With the ongoing budget constraints facing all local authorities, all services are being scrutinised to see if cost efficiencies can be achieved. Such scrutiny extends to regional Fire and Rescue (FRS) services, where the national framework guidance requires each FRS to periodically create an integrated risk management plan (IRMP) for their area and to consult on the draft plan with local public and stakeholders, to ensure that the final IRMP identifies and appropriately manages, local fire and rescue risks.

In Suffolk, the Fire and Rescue Authority is the County Council, with the majority of daily business discharged by a dedicated Cabinet Member responsible for public health and protection. Faced with budget challenges and tough choices to be made, the Council decided to incorporate the cost review into the IRMP for the period 2015-2018.

The continued drive for cost savings meant that is was no longer feasible to absorb savings through changes to back office functions, and Suffolk County Council was faced with the prospect of needing to reconfigure front line fire and rescue services across the County. All options were on the table, including the closure of smaller fire stations, reducing the number of appliances at locations and the use of new multi-purpose appliances. The degree of change also meant that staffing numbers were to be reviewed, and staff engagement was considered an important part of consultation process.

The Consultation Institute was engaged by Suffolk County Council to provide specialist advice and guidance on the best way to structure an effective public consultation, as part of the IRMP development process.  Working from the start of the process meant we were able to outline the growing importance of pre-consultation, the use of stakeholder mapping to ensure all interested parties are identified, and most importantly the need to demonstrate conscientious consideration of the feedback received.

Following a period of advice and guidance, we were asked to subject the public consultation to our Independent Quality Assurance process. Suffolk FRS embraced the true spirit of consultation, and as a result we were pleased to announce that the public consultation on the Suffolk IRMP met our quality assurance criteria.  It also represents an excellent example of how well run public consultations can help to create better informed decisions.

Some important highlights of the consultation included:

• The use of pre-consultation to help shape ideas and thinking at an early stage. Engaging the public and other interested parties before consultation proposals have been formulated, allowed the Council to understand areas of concern and also gain insight in to potential solutions to the challenges faced;
• Transparency is key to building confidence and trust in the consultation process, including the publication of all modelling and ranking data to enable public scrutiny and comment;
• Use a range of engagement techniques to encourage participation, including public meetings, staff events, digital media and the use of focus groups with specific public groups to ensure equalities aspects are covered. This all helped to create a significant response with more than 20,000 people responding in one form or another, including 11,439 who signed petitions;
• Engaging independent consultants to undertake the analysis of response created confidence and transparency in terms of the findings which were published; and
• Most importantly, a willingness to change your mind once the feedback has been received in terms of decisions to be taken.

The Suffolk FRS significantly altered the proposals which were presented to Cabinet as a result of the public consultation, making it clear in published papers what had changed and the basis for such decisions.  Such transparency in decision making is to be applauded as it demonstrates the true value of public consultation – to make better, more informed public decisions. It is perhaps not surprising then, that the Council’s Scrutiny Committee noted this was one of the best public consultation exercises which has been run by the County Council.