DN 02/2024 – Public Safety Service moves to business as usual for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Police

DN 02/2024
Date 07/02/2024

Background

The concept of a Public Safety Service was detailed in the former Commissioner’s Local Business Case for the transfer of fire governance in 2017. The Public Safety Service began as a pilot in the Craven District in April 2020 with two Public Safety Officers. In 2021 the pilot was extended for a further 12 months and two additional Public Safety Officers were recruited for the Craven District.

The Public Safety Service currently brings together North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service. Public Safety Officers working across these services, are based in one location and work to develop in depth knowledge of their community to improve community resilience and can target Service interventions where they are needed most. The Officers assess community vulnerability and undertake prevention activity for multiple organisations simultaneously.

Three independent evaluations of the Public Safety Service have established that it helps to improve visibility, trust and confidence in public services, tackle vulnerability quickly and effectively, and save lives. Moreover, for the services that fund it, for every £1 invested, there is a return on investment of £7.50. This is mainly from Public Safety Officers preventing the need for acute care or more expensive interventions by preventing vulnerability from turning into harm.

At the Commissioner’s Executive Board on 30 January 2024, the Commissioner supported the Service’s proposal ‘to continue the Public Safety Service with 3 x Public Safety Officers and a Lead Public Safety Officer not working shifts, with the associated costs being split equally between North Yorkshire Police, and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’.

A formal legal agreement (either a collaboration agreement or a document such as a memorandum of understanding) will be written and signed between the Chief Officers of the two services funding the Public Safety Service (ie North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service) outlining each organisation’s commitment to and responsibility for, the Public Safety Service.

The Commissioner supports the intention of both services to strengthen the Public Safety Service brand and explore co-funding opportunities with additional partners, to facilitate further expansion of the Public Safety Service across York and North Yorkshire.
The Commissioner will outline the benefits of the Public Safety Service to the incoming Mayor in May 2024, to encourage their support of this Service and its future potential.

Decision Record

The Commissioner supports the business case proposal for the four Public Safety Officer roles to be made substantive and to elevate one of the four posts to the role of Public Safety Lead Officer (not working shifts).

The Public Safety Service as a unique Service to be integrated into ‘business as usual’ within North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

A formal collaboration agreement to be signed between the Chief Officers of North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and appended to this Decision Notice once completed.

Zoë Metcalfe
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Statutory Officer Advice

Legal, Management and Equality Implications

The Deputy Monitoring Officer (on behalf of the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer), having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, is satisfied that this report does not ask the Commissioner to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.

Financial and Commercial

The Commissioner’s Chief Finance Officer and S151 Officer has advised that the costs of the four Public Safety Officer posts have been built into the base budgets of both North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service going forward.