnerships

Having the right people with appropriate management, decision making and leadership skills is the first step to creating effective partnerships.

Management must ensure suitable F&RS representation at all levels, from Strategic Partnership to Implementation or Thematic Groups.

F&RS representatives on partnerships should:

• Have a clear understanding of community planning and community safety aims.
• Have a clear understanding of why the partnership has been formed.
• Know what it is currently seeking to achieve.
• Be aware of the any specific F&RS partnership responsibilities.
• Be of an appropriate decision making rank or role level, relative to the strategic, tactical or operational nature of the group.
• Have a clear understanding of F&RS local and national priorities.

13. Community Planning Structures and Models

There is no best practice model of Community Planning Partnerships however there are certain elements common to all:

Strategic Level Partnership Groups -usually comprising senior representatives, either Chief Executive, Directors, from partner organisations. Fire & Rescue Service representatives would be Area or Strategic Managers.

Implementation Groups -involving practitioners/specialists from partner organisations. These committees normally report to the strategic Partnership and are usually given

responsibility for implementation of Community Action Plans, projects or initiatives. F&RS representation is generally at Group or Station manager level.

Thematic Groups -many partnerships have established thematic groups with responsibility for developing the key strategic themes outlined in the Community Plan (in some areas these groups build upon the work of existing interest groups which have been brought into the wider Community Planning process). F&RS representation is dependent upon the remit or specific group aims and objectives but should normally comprise staff with appropriate knowledge, skill and experience.

Practical Considerations

Appropriate representation at each group level is essential to effective partnership working and careful consideration must be given to matching the personal qualities or attributes of individuals to the aims of the partnership. Where the exigencies of the service allow, the same people should attend partnership group meetings to provide continuity and build trust.

As far as practicable officers nominated to attend should be those having service delivery responsibilities for the geographical area covered by the group or functional /specialistresponsibility relevant to the group theme or objectives.

There will be many projects or activities carried out by the partnership that will have a direct impact on the F&RS planning, resources, operational demand or service delivery.

Collectively partnership members will be obliged to work to a shared vision to improve public services but the agenda can be informed, shaped and influenced by strategic F&RS interests.

Personnel should contribute most to local partnership priorities on the theme of Community Safety, which in the main is concerned with accident, injury and crime reduction. However staff should also be familiar with the broader aims and objectives within the SF&RS Community Safety Strategy and Objectives.

Whilst mindful of the need to support the wider Community Safety Planning process, staffing and resources are not limitless. Senior management must not feel obliged to contribute to the development or implementation of every aspect of the local community plan or involve F&RS Officers in every Community Planning event or activity, some professional judgement must be exercised.

Apply the test of considering whether the particular issue or problem under review could legitimately be addressed by F&RS participation and then determine the extent and nature of that involvement given the resources available.

To summarise, F&RS activity in support of partnerships should normally be commensurate with Fire Services areas of skill, knowledge and experience. In the main these will fall within the functions and tasks of the Fire and Rescue Service and those priorities outlined within the SF&RS Community Safety Strategy.

F&RS Managers should take care to appoint representatives appropriate to the remit and status of the partnership body taking cognisence of whether it operates at, strategic, tactical or operational levels.

14. Focused Activity

All partnerships should have a written record of their aims and objectives and a clear understanding of the problems that are to be tackled by the partner agencies. Without these basic tenets it is very easy for inappropriate work to be undertaken, and resources wasted on issues not central to the resolution of particular problems. The following points are not exhaustive but should be considered by F&RS personnel to assist in the process:

• Use local incident information.
• Link to national safety campaigns or priorities.
• Research best practice or model projects/ initiatives already tried and tested.
• Use relevant success criterion, performance indicators and measurement or evaluation methods.

The prioritising of intervention strategies may be assisted by using standard "cost benefit analysis" and "health & safety risk assessment" methodology.

15. Auditing Arrangements

It is important to remember that to have any chance of success partnership priorities have to be based on a local knowledge of the nature, extent and causes of problems. Accurate current data from all the member agencies is a critical factor but strategies can run the risk of not reflecting the concerns of local communities where they are identified solely on the basis of services or agencies statistics or national priorities. For example the spatial distribution of fire and fire related problems varies significantly and is affected by social deprivation, inequality and demographics therefore sound evidence of the impact on local communities is required. The auditing process should be augmented and further refined through a structured and meaningful process of consulting with the various segments of the local community and interest groups. Every effort should be made to include hard to influence and vulnerable groups during this process and it is important to arrange for a suitable range of questions relating to community safety to be included in partnership questionnaires, citizen's juries, youth forums or other form of market or policy research.

Having carried out this research work the partnership will hopefully be in a strong position to:

• Produce an accurate profile of an area.
• Correctly identify the main issues to concentrate on, and more importantly.
• Measure progress over time in reducing problems.

16. Information Sharing

Strategic and tactical partnerships have for some time sought to use information from various partner agencies, including F&RS to create a composite profile of the area as a whole, at ward level, or in relation to particular groups, such as young people or older persons.

Generally no data should be supplied that identifies or lists specific individuals without consultation or agreement.

So far as is possible any statistics provided should be standardised otherwise it will be impossible to make accurate or realistic comparisons over time, and any subsequent claims of success may be seriously flawed. Statistics require to be placed in context, therefore raw data should never be supplied in isolation.

Supply of sensitive or confidential information should only be allowed following due consideration of data protection legislation and receipt of specialist advice.

Regular review, evaluation and feedback is an important aspect of Community Plans and actual performance against measured standards and targets should be reported to stakeholders. There is also a need to find out exactly what information is relevant and of interest to our partners and they should be asked about how they prefer to receive such information.

Further information sharing guidance is contained within Advice Note 8 of the statutory guidance to the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003.

17. Target Setting

Target setting should be an integral element of the partnership process as a focus for activity. A failure to set targets may well cause interest to drop and lead to a fall in the level of participation of other agencies. However experience suggests that, where a partnership initially has no baseline figure available to it, the setting of targets carries a number of dangers, not least that of setting too high a target which cannot realistically be achieved. Such an outcome will attract criticism, from communities and media alike, and may lead to friction within the group. Targets not set high enough or which are not challenging enough can also fail to motivate partners and once a low target is reached ongoing commitment falters. The aims or objectives must therefore be realistic and achievable as opposed to merely aspirational.

It is vitally important that any milestones and expected outcomes are regularly revised and altered in light of experience and actual achievement.

18. Implementation/Action Planning

Undertaking the process of agreeing priorities and developing strategy is in some ways the easier aspect of partnership working and the impression is often gained that the planning process is an end in itself. The plan is the basis for agreed joint action and it is vital that any strategy must have attached to it specific action plans which clearly link back to agreed priorities, intended to lead to the achievement of set targets within accepted timescales. Whilst it has been custom and practice to identify the particular individual and organisation to be given the lead role in tackling particular themes (and to be responsible for managing aspects of the implementation plan) it must be remembered that Community Partnership Plans are not the sole responsibility of any single person or organisation.

19. Performance Management

Monitoring the implementation process and performance against the set targets requires a disciplined approach. Strategic or tactically based partnerships will more often than not have tasked themselves or been tasked with a range of ambitious action plans. However effectively managing complex Community Planning initiatives may require project management training, skills and experience.

Experience with multi-agency working shows that quality assurance and performance management is often the weakest element. Consequently, two things can occur, firstly, some agencies may for whatever reason, fail to provide updates or to implement action plans as promised and secondly partner agencies may regularly fail to appear at review meetings.

Commitment is likely to falter unless personnel, with appropriate skills, are selected from key partners to form a 'Performance Management Section' with clear responsibility for encouraging compliance and the provision of progress reports to the Partnership Board.

Wherever possible, only staff that have received appropriate Project Management training should be allocated formal performance monitoring responsibilities. Sound financial management practices require to put be in place with adequate safeguards and transparent budgetary monitoring systems, particularly in connection with the bidding, dispersal and end use of project monies. Generally accountancy or financial managament experience is a requirement for anyone tasked with managing the finances of partnerships or projects. It should be noted that all central funding provisions are subject to independent scrutiny.

Community priorities are evidenced and determined following local research and analysis. Fire and Rescue Service information and statistical data is readily available and should form part of the consultation and evidence gathering process. Thereafter regular review and analysis of key Fire and Rescue Service indicators should feed into the Community Safety Partnership performance measurement and management system.

It should be noted that evaluation and success criteria, can be measured either quantitatively or qualitatively and relevant Fire & Rescue Services performance indicators should be fed into the Community Planning process as partnership outcome agreements.

In order for communities to fully engage in Community Planning there must be a better understanding of the Community Planning process and a balance struck between individual partner agencies statutory role or obligations and the broader partnerships priorities. To be fully effective priorities identified by the community must be included as opposed to practitioners or professionals simply imposing their own service agendas. Direct links should therefore be established with community groups and surveys or questionaires used as a means of receiving feedback on what service improvements communities want.

Community consultation already has been undertaken as part of the SF&RS integrated risk management process.

20. Financial Assistance to Partnerships

The Scottish Executive has made some significant changes to its approach to allocating Community Safety, Regeneration and Youth Justice or Anti Social Behaviour funding. Much of the responsibility for bidding and allocation of monies now rests with Community Planning and Community Safety Partnerships.

The dispersal of funds under the 'Community Safety Partnership Award Programme ' has been altered to a three year grant allocated to each Community Safety Partnership, via the local authority's Chief Executive on the basis of an agreed formula. CSPA monies are made available to support up to three strategic community safety themes determined by each partnership. Other funds are allocated to Chief Executive's under the umbrella of "neighbourhood renewal", "community regeneration" or the "modernising government" agenda. It will be necessary to maintain close partnership links in order to influence their usage or better access funds for fire related initiatives.

Funding available to CPP is also used to assist with capacity building activities such as partnership training, workshops and seminars.

The financial arrangements in respect of all partnerships where the F&RS is represented should be transparent and regular accounts must be provided to the meetings in accordance with accounting good practice. Specialist advice must be sought prior to F&RS personnel agreeing to undertake positions as treasurers of partnership bodies. Fire and Rescue Service managers are often viewed as neutral and independent and chairing partnerships or forums if requested provides personal development opportunities and benefits to individuals.

However employees require to be aware that they may incur personal liability through participation with unincorporated bodies such as voluntary associations or partnerships, particularly where they engage employees or enter into contracts. Furthermore, with incorporated bodies such as companies, although liability may be limited, if appointed to be Directors then certain duties of care are owed and there is a requirement to adhere to the obligations placed upon Directors by the Companies Act. Thus, whilst participation in line with the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 is to be encouraged, the taking on of the additional aforesaid responsibilities and obligations, together with their corresponding liabilities, should always be subject to legal advice.

21. Barriers to Successful Partnership Working

Nothing is more likely to reduce the chances of forming an effective partnership than to give insufficient time and notice for partner agencies to attend meetings or respond to a request for assistance.

Each organisation has its own culture and its own operating rules, councils in particular have a strict committee based system of management and changes in policy or procedures have to be approved through the committee system. Failure to plan around procedural rules and related deadlines will result in delays in obtaining necessary consents or approvals.

Frequent changes in personnel representing an organisation within a partnership signifies a lack of interest and is likely to lead to a loss of influence. Similar effects are caused by intermittent attendance at pre-arranged meetings, failure to post agenda items or send apologies for absence.

Regular attendance and adequate pre-planning, preparation and professional presentation of relevant information will maximise the partnership contribution of F&RS personnel.

Having consistent membership of community planning and community safety committees indicates a high level of support and commitment.

22. Function & Tasks of the Fire and Rescue Service

The role of the fire and rescue service is the reduction in loss of life, injury, economic and social cost arising from fire and other hazards.

Areas of knowledge and expertise fall into the following categories

• Risk reduction and risk management in relation to fires and other types of hazard or emergency.
• Community fire safety advice and education.
• Fire safety enforcement.
• Emergency responses to fires and other emergencies where it is best fitted to act as the primary agency responsible for the rescue of people including road traffic accidents, chemical spillage's and other large-scale incidents such as transport accidents.
• Emergency planning and preparedness coupled with the capacity and resilience to respond to major incidents of terrorism and other chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threats.

Fire and Rescue Services national role maps outline role related competencies required to: -

• Apply a risk-based approach to fire cover and to deciding how best to use resources.
• Adopt safe systems of working to secure the health and safety of staff, the general public and other agency or emergency service personnel.
• Minimise the impact of incidents and operational response on the environment.

The above core duties, form part of the integrated risk management process currently being undertaken by each F&RS and may be relevant in the context of Community Planning consultation and engagement.

All of these functions and duties play an important part in making communities safer and represent areas of knowledge, experience and management expertise that staff can feed into the Community Planning Partnerships at all levels.

23. The Scottish Executive is committed to a Fire and Rescue Service that:

• Is proactive and focused on preventing fires and other emergencies rather than reacting to emergencies when they occur.
• Acts to support the wider agenda of public safety, social inclusion and crime reduction.
• Is a high performing, well managed, cost efficient and effective public service.

24. Conclusion

The intention of this guide has been to inform SF&RS personnel of national community planning objectives and good practice with the aim of better preparing staff to make a

professional contribution to partnerships at local level.

The role of everyone in the Fire and Rescue Service is to promote Safer Communities and through Community Planning we are able to demonstrate our commitment to improving the health, safety and welfare of communities in Scotland.

Appendix 1 Community Planning Checklist

Community Planning is essentially about public, private and voluntary agencies working more effectively together and, in doing so, allowing the communities who use the services to participate in decision-making processes. The aim should be to improve the way public services are delivered in Scotland.

Crucially, the success of Community Planning will depend on the effective engagement of a wide range of partners, tailored to suit the circumstances of each Community Planning partnership and the acceptance of joint responsibility for the outcome of partnership working.

This checklist is applicable to all partners participating in the process.

• It is vital that communities are genuinely engaged in Community Planning at a local or area level _ participation in local community structures or committees below the local authority level are a valuable means of achieving this.
• There is a need to engage with groups of people with common issues or agendas (communities of interest) who are not necessarily concentrated in or associated with particular localities.
• Working more effectively together can imply the pooling of resources, finance, people and skills to prepare a strategy or jointly deliver a service. However this need not always result in joint delivery in many cases it may simply require clarity and understanding of areas of accountability and devolved responsibilities.
• Community Planning, provides an opportunity for all agencies to list the range of partnerships and initiatives in progress or planned and whenever practical to rationalise or get them working more effectively together.
• Community Planning Partnerships, facilitate linkages between national and local priorities.
• Community Planning Partnerships should also work together across local authority boundaries on thematic or strategic issues.

Finally, Community Planning is a "means to an end" which is the development and delivery of better services therefore the process should not be seen as more important than the outcomes.

People should see real benefits from the collaboration undertaken under Community Planning and all agencies, with national, regional or local responsibilities, should work together to agree collective targets and outcomes.

Further information on Community Planning can be obtained online at www.communityplanning.org.uk , and www.ce.communitiesscotland.gov.uk

Appendix 2 How it all fits together

Elements of Community Fire Safety inclusive of local fire safety priorities and objectives are part of the broader Community Safety agenda, under the stewardship of local authority Community Safety Partnerships.

Community Safety in turn is an essential part of the corporate community planning process under the direction of each local authority Community Planning Partnership.

Fire related indicators and outcomes are relevant at all levels within the planning framework.

HOW IT ALL FITS

Community Fire Safety is a service delivery element of Community Safety and Community Safety is an important element of Community Planning.