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Wales Online
22-05-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Serious concerns about whether Welsh fire service can keep people safe
Serious concerns about whether Welsh fire service can keep people safe A review of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has found a number of causes for concern There are serious concerns about whether South Wales Fire and Rescue Service can keep people safe, an independent report has found. The most at risk are not always prioritised, it was found, and members of the public, including vulnerable people, may not be getting the support they need. The chief inspector of fire and rescue services has found a range of issues in the force from planning to personnel and risks to both staff and the public. The inspector found checks have been made at just 4.9% of the most high-risk premises in its area. Examples include a hotel that had not been inspected for risks in 10 years and a care home which had been operating for five years without any inspection. The service hadn't carried out any fire safety activity in relation to industrial premises where someone had previously died in a fire. In January 2024 there was an independent review of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which was damning in its findings of sexism and misogyny. You can read that report here. The Welsh Government then removed the elected members of the board and appointed four commissioners. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. In July they asked for a full review by HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services. In the report published on Thursday inspector Roy Wilsher said: "Sadly I have concerns about the service's performance in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks. In particular I have concerns about the effectiveness of its strategies for making sure its activities consistently identify, prioritise, and mitigate risks for the public. Article continues below "I am also concerned that it doesn't have effective systems and processes in place to gather and record relevant and up‑to‑date risk information to help protect firefighters, the public, and property during emergencies." He has therefore taken the step of reporting a number of "causes for concern" which comes if it is determined there is a "serious, critical, or systemic shortcoming in a service's practice, policy or performance". What the review was tasked with looking at The operational service it provides to the public including the effectiveness of its prevention, protection, and response activities The service's efficiency including how well it provides value for money, allocates resources to match risk, and collaborates with other emergency services How well the service looks after its people including promoting service values and culture, training its staff, and making sure they have the skills they need, ensuring fairness and promoting What it found The length of time to get to incidents was up in 2022-23 compared to the year before Information for firefighters responding to incidents at high-risk, high-rise buildings was "limited, inaccurate, or out of date" The service hasn't evaluated its mix of crewing and duty systems for several years nor has it reviewed its response cover and can't make sure it deploys its fire engines and response staff to manage risk efficiently As of March 31, 2024, it had audited only 4.9% of the high-risk premises in its area The service needs to improve the availability of its on-call resources It doesn't consistently meet its statutory responsibility to comment on fire safety arrangements at new and altered buildings After a fire the service didn't routinely carry out post-incident fire safety inspections or audits A review of its fire cover arrangements hasn't been carried out since 2011 The service doesn't have a current risk-based inspection programme Not all 47 fire stations had community risk management plans in place In 2023-24 the service didn't attend 21.9% of automatic fire alarms Its financial plans aren't aligned with its strategic plan or departmental plans, where they exist, such as those for fleet and IT The service needs to be more effective in tackling bullying, harassment, and discrimination As a result of the cause of concern finding a number of recommendations are made. The first finding is that the service needs an up-to-date risk assessment and to "assure itself that its working practices clearly support its strategic aims". It also finds there needs to be an "effective system and process to gather and record relevant and up-to-date risk information to help protect firefighters, the public, and property during emergencies". The service doesn't have a current risk-based inspection programme meaning no clear view of the level of activity it needs in order to inspect, regulate, and enforce fire safety or how it should prioritise its day-to-day activities. The inspector found that despite all 47 fire stations needing annual community risk management plans they aren't all in place and are inconsistent when they are. Various teams in the service are involved in maintaining risk information but the inspector said "there is a lack of central oversight, which means it isn't clear how quickly the service reviews risk information". He added: "We also found little evidence of the service systematically carrying out any quality assurance. Some of the information we reviewed was limited, inaccurate, or out of date." The service told the inspector it hadn't carried out a review of its fire cover arrangements since 2011. "This means the service can't be sure that its planning assumptions, risk assessments, and fire cover arrangements are up to date, effective, and efficient," the report reads. "There is an organisational learning process in place but the service doesn't consistently follow it. We found little evidence that the service examined outcomes and used them to improve its operational response or that it always shared those outcomes across the service. "We found evidence that staff were involved in exercises to familiarise themselves with risk in their station area but these exercises weren't routinely structured and they weren't consistent throughout the service," it adds. It also found risk registers weren't specific to departments and "these included risks relating to staff health and wellbeing, and postal address updates used to underpin various key information systems". It added: "Some risks, such as staff retention, aren't listed in the registers." The report says that detail in some of the risk registers was unclear including the response to terror attacks and Covid-19. Another finding was that the service doesn't always prioritise those most at risk and different teams didn't know who was doing what, leaving vulnerable people at risk. Data provided by the service shows that as at March 31, 2024, it had audited 4.9% of the high-risk premises in its area (341 out of 6,932) and it doesn't have an automated system to prioritise inspections based on risk. "The service may be missing some high-risk premises that it needs to audit," the report warned. "We found that after a fire the service didn't routinely carry out post-incident fire safety inspections or couldn't find any records associated with three properties in which fires had occurred since 2022." The service doesn't always respond to building consultations on time. This means it doesn't consistently meet its statutory responsibility to comment on fire safety arrangements at new and altered buildings. At the time of the inspection the service attended all automatic fire alarms unless a responsible person or the alarm receiving centre confirmed that there was no fire and in In 2023-24, the service didn't attend 21.9% of automatic fire alarms. They attended 8,874 false alarms meaning they could not respond to genuine incidents. The service has said it is looking for a new policy about "unwanted signals". In 2022-23 the service's average response time to primary fires was 10 minutes and 59 seconds., which was up from 10 minutes and 32 seconds the year before. "When we analysed a sample of call logs we found some evidence of calls lasting a long time with no rationale for why this happened," the report said. It was also found information for firefighters responding to incidents at high-risk high-rise buildings "was limited, inaccurate, or out of date". "We also found that risk information about buildings was available to fire control staff on the command and control system. However it doesn't include information such as internal floor plans or tactical plans," the report reads. While it was found they had looked at risks and threats in its area the service needs to improve the way it communicates information about the significant risks in neighbouring fire and rescue services, which it might ask staff to respond to in an emergency In terms of some of the most alarming findings of the original review the inspector said service staff had limited confidence in how well it can deal with cases of bullying, harassment, or discrimination as well as grievances and discipline. It also needs to increase diversity in its workforce, the inspector said. In response to the report chief fire officer Fin Monahan said: "The report is a hard read. The main areas for us to improve in the report are understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies and protecting the public through fire regulations. Article continues below "We appreciate the feedback from colleagues that informed the report and we thank the inspection team for the independent clarity they have given across 11 areas covering efficiency, effectiveness, and people. 'I welcome this report – this is the first time we have been exposed to this deep inspection regime. Let's remember a lot of time has elapsed since the inspection. It began before my arrival and concluded during my second week in the service – it is a snapshot in time from six months ago. Much has changed since then. 'I would like to reassure you. We have a robust plan for dealing with these recommendations in the form of our overarching strategy, which is a first for this service. It has 60 work strands and now guides the strategic plan and all other activities in this service. We have already moved out on much of this work.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Concerns fire service can't keep people safe
There are concerns a fire service cannot keep people safe from fires and other risks, a report has found. The report by HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into South Wales Fire Service questioned the efficacy of the service in consistently identifying, prioritising and mitigate risks for the public. It was called for by the service's new commissioners after a series of damning independent reviews found sexual harrassment and misogynistic behaviour within the service. Fin Monahan, chief fire officer, described the findings as a "hard read" but assured colleagues there is a "robust" plan in place for dealing with the recommendations. Fire boss steps down after sexual harassment probe Firefighters let down by bosses, say politicians Fire service run like boys' club, says damning report The HMICFRS inspector, Roy Wilsher, said the service did not have up-to-date risk information to protect both the public and firefighters. The report also found it needed to "be more effective in tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination" following criticisms of its workplace culture identified in a previous review. It found one in six staff surveyed said they'd felt bullied or harassed at work, or discriminated against, and the number of disciplinary actions taken had doubled in two years. The fire service was taken over by the Welsh government in February 2024 after it was found to have a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny. Mr Wilsher concluded by saying: "I don't underestimate how much improvement is needed". He added he was encouraged by the commitment shown by the chief fire officer and commissioners to make improvements through developing a "transformation programme".
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Nottinghamshire Police taken out of special measures
Improvements at Nottinghamshire Police have led to the force being taken out of special measures by a police force was told to "urgently produce an improvement plan" by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in March after being put under an enhanced level of out of eight elements of policing were rated "inadequate" following an inspection from the end of 2023 to January Police said it had taken special measures "very seriously" and was committed to continued improvement. Police forces are moved into special measures and "an enhanced level of monitoring" by HMICFRS if they are "not effectively addressing the inspectorate's concerns".Nottinghamshire Police has now been returned to routine monitoring as it has made improvements in deterring crime, management of crime, its leadership and the culture across the workforce, HMICFRS said. 'We are reassured' HM Inspector Roy Wilsher said the progress was "pleasing".He added: "While there is still work to do, we are reassured by the plans the police force has in place to continue making improvements, particularly in relation to crime investigation, leadership, force management and neighbourhood policing."We will continue to assess its progress to make sure the people of Nottinghamshire are getting the service they deserve."Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: "This represents a significant step in the force's ongoing improvement journey to better serve communities across Nottinghamshire."We used this as an opportunity not only to deliver meaningful improvements that are embedded across our force, but to improve in all that we do."The changes we have made have improved the quality of service we provide to communities and victims of crime and we are committed to maintaining this and identifying any further improvements we can make."Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said the lifting of enhanced monitoring was a "milestone moment" and the force needs to "keep up the pace" and "improve even further".The report's publication came shortly after the force was criticised for its handling of the Nottingham attacks, although the HMICFRS said special measures was not linked to the case.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Essex Police must do more on anti-social behaviour
Essex Police missed opportunities to stop anti-social behaviour by failing to record where crimes had occurred, a report meant victims were not always given the support they needed, according to His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS).However, it was noted "operational challenges" had been created by the force's funding position, already described as "unfair" by its chief Wilsher, inspector of constabulary, concluded he was "satisfied" with most aspects of Essex Police's work, but said some areas needed improvement. "While I congratulate the police officers and police staff of Essex Police for their efforts to keep the public safe, I will monitor progress in the areas where I feel the force needs to improve," he Wilsher praised the force's leadership for its commitment to retaining officers and supporting well-being, in the face of strained its budget last year, Essex Police received £40m less than Merseyside Police, despite covering an area five times greater in size. The force's response to anti-social behaviour was highlighted as a concern in the HMICFRS report, published on Police recorded almost half the national average of those incidents in the year to March the report suggested this may have been due in part to inconsistent recording Wilsher wrote: "Failing to record crimes and effectively tackle anti-social behaviour can mean that victims live in fear in their own homes."He also warned that repeat and vulnerable victims were not being identified, meaning risk assessments were not always completed."By failing to carry out adequate, consistent risk assessments, the force isn't always giving victims the support they need," the inspector added. In the report, the force was commended for making "considerable investment" in tackling domestic was also praised for encouraging two-way communication with communities, to build confidence in made with public relations in the Castle Point borough was noted as a positive case report also highlighted a positive work culture, welfare provision for staff and officers and valuing neighbourhood policing the force was told it must improve processes for sharing information with social care teams and monitoring suspects on conditional report also identified a high rate (26%) of 101 calls being abandoned after receiving no answer. 'Immense work' Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said he was pleased improvements made by the force had been recognised."Ensuring that we look after our people so they can serve the people of Essex is essential," he Harrington repeated his claim that Essex Police was "unfairly funded" and said a new portal had been created to better support said it was good to see improvements in the force control room had been noted, although stressed more had to be done to answer the phone quicker."To be assessed as 'adequate' across the complex range of services we deliver is recognition of the immense work by our officers, staff and volunteers along with the strong partnerships we have across Essex," Mr Harrington continued."There are areas identified where we need to improve and, in every area, we want to get better. "We are already working on these and this is acknowledged in the report." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
29-01-2025
- BBC News
Bedfordshire Police 'short of detectives and needs to improve'
A police force has been told to improve how it investigated crime after a watchdog found it does not have enough Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (Peel) report found Bedfordshire Police had 245 trained detectives but needed 412 in March 2024. This led to a high workload where one police constable was investigating 29 crimes at also graded the force as adequate in a seven other areas of policing, including how it manages offenders, which in the last assessment was considered Constable Trevor Rodenhurst KPM said progress has been made to improve the areas identified in the report. In his summary of the report, Roy Wilsher, HM Inspector of Constabulary, said: "Bedfordshire Police has listened to our feedback and has responded quickly to address some of the issues in this report. "I hope the changes result in improvements that help it meet the public's needs. I will be monitoring its progress closely." Crimes not brought to justice The report was most critical of how Bedfordshire Police investigated crime which it gave a rating of "requires improvement".A lack of detectives meant crimes were "managed by inexperienced investigators who aren't detectives" and has caused a "real strain on the rest of the workforce", according to the 23 officers were being trained to become detectives against a shortfall of report said: "The force has a plan to increase the number of detectives, but more progress needs to be made to make sure serious and complex investigations are managed effectively."In the year ending 31 March 2024, the force recorded 42,175 victim-based crimes and only 7.8% were received a "brought to justice outcome".The report noted this was lower than expected when compared to other police forces in England and Wales. The force was rated "good" for how it recorded data , which inspectors noted helped increase the use of preventative inspectors added it should improve how it recorded antisocial behaviour, rape crimes and equality Police was commended in the report for improving the speed it answered both 999 and 101 calls but was told to attend incidents more Wilsher wrote: "I was disappointed to see that it was still not giving callers appropriate crime scene preservation advice."This will negatively affect investigations. It is essential that the force improves in this area." 'Financial challenges' Parts of the report did praise the force for how it engaged with young people about knife crime and tackled male violence against chief constable said: "This report makes clear that Bedfordshire is a well-led force which is on the front foot despite our financial challenges."He said that since the inspection, the force had "made good progress against the areas identified for improvement"."We will continue to develop our processes and people to ensure we are giving the best service possible to the public," he added. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
