Joint Devolution Committee
13 March 2023
Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire (PCC and PFCC Fire & Rescue Authority)
Transition to Mayoralty - High Level Costed Implementation Plan
1. Purpose of the Report
1.1. This report and the published High Level Costed Implementation Plan has been prepared on behalf of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner. The Commissioner is at present the elected local policing body (PCC) and fire and rescue authority (PFCCFRA).
1.2. The Plan sets out the approach to be taken to effect the transfer of powers and duties of the PCC and the PFCCFRA, to the Mayor. The Plan also sets out the approach to the transfer of staff and assets of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (i.e. the OPFCC) and the PFCCFRA (i.e. the Fire and Rescue Service) to the Mayoral Combined Authority.
1.3. The Plan also outlines in brief the Statutory Officer Framework in relation to the PCC as Local Policing Body and PFCC as Fire & Rescue Authority.
2. Executive Summary
2.1. Devolution for York and North Yorkshire will entail the first ever transfer of an existing single elected Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner model, to a directly-elected Mayor.
2.2. The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and her Office (working closely with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Police) are extending full support to the devolution programme and have put in place a Costed Implementation Plan (‘the Plan’) to effect the transfer of the powers and duties of the PCC (the elected local policing body) and the PFCCFRA (the fire and rescue authority) to the Mayor. The Plan also sets out the approach to the transfer of staff and assets of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (i.e. the OPFCC) and the PFCCFRA (i.e. the Fire and Rescue Service) to the Mayoral Combined Authority.
2.3. The Plan sets out the governance arrangements put in place to deliver the PCC and PFCC FRA transition programme, including the strategic direction and decision making board, the Strategic Steering Group of which I am a member.
2.4. The Plan is based on the core principle approved by Members of the York and North Yorkshire Devolution Committee on 30 November 2022 in respect of the approach to be taken to transition of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to the future Mayoralty. In particular, the York and North Yorkshire Devolution Programme Management and Joint Committee Terms of Reference paper provided for a core principle as follows:
The Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner is an existing legal entity (two corporations sole – the Local Policing Body and the Fire & Rescue Authority). The PFCC also has independent income streams including the police and fire levy. The core principle within implementation is therefore that the PFCC will remain a ringfenced entity sitting within the MCA, retaining [its] existing governance, structures and collaborations. This will minimise risk and support continuity of delivery
2.5. That core principle has been adopted as a Key Principle and Goal within the OPFCC Transition Programme and is fundamental to ensuring the smooth and timely transfer of the PFCC functions, in particular continuity of all existing services to the public including fire and rescue services provided by NYFRS, commissioned services provided for victims and the vulnerable and the full suite of governance and customer services undertaken by the OPFCC. The approach has become referred to for brevity within the context of devolution as a ‘plug and play’ approach to transfer of the functions, powers and duties of the Commissioner including the smooth transfer of the personnel and infrastructure necessary to discharge those functions.
2.6. Also consistent with the above core principle, is the work presently underway to explore the scope for the Mayor to have the option to preserve the existing statutory officer structures of the OPFCC, including
2.6.1. Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer arrangements in line with Delivering through Your Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer[1] and the forthcoming non-statutory guidance which will succeed it; and
2.6.2. Established arrangements for Monitoring Officer provision to the Fire and Rescue Authority; and
2.6.3. Chief Finance Officer arrangements for the proper administration of the financial affairs of policing fire and crime, in line with the Financial Management Code of Practice[2]
2.7. Correspondence with Government indicates that the point is understood and well received. Our understanding at the point of writing this report, is that active consideration is being given to the point by civil servants including Home Office lawyers.
2.8. The Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer, the Chief Finance Officer and the Chief Fire Officer in particular have extended their full cooperation to colleagues from City of York Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership so that the fullest possible suite of information is available to them to progress outline organisational design principles for the Mayoral Combined Authority.
2.9. The ‘OPFCC (& PFCC FRA) Transition to MCA: High Level Costed Implementation Plan’ has been adopted by the Commissioner and published under cover of Decision Notice 03/2023[3]. It covers the following areas:
2.9.1. Scope: Key Principles of OPFCC (& PFCC FRA) Transition Programme
2.9.2. Statutory Officer Framework
2.9.3. Governance
2.9.3.1. Decision Makers & Senior Responsible Officers
2.9.3.2. Structure: Strategic Steering Group, Programme Board, Workstreams / Working Groups
2.9.4. Costs: Resourcing Requirements
2.9.4.1. Transition Programme Team – New resources
2.9.4.2. OPFCC Existing Team – Dedicated time
2.9.5. Implementation Plan: Key Milestones & Target Dates
2.9.6. Key Risks & Mitigations
2.9.7. Key Opportunities
2.9.8. Key Outcomes of First Workstream Working Groups
3. Recommendations
3.1. That Members note:
3.1.1. the progress made in respect of the High Level Costed Implementation Plan
3.1.2. the approach to adherence to the core principle that the PFCC functionality transfers as a ringfenced entity sitting within the MCA, retaining its existing governance, structures and collaborations
3.1.3. the High Level Costed Implementation Plan published by the Commissioner.
Zoe Metcalfe
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire
3 March 2023
Report Authors
Jenni Newberry, Director of Commissioning & Partnerships
Simon Dennis, Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer
Office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.