Minutes:
The Vice-Chair invited Roy Wilsher, HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, to deliver his presentation.
Roy set out the approach of HMICFRS to the inspection process and advised members that they would be continuing with the hybrid, part virtual, part in-person approach that had worked well over the period of covid restrictions. Between February and August 2021, 13 services had been inspected as the first tranche of the second round of inspections.
Roy advised that the first tranche inspection reports and the annual State of Fire and Rescue Services report would be published in December 2021. He then ran through the main headline findings from the first tranche. Positive steps for improvements included:
· Prioritisation of protection
· Preparation for routine and major incidents
· Promotion of values
· Prioritisation of staff wellbeing and health and safety
But too many services had failed to make progress on:
· Areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection
· Prevention work
· Actual improvements in equality, diversity and inclusion
Roy then spoke about the important role of FRAs in driving continuous improvement in their services and said that they had found examples of where this was working well, and also some where FRAs were losing sight of what needed to be done. It was important to learn from the best examples.
Finally, Roy advised members that the second round of inspections would conclude towards the end of 2022 and that planning for the third round had already begun. He emphasised the important role of the expert reference group in developing future inspections.
Members comments and questions:
· Members felt that there was a fine balance between the benefits of inspection to FRSs and the cost to the sector of the process itself. Did Roy have any views on this? Roy agreed that a balance needed to be struck and there was no point in doing inspection for the sake of it. Inspection needed to have measurable benefits.
· How would HMICFRS evidence changes to the values and behaviours being demonstrated in FRSs and the impact of the new core Code of Ethics? Laura Gibb, Portfolio Director – HMICFRS, said that workforce surveys were very important in demonstrating behaviour change and giving staff safe spaces to talk. There was huge progress so far from the round 1 inspections but still room for improvement. The new Code had had a big impact. Laura added that they had heard evidence that services were strong on the big ideas around EDI, producing strategies etc., but that were often still not getting the basics, such as recruitment and retention of staff, right
· Were LGA peer reviews of FRAs still taking place? Lucy Ellender said that face to face peer challenges had stopped during Covid but discussions were taking place with improvement colleagues and the NFCC about how to move this forward. This could be brought to a future FSMC meeting for members’ information. Mark Hardingham, NFCC Chair, added that CFO Kath Billing was the lead for peer reviews at NFCC and had been involved in the discussions with the LGA.
· Fire Services Management Committee noted the presentation.
Action:
· Officers to bring further information on peer reviews to future meeting of FSMC.