Emergency Services
Challenges

Change management challenge

The demands on emergency services have never been higher, with the key challenge of balancing improved services to the public weighed against reducing costs and providing visibility and accountability of activities.

Over the years, the public sector as a whole has seen a number of initiatives and targets being set to increase efficiency and collaboration and improve the value of its services to its customer base through initiatives such as eGovernment and the Gershon Efficiency Reviews.

In addition, Transformational Government, Service Transformation Agreement (SRA) and the publishing of CSR07 in October 2007 have also identified key challenges and targets to be achieved by the emergency services both in terms of efficiency and also improvement of services to the general public.

Further to the above, within the emergency services sector, investment in technology has been focused on those 'front-line' services, ensuring that state-of-the-art technology is implemented to make a visible difference in our communities and achieve key regulatory and performance targets.

Challenges for Police Forces

The demands from the public on Police Forces have never been higher, amid the continued threat of terrorist attacks, combating serious and organised crime on a national level through to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour on a regional basis.

Police Forces require funding of those front line services through continued improvement of the policing infrastructure, development of personnel, investment in infrastructure and equipment and implementation of advanced technology. In order to achieve this, back office and operational efficiencies must be achieved.

The introduction of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), replacing PITO, and working with ACPO and APA has focused activity on improving services and instigating best practice change, driving through efficiencies and increasing collaboration across forces including the areas of finance, human resources and procurement.

The focus of driving 'back-office' efficiencies to release budget and resources to focus on the improvement of front-line services has now changed from a national shared service approach to that of a regional or local basis, with the drive from the Home Office, NPIA and ACPO to encourage Police Forces to deliver efficiencies through collaboration.

Challenges for Fire and Rescue services

The key challenge for Fire and Rescue services is to improve the level of service to the community. This can be achieved through better education on fire prevention driving towards a reduction in the number of fire-related incidents. Organisations should work with the Police Forces to reduce the amount of fire-related crime and antisocial behavior, helping to achieve key regulatory requirements.

As with other emergency service organisations, budgets and resources are focused on achieving these objectives through continued funding of education and prevention programmes, development of personnel, investment in state-of-the-art equipment and investment in technology to drive through efficiencies.

In order to achieve these objectives within given funding and budgetary constraints, Fire and Rescue services are targeted with making efficiency savings in line with government targets and objectives. Some of the key areas of efficiency savings are through the 'back-office' functions such as finance, procurement and human resources, allowing redirection of funds to tackle the strategic targets.

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