Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Emergency Services Research Unit (ESRU)

Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Conference

Knowledge Transfer Partnership Project

In November 2010, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) commenced a two-year long Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) research project alongside Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS). The objective being to evaluate how effectively NFRS’ community safety activities reduce risk in the Nottinghamshire area. The research will also provide an evidence base of the community’s needs and its likely future profile. This will assist NFRS in the targeting and delivery of interventions, ensuring that efforts are focused upon the areas which result in the most improvements.

The initial months of the project involved a detailed review of NFRS current practice with regards to the evaluation, delivery and targeting of community safety initiatives. This working practice was placed into context through assessing the evaluation methods of other UK fire and rescue services. Recommendations were made that not only took into consideration the internal structural barriers which were preventing an effective evaluation process, but also the successes of individual evaluation methods which had already been observed within NFRS and at other UK fire and rescue services.

A risk analysis of the KTP project revealed that the misinterpretations of information sharing legislation were a factor in preventing the efficient sharing of information both internally and externally. The inability to collate information systems is likely to prevent the detailed risk profiles of communities, which NFRS are very much in need of especially with regards to accurate targeting processes. Therefore as part of the KTP, an information sharing guidance document has been created; the purpose of which is to assist staff with the requesting, sharing and storing of different categories of information with both internal and external stakeholders. The guidance will facilitate the legitimate sharing of information as it succinctly breaks down the key components of information sharing legislation, placing them within the context of the work of the FRS.

Currently work is being carried out to gain an understanding of the community’s needs and perceptions with regards to risk prevention. Risk trends are being identified through a detailed analysis of NFRS incident data and the data of other public services. Any conclusions drawn from such data are being placed into context through assessing demographic trends across Nottinghamshire and England. In the following weeks of the project, work will begin to focus upon the community’s perceptions of risk and their beliefs regarding the types of safety interventions which would be of greatest value for their community. This will be achieved through the conduction of focus groups and the administration of questionnaires in order to provide a useful blend of quantitative and qualitative data.