Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall, Moorgate Street, Rotherham. S60 2TH

Contact: Janet Cromack, Senior Democratic Services Officer 

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and introduction

Alan Matthews, Emergency and Safety Manager.

Minutes:

Councillor Richard Russell, Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning, welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Joint Committee.

 

Reference was made to:-

 

-          the joint work that had been carried out over the previous 18 months to facilitate the establishment of the Joint Committee

-          the priority Rotherham Council afforded to Emergency Planning

-          Beacon status

-          Elected Members’ background

-          Transfer of officers

2.

Individual Introductions

Minutes:

Those present introduced themselves and their role.

3.

Election of Chair and Deputy Chair

Minutes:

Nominations were requested for Chair and Deputy Chair of the Joint Committee.

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That Councillor Richard Russell (RMBC) be appointed Chair.

 

(2)               That Councillor Julie Dore (Sheffield City Council) be appointed Deputy Chair.

 

(Councillor Russell in the Chair)

4.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from:-

 

Alan Matthews, Emergency and Safety Manager, RMBC.

5.

Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Minutes:

Those present discussed the Terms of Reference for the Joint Committee.

 

Resolved:-  That the Terms of Reference as now submitted be agreed with the following amendments:-

 

(i)  Monitoring of the Service:-  to read:-

 

4. To monitor the effectiveness of the arrangements for the delivery of the Service and to make recommendations as appropriate to the Executives of the Councils and following each annual report, for example in relation to changes to legislation, developments in best practice or the requirements of the Service.

 

(ii) Special Reports:-  to read:-

 

To produce as and when requested by either or both of the Leaders, or either or both of the Chief Executives, or the relevant Cabinets of the Councils such reports in relation to the Service that he/she or they may require.

6.

EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

The following items are likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)):-

Minutes:

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (financial/business affairs).

 

(The Chairman authorised consideration of the following two items in order to keep the Joint Committee up to date with developments.)

7.

Financial Arrangements

Minutes:

Ian Smith, Director of Asset Management RMBC, informed the Joint Committee that it would be necessary at the next meeting to agree the annual revenue and capital budgets.

 

Resolved:-  That a joint report be submitted to the next meeting.

8.

Staffing

Minutes:

The Chair informed the Joint Committee that Rotherham’s Emergency and Safety Manager was to retire at the end of the year.

 

Reference was made to exemplary work of the current post holder and to sub-regional, regional and national recognition of this Service.

 

Those present discussed the need to appoint to this post and the process within each Council to be followed.

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the post be filled.

 

(2)  That the Director of Asset Management RMBC and the Director of Modern Governance Sheffield City Council review the role and the job description of the Emergency Planning Manager with a view to early replacement.

9.

Shared Service Business Plan pdf icon PDF 191 KB

Alan Matthews, Emergency and Safety Manager, to report.

Minutes:

The Director of Asset Management RMBC spoke to the submitted report relating to the statutory obligation to produce a Business Plan for the shared Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Service.

 

The following aspects of the Plan were highlighted and discussed:-

 

-          the need for a Plan and associated Action Plan

-          how the plan would be used

-          workstreams 2011-2013

-          cost of the shared service and how allocated between the two authorities

-          staffing structure and the role of the Forward Liaison Officers and the value of their local knowledge

-          legal and governance arrangements

-          resources available to the Shared Service

-          accommodation and joint Emergency Operations Room set up in the new Riverside House complex in Rotherham

-          strategic priorities 2011-2013

 

Resolved:-  That a briefing be arranged for Sheffield City Council elected members and officers along with a visit to the Emergency Operations Room in Riverside House.

10.

Shared Service Presentation

Alan Matthews, Emergency and Safety Manager, to report.

-  handout to be provided at the meeting.

Minutes:

The Director of Asset Management RMBC gave a presentation to the joint committee entitled the “Shared Services – The Journey”.

 

The presentation covered the following aspects:-

 

-          background to the development of the Shared Service and timeline

-          legal, governance, finance and HR issues

-          accommodation requirements

-          communications with the Civil Service

-          convergence of ICT systems

-          operational and performance management

-          Operation Obelisk

-          commencement of agile working

-          Team action plan

-          Business Continuity Management

-          South Yorkshire Community Resilience Group

-          development of Emergency Planning E-learning packages and continued training

-          development of communications and web based methods

-          benefits already becoming apparent

-          Joint Operations Room in Riverside House and facilities in Sheffield

-          CCTV Traffic Control

-          a Corporate Exercise and joint Elected Member training

-          scope for greater cross boundary working with neighbouring local authorities

-          civil engineering capabilities

-          development of shared service with NHS and other partners

-          business continuity and buy in by the business sector

-          reservoir planning

-          increased South Yorkshire and regional influence

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That Sheffield Council provide a copy of the de-briefing from Operation Obelisk (Sheffield Liberal Democrat Conference) for Rotherham Elected Members and officers.

 

(2)  That arrangements be made for Sheffield Elected Members and officers as follows:-

 

-          to view the current CCTV Traffic Control room and systems

-          to visit the new Emergency Planning Operations Room in Riverside House

-          to meet the staffing team

11.

Elected Member Training Event

Alan Matthews, Emergency and Safety Manager, to report.

Minutes:

The Chair referred to the availability in Rotherham’s Year Book of information on procedures and steps for Elected Members to take and who to contact in the case of an emergency.

 

Reference was also made to the training offered at Easingwold Emergency Planning College.

 

It was reported that Rotherham Elected Members had been trained in small groups by officers from Easingwold and by the Emergency and Safety Manager.  A brief outline was given of the composition of the training provided.

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the training provision be re-examined with a view to arranging joint training sessions for Elected Members of both local authorities.

 

(2)  That the Sheffield Elected Members of this joint committee be provided with information on Roles and Responsibilities.

 

12.

Any other business

Minutes:

Reference was made to an approach from the Chinese Government about Emergency Planning Shared Services and Buildings, transportation resilience and operations during floods.

 

It was reported that a visit had been arranged for 27th September, 2011.

 

Reference was made to the sub-regional implications and business links.

13.

Date, time and venue for the next meeting

-  for discussion.

Minutes:

Resolved:-  That the Joint Committee meets on a quarterly basis during Year 1 on a Tuesday at 12.30 p.m. wherever possible, at the Town Hall, Moorgate Street, Rotherham, and that mutually agreeable dates be sought from members of the Joint Committee.