Day Crewing 7 Staff Consultation

Background and Context

The Fire and Rescue National Framework requires West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) to identify all foreseeable fire and rescue risks within West Sussex and to make plans to deal with those risks via a Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).

WSFRS has identified, as a central pillar of the 2022-26 CRMP, the requirement to enhance the fire cover at the four existing day crewed stations in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Shoreham to provide an immediate response fire engine seven days a week between the hours of 07:00 to 19:00 (DC7). This is an increase from the existing cover Monday to Friday between the same hours (DC5).

Wholetime firefighters in Response are deployed to meet the requirements of the CRMP. Their working hours are based on National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services Scheme of Conditions of Service (the ‘Grey Book’) terms and conditions. WSFRS currently operate 3 shift duty systems for wholetime firefighters, (Group Crewing, Day Crewing and TRU duty system) which are all agreed shift systems within the national terms and conditions. A standard operating procedure (SOP) sets out the relevant terms and arrangements for each duty system.

The current day crewing duty system is designed to cover 5 days per week (Monday to Friday) between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 and each station is allocated a total wholetime headcount of 9 FTE made up of 1 Watch Manager (WM), 2 Crew Managers (CM) and 6 Firefighters (FF). The shift system involves a continuous 7-day fortnight consisting of 4 x 12 hour shifts and 1 x rota day in week one, followed by 3 x 12 hour shifts and 2x rota days in week two. The rotation of shifts works on ‘rolling rota’ days whereby the rota day(s) are progressive and move forward by a day each week. Individuals are contracted to work 42 hours per week via 12-hour shifts which equates to 151/154 shifts per year depending on length of service.

The existing duty system is designed to provide a planning level of 5 personnel on the first appliance for each duty shift. This planning level ensures there is sufficient capability to still provide minimum crewing (of 4) in the event of unplanned absences (short-term sickness, compassionate leave, public service duties).

Reasons for the Change

WSFRS has committed to enhance and modernise our provision to cover seven days a week, 07:00 to 19:00, to align our resources to risk and enhance our rural prevention and protection activity. Our comprehensive review of risk and incident data demonstrates there is no significant change to daytime risk or demand between weekdays and weekends. In fact, Saturdays represent our busiest period.

Our four Day Crewing Stations at Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Shoreham currently maintain an immediate response capability 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday. During this time, they also undertake protection and prevention activities.

Fire engines crewed by retained firefighters at the four Day Crewed Stations are typically the least available type of resource.

We have committed to extending the current day crewing model at these stations to provide immediate response cover and protection and prevention activity from 07:00 to 19:00, 7 days per week with a new flexible crewing model.

These changes will provide greater flexibility and capacity for completing Safe and Well Visits, delivering community safety events, and working with businesses to support their fire safety responsibilities. These changes will also improve the emergency response performance by 13 seconds to all incidents across West Sussex.

The current wholetime headcount and duty system (DC5, Monday to Friday) at each station is not sufficient to achieve this and therefore a change to the headcount, and duty system, is proposed. This is a significant priority for the service to manage the community risk identified in these areas.

Vision, Objectives and Design Principles

Vision

The vision is to extend immediate response at the four Day Crewed stations to 7 days per week to meet the community risk within West Sussex, in an efficient and effective way, that also supports the wellbeing of our staff. The approach will involve an increase to the headcount at each station by 2 Firefighters and 1 Crew Manager and the implementation of a new Day Crewing duty system that supports this vision.

Objectives

The key objectives for Day Crewing going forward are to:

• Maintain an immediate response vehicle between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• To carry out protection and prevention activities in line with service policy

Design Principles

The principles for the future design of the proposed structure and duty system are based on the realisation of the above objectives. The proposed model has been developed based on the following design principles:

• Provision of a 12 hours a day, 365 days a year immediate response.
• Task analysis identifies a ‘minimum’ crew size of four personnel (including one supervisory manager and one driver) is needed to implement a safe system of work with five on duty being the preferred ‘standard’.
• Incident data analysis indicates cover is required consistently over the week, although there are fewer incidents at night.
• The training requirement for each team member will be based on their skills and competencies and location of station.
• Design a shift system that offers similar flexibility to the Group Crewing system and is Working Time Regulations and Grey Book compliant.
• To meet employee preference for flexibility to swap shifts

Future Model

Based on the above objectives and design principals the following future model is proposed.

Team Structure

It is proposed to increase the existing headcount and structure at each Day Crewed station to:

• 1 Watch Manager
• 3 Crew Managers
• 8 Firefighters

This is an increase to the headcount at each station by 2 Firefighters and 1 Crew Manager.

Hours of Work

The proposals involve no changes to hours of work. Staff would remain contracted to work 42 hours per week.

Shift System

It is proposed to implement a Flexible Rostering duty system. This is a framework within which colleagues will work their contractual number of shifts over the course of each calendar year. Each establishment (station) will manage its own crewing on a day-to-day basis.

It is anticipated that this system would require the following framework:

1. Headcount at each station of 1x Watch Manager, 3x Crew Mangers, 8 Firefighters
2. Working hours remain 151/154 shifts per year (based on length of service). This number of shifts reflects the number of shifts that you will need to book, and work, through the year. Booking this number of shifts in the year, within the parameters below, will ensure that your leave entitlement is accounted for.
3. Individuals are required to ensure that when booking their shifts, they ensure a minimum of 2 periods of 7 consecutive days are kept free of duty in each calendar year.
4. No less than 4 and no more than 5 individuals will be planned to be on duty- unless there is a specific training/exercise event authorised by the Station Manager
5. A standard operating procedure (SOP) will set out the flexible rostering rules. The SOP will provide for the introduction of local rota systems as long as the following rules are met:

• No one should work more than 6 days in a row
• Everyone must have two complete 24-hour periods free of duty each week
• Rota days shall change week by week in a regular progressive manner
• No one should have more than 21 days off in a row without SM approval
• WM should ensure they regularly spend time on duty with each CM

In line with the Group Crewing system, the proposed shift system offers team members the flexibility to choose their own working pattern and to swap shifts with other team members as long as the SOP rules are followed, that each team member works the required number of shifts in a year and required rest periods are observed.

It is proposed that there is no baseline rota for the shift system, but that each Day Crewed station will determine their own best fit at the discretion of the Station Manager and team members. Underlying rotas can be agreed and used at a local level (for example 3-2-2-3), but this will not be mandated by the service. Any rota pattern must ensure at least two 24-hour periods free from duty each week to be Grey Book compliant.

Headcount Increase

It is proposed that the process to recruit to the additional headcount (4 Crew Managers and 8 Firefighters) is designed to ensure the required balance of skills and experience at each station. This may include applications from existing Retained employees to migrate to Wholetime Day Crewed vacancies (in particular individuals at the affected Day Crewed Stations), Transfer List, New Recruits, ready to progress Crew Manager pool and management moves.

Consultation Approach

Proposed Consultation Process and Timescales

It is proposed that the formal consultation process will commence on Monday 3 October 2022 and will last until noon on Tuesday 1 November 2022. Any employees absent during this period will be contacted in order to discuss arrangements for involving them in the consultation.

All employees will be invited to attend a virtual consultation briefing, led by the Area Manager - Response. HR and FBU will also attend, and employees will have the opportunity to ask questions. This will be recorded for those unable to attend.

Follow this link to watch back Day Crewing 7 Staff Consultation Briefing Session-20221003_100920-Meeting Recording.mp4

Briefings will also be held at the four Day Crewed stations on Tuesday 4^th and Wednesday 5^th October 2022. Employees will also be given the opportunity to request 1:1 consultation meetings with management during the consultation period.

An internal consultation page will be available to affected employees on ‘Your Voice’ where they can access copies of consultation information, frequently asked questions, contact information, dates of meetings and available support. The page will be live for the duration of the consultation period and content will be updated and managed by HR and Head of Response.

A dedicated mailbox, managed by HR, is available for employees to send their comments and queries during the consultation period. The address is: HRFRS@westsussex.gov.uk

Messages sent to this mailbox will be reviewed by the Service Executive Board (SEB) and Human Resources.

All employees may make representations and share views directly with the Area Manager – Response and Group Manager - Eastern, or through the consultation mailbox.

FBU and FRSA will be in touch with their members shortly after the launch of this consultation. Members may make formal representations about these proposals through their trade union, and can direct their views, queries and any other comments to FBU through Antony Walker at antony.Walker@fbu.org.uk and Edward Fox at edward.fox@fbu.org.uk; FRSA through James Diston at james.diston@westsussex.gov.uk.

Feedback and representations will be considered by the Area Manager - Response, supported by HR, throughout the consultation period.

Questions and queries will be answered individually as they arise. The more general Frequently Asked Questions document will be updated periodically in the event that there are points of clarity that would be helpful for all those affected to see.

As representations are received, changes to the proposals may be made, in which case these will be communicated via email to all employees, or through sharing an updated version of the consultation document.

The initial aim, subject to the completion of the consultation period as planned, will be to communicate the outcomes of the consultation by 18 November 2022.

Proposed Consultation Process and Timescales

Support During the Change

We recognise that any kind of change can be unsettling. Should you have any concerns or queries around the process and your individual circumstances or require any adjustments please do speak to your line manager, Gary Ball or Adrian Carter.

The line manager of any employees who are affected by these proposals and absent during the consultation period due to maternity/adoption leave, long term sickness absence, unpaid leave, career breaks or secondments will make appropriate arrangements to ensure the individual is informed and can participate meaningfully in the consultation process.

Further support and counselling is available to all employees through the Employee Assistance Programme. This is a free and confidential service provided by Health Assured, an independent external organisation.

The service can be accessed as follows:

• By Phone: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via the free phone number:
• 0800 030 5182
• Online: information, self-help guides and webinars on a range of issues via the EAP Website https://healthassuredeap.co.uk/home/(Username: Wellbeing Password: Support)
• Mobile App: Support is also available by searching Android or Apple app stores for Health Assured or E-hub.

Once downloaded log in using:

Username: Wellbeing

Password: Support

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