Fire and rescue services previously in Engage

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

March 2025

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service was removed from Engage because it has made good progress against two causes of concern, including:

improving how its teams prioritise risk. It has taken action to address the protection cause of concern and now prioritises premises most at risk of fire for a fire safety audit; and
improving how it promotes equality, diversity and inclusion which staff felt had a positive effect on the service’s culture and working environment. It has recruited a people and culture officer and a director of people and organisational development. There has been an increase in the diversity of its latest firefighter recruitment.

2023

The service hasn’t done enough since its last inspection to address the following causes of concern:

To adequately identify and prioritise those most at risk from fire. This cause of concern was closed on 8 November 2024.
To provide clear direction to make sure that its teams can prioritise work according to risk. This cause of concern was closed on 7 March 2025.
To improve equality, diversity and inclusion. This cause of concern was closed on 7 March 2025.

London Fire Brigade

March 2024

The brigade has made several improvements, including:

clear involvement of staff in developing values, with significant work to communicate values to staff;
most staff we spoke to felt senior leaders displayed brigade values;
clear commitment to improve leadership skills among managers through an ongoing programme of leadership training;
clear progress in the brigade’s ongoing plan to improve its human resources function;
improved processes to deal with behaviours such as bullying and discrimination, including establishing a Professional Standards Unit;
a comprehensive plan in place to improve vetting of brigade staff; and
assurance in the sustainability of the brigade’s plans to change its culture.

December 2022

There is cumulative evidence from our last inspection and afterwards of unacceptable behaviour within the brigade, including discrimination and bullying. The values and behaviours the brigade aspires to are not always demonstrated by senior leaders. The brigade needs to do more to demonstrate progress in improving its culture.