Combined Fire Authority Governance

The CFA recognises that:

(i) Good governance leads to good management, good performance, good stewardship of public money, good public engagement and, ultimately, good outcomes for citizens and service users

(ii) Good governance enables local authorities to pursue their visions in an effective manner, as well as underpinning their visions with appropriate mechanisms for control and management of risk(iii) All authorities should aim to meet the standards of the best and governance arrangements should not only be sound, but also be seen to be sound(iv) Governance is about how local government bodies ensure that they are doing the right things, in the right way, for the right people, in a timely, inclusive, open, honest and accountable manner(v) It comprises the systems and processes, and cultures and values, by which local government is directed and controlled and through which it accounts to, engages with and, where appropriate, provides leadership to their communities.

The CFA is committed to applying the core principles set out in the SOLACE / CIPFA Delivering Good Governance Framework (2016) of:

• Behaving with integrity, demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values, and respecting the rule of law
• Ensuring openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement
• Defining outcomes in terms of sustainable economic, social, and environmental benefits
• Determining the interventions necessary to optimise the achievement of the intended outcomes
• Developing the entity's capacity, including the capability of its leadership and the individuals within it
• Managing risks and performance through robust internal control and strong public financial management
• Implementing good practices in transparency, reporting, and audit to deliver effective accountability

Being mindful of these principles and, in particular, its duty to promote good governance within the organisation and with external stakeholders, the CFA is satisfied that it has a well established and robust Constitution and other relevant good governance documents and arrangements in place. The purpose of this "Local Code of Governance", therefore, is to provide a simple document, with signposts, to relevant documents relating to governance, which are available free of charge on the CFA's website. For any further information on the CFA's Good Governance arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact:

Lauren Haslam at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service HQ, 12 Geoff Monk Way, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 3BU

• Part 1 – Summary and Explanation
• Part 2 – The Constitutional Framework – This sets out the Articles of the Constitution, the functions of the CFA and its Committees, the responsibilities of the Statutory Officers and the roles and responsibilities of Members.
• Part 3 – Decision Making – Building on the Articles in Part 2, this sets out who is responsible for decision making in the organisation and any rules that apply.
• Part 4 – Procedure Rules – This sets out the standing orders for the CFA and its Committees; by whom and how information can be accessed; the provisions concerning the employment of the Statutory Officers and the Deputy Chief Fire and Rescue Officer; and the financial and procurement rules for the organisation.
• Part 5 – Conduct and Probity – This set out the Codes of Conduct, the Complaints Procedure, the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy, the Chairman/Chief Executive Protocol and the Indemnity Scheme.
• Part 6 – Members' Allowance Scheme – This provides the scheme for the remuneration of Members.
• Part 7 – Management Structure