Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport seeking authorisation to establish a shared Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response service with Portsmouth City Council.

(i)  That the Service Director: Transactions and Universal Services be delegated authority to enter into a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Portsmouth City Council for the provision of a joint emergency preparedness, resilience and response function with effect from 1st April 2018 at the latest for an initial period of 5 years upon such terms and conditions as the Service Director: Transactions and Universal Services considers appropriate.

(ii)  That the Service Director: Transactions and Universal Services be delegated authority to employ such staff as are reasonably required to undertake the services under the SLA.

(iii)  That following the signing of the SLA and on commencement of the arrangements that the affected Portsmouth City Council staff be transferred under TUPE Regulations to Southampton City Council.

1.  In December 2016 the Southampton City Council Service Lead for Emergency Planning & Business Continuity assumed responsibility for managing the equivalent Portsmouth City Council team at the request of Portsmouth City Council. This ‘shared manager’ arrangement has been successful and has resulted in cost savings and service improvements for both authorities.

2.  The workload of the Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council teams is steadily increasing as more income streams are achieved, incidents occur and national and local expectations increase. Consolidation and restructure will build on the excellent work of the teams (recognised at a national level) and further improve both authorities’ ability to effectively respond to emergencies in a timely and positive way.

3.  A shared team will be more resilient to disruption, better able to sustain emergency response for protracted periods and more readily scalable to accommodate increased income generation opportunities.

4.  Though generally positive, the current ‘shared manager’ arrangement has its limitations. It necessitates the management of two distinct teams and budgets using two sets of distinct systems. This creates inefficiencies; a pooled budget, able to be scrutinised easily by both organisations, will be more transparent, simpler to administer and more responsive to service demands.

The alternative to the proposal is not to enter into a service level agreement with Portsmouth City Council but this has been rejected on the basis that the proposed arrangement offers good value for money, economies of scale, resilience, potential savings and increased income for both authorities.