New director to work across police and fire services

A senior position has been created with responsibility for bringing together the enabling services across Police and Fire and Rescue.

Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service are jointly recruiting a Director of Transformation who will work across both organisations and bring together services such as HR, ICT, vehicle fleet, estates and finance that support the delivery of frontline emergency services in Northamptonshire.

The Director of Transformation will be responsible for bringing these services together so that they are as efficient and effective as possible and report directly to the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer.

The total budget for Northamptonshire Police is £130m, of which £23m is spent on enabling service.  Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has a budget of £25m, of which £3m is allocated to enabling services.

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: “For some time now, both police and fire have shared a joined up governance structure, it therefore comes as a natural step that as the work continues to create further efficiencies and better practice, we move towards the recruitment of a Director of Transformation, whose role will span both organisations and will undertake the critical work of bringing together key functions across both public services.

“It is inefficient for two emergency services to have different premises, different HR and back office functions, when the work we do, is so closely connected in the same County.

“Through the work of this role, we can significantly improve the functionality and effectiveness of the services that in turn help us deliver improved front line services across both Police and Fire and Rescue.”

Darren Dovey, the Chief Fire Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:  “Since moving to the governance of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, we have created a stable platform that has allowed us to improve the service we give to the people of Northamptonshire.  But after a challenging few years of under-investment, we need more capacity in our enabling services to take those next steps forward. 

“Bringing the support services together will give us the resilience and capacity that we need and I see this new role as vital to making the further improvements in the frontline that we want to see.”

The post has been funded from savings made by a restructure in the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, so will have no impact on the budget of either Northamptonshire Police or Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said:  “Combining the services that support police and fire makes good sense, it will give a consistent and high quality service that is efficient and affordable in the future.  By providing improved support for our frontline, this new post will also free up the chief officers of both services to focus on frontline delivery of policing and fire services.”

The vacancy can be viewed here: https://northants-police-fire-careers.com/