Agenda and minutes

Agreed:- That Councillor Bryan Lodge of Sheffield City Council be appointed Chair of the Emergency Planning Shared Services Joint Committee (Rotherham and Sheffield) for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

(Councillor Lodge assumed the Chair)

Agreed:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Emergency Planning Shared Services Joint Committee (Rotherham and Sheffield), held on 21^st March, 2016, be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

·         2016/17 forecast

·         2017/18 Budget allocation

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Emergency and Resilience Manager, containing the budget forecast for the current, 2016/17, financial year for the Emergency Planning Shared Service (Rotherham and Sheffield). The Joint Committee discussed the recommendation for the forecast budget under-spend being carried forward to the next financial year, as has been the practice in previous years.  It was noted that:-

: the under-spent amount during the 2016/17 financial year had been largely as a consequence of an unfilled vacant post within the Service;

: the submitted report highlighted areas of work for which the unspent balance and accumulated budget surplus could be utilised;

: agreement had been reached between the two local authorities to alter the original budget contributions of 68% (Sheffield) and 32% (Rotherham) instead to 65% (Sheffield) and 35% (Rotherham); these budget proportions had first been agreed in September 2010 (reference - Rotherham MBC Cabinet meeting of 22nd September, 2010, Minute No. C72).

Agreed:- (1) That the financial report, as now submitted, be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the proposal to carry forward the forecast under-spent amount of £38,621 into the 2017/2018 financial year, as detailed in the report now submitted, be approved.

·         Team Action Plan

·         Performance Indicators

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Emergency and Resilience Manager, containing an overview and update of the governance of the Emergency Planning Shared Service arrangement between Rotherham MBC and Sheffield City Council. The report contained specific details of the team action plan and of the key performance indicators of the Shared Service.

Members discussed the arrangements for training for Elected Members and noted that specific training is to be provided and, in future, will be an aspect of the induction training for all newly-elected Councillors.

Agreed:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the report to the next meeting of this Joint Committee shall include further details of the training provided for Elected Members about emergency planning.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Emergency and Resilience Manager, containing a general update on the key issues and work streams affecting the Emergency Planning Shared Service. Specific reference was made to:-

(i) Winter weather preparedness 2016/17 – promotion of resources via the Local Resilience Forum Internet website; seasonal influenza vaccine for eligible health and social care workers;

(ii) Electricity and power blackout - workshop held during July, 2016 for strategic and tactical-level officers to assist in determining the implications of an electricity blackout lasting up to five days; the subsequent review will incorporate the Sheffield City Council corporate exercise (Exercise Dusk);

(iii) National Telephone Number – dial 105 to report issues with power supplies;

(iv) Definition of a major incident – revised definition as issued by the Cabinet Office during July 2016:-

“An event or situation, with a range of serious consequences, which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agencies.”

(v) Site Clearance – Government guidance issued in respct of the effective clearance of a site after an event or incident;

(vi) Human Infectious Disease Planning – Pandemic Influenza – continuing work including participation in the national exercise (Exercise Cygnus) from 18 to 20 October, 2016;

(vii) Local Resilience Forum – the Shared Service continues to be an active member of this Forum.

Discussion took place on the incident which had occurred in the Sheffield area, involving the safe disposal of an unexploded bomb from World War 2. The lessons learned from this incident had included the need for engagement with local partner agencies in respect of the identification of available and suitable sites for disposal of such items.

Agreed:- That the report be received and its contents noted.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Emergency and Resilience Manager, containing an update of the training and exercising sessions, delivered since April 2016, for staff identified as part of the two Councils’ Emergency Response arrangements.  An overview of the future and exercising proposals was also included in the report.

The report also stated that, in keeping with best practice and guidance, each person involved in a local authority’s emergency response arrangements should undertake training and exercise opportunities at least once per year.

The Joint Committee noted the arrangements for emergency planning training in Rotherham, with a fresh impetus from January, 2017, because of the number of new Directors and Assistant Directors appointed in the very recent past.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That this Joint Committee supports the objective that each person involved in a local authority’s emergency response arrangements should undertake training and exercise opportunities at least once per year.

Previously, there have been two meetings per year of the Joint Committee, as well as two informal briefings for elected members, all at quarterly intervals

Consideration was given to the frequency and proposed dates of the future meetings.

It was agreed that:-

(1) the next meeting of the Emergency Planning Shared Service Joint Committee shall take place during June or July 2017, at the Town Hall, Rotherham;  and

(2) a meeting of the Emergency Planning Shared Service Joint Committee shall take place during November or December 2016, at the Town Hall, Rotherham, for consideration of the Shared Service budget update and proposals for the 2018/19 budget.