Isles of Scilly 2021/22

HM Inspector's summary

My principal findings from our assessments of the service over the past year are as follows:

Staff training has improved, with a programme in place. The most important skills, such as commanding incidents and wearing breathing apparatus, have been prioritised. Computer-based training planners have been introduced in stations. As a result, the service can make sure its staff are properly trained to deal with emergencies and keep the public safe.

There is an effective programme to inspect buildings and make sure they are being managed safely. This work is delegated to a partner fire service. The Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service and its partner have developed a plan to inspect the highest risk buildings. The partner provides enough trained and experienced staff to complete the building inspections. This means the Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service is confident the highest risk buildings are being managed safely by the people responsible for doing so.

The service needs to develop a co-ordinated plan to improve its approach to embedding EDI. The service recognises the importance of EDI, and there is senior level commitment to improving its approach in this area. But it doesn’t have a plan to do this and hasn’t set itself any objectives. It rarely uses equality impact assessments. This means it can’t show that its plans and policies don’t have a negative effect, or show what action it has taken to reduce any impacts, and to promote EDI.

I am pleased to see the progress the service has made since our last inspection. This progress is particularly noteworthy given the size and isolated island location of the service. While it still has work to do to improve the service it provides, it should also recognise the overall progress it has made.

I will stay in contact with the chief fire executive and their team in the coming months. We look forward to seeing the service make further progress following this latest inspection.

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service’s overall effectiveness is good.

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service was good in its 2018/19 assessment

The service’s integrated risk management plan (IRMP) identifies community risk and sets out measures to manage this. It would benefit from making better use of firefighters’ knowledge of their local risks to build its community risk profiles. Collection and management of information about risk sites has seen a notable improvement.

There are five inhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly. The largest island is St Mary’s. The other four islands – St Martin’s, Tresco, St Agnes and Bryher – are referred to collectively as ‘the off-islands’. Safety visits to homes on the off-islands continue to be completed annually. Firefighters have a good understanding of risk in their local communities. They recognise vulnerability and take appropriate safeguarding measures. The service needs to get better at overseeing the prevention work it commissions for the island of St Mary’s.

Protection has improved, with a clear plan to inspect buildings based on their risk. The service gives advice about building safety management to local businesses. Where necessary, it uses its powers to enforce safety improvements. Response to emergency incidents is good, with notable progress in training, particularly commanding incidents. Debriefing after incidents has got better, but more work is needed to share learning.

Overall, the service has improved since our first inspection in 2018. Protection is now graded as good, with the other three sections maintaining good also. The service continues to be rated as good for effectiveness.

View the five questions for effectiveness

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service’s overall efficiency requires improvement.

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service was good in its 2018/19 assessment

Despite some improvement, there are areas of efficiency where more work is needed. The service needs to make clear links between the plans for managing risk in its new community risk management plan (CRMP) and its future financial plans.

It should make sure the agreements it uses to commission services and work from other organisations meet its requirements. Its oversight of these agreements should be strengthened, to make sure it gets what it has agreed and pays for.

The service improved the sustainability of its funding, financial plans and budget management support. This is partly due to work carried out by its parent authority, the Council of the Isles of Scilly. It uses its buildings well and collaborates effectively with other agencies and organisations on the islands. It has made good use of new IT systems to improve communication, productivity and share risk information.

The service’s assessment for efficiency is now requires improvement.

View the two questions for efficiency

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service is good at looking after its people.

Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service required improvement in its 2018/19 assessment

The service has made clear improvements to the way it manages and supports its staff. There is a good culture, with positive behaviours shown at all levels of the organisation. Better support is available for physical and mental well-being, and staff know how to access it.

The service has yet to introduce a systematic approach to promoting EDI in the workplace and in the services it provides. It isn’t able to clearly show if it has assessed the impact its plans and policies have on its staff and on members of the public. Nor can it show what action it has taken to reduce any negative impact.

Operational training has improved significantly. There has been a particular focus on safety-critical skills such as commanding incidents and wearing breathing apparatus. Personal development plans (PDPs) have been introduced, which help manage staff performance and career development.

Overall, the service has improved its people management rating since 2018. Culture and training are assessed as being good, but EDI and leadership development still require improvement. The service now has a rating of good for people management.

View the four questions for people

Key facts – 2020/2021

Service Area

6 square miles

Population

0.00m people

5% local 5 yr change

Workforce

2% wholetime firefighters

98% on-call firefighters

18.42 per 1000 population local

0.56 national level

8% local 5 yr change

5% national 5 yr change

Assets

5 stations

7 fire engines

Incidents

2.2 fire incidents per 1000 population local

2.7 national

2.7 non-fire incidents per 1000 population local

2.7 national

1.8 fire false alarms per 1000 population local

3.8 national

Cost

£ firefighter cost per person per year

£25.22 firefighter cost per person per year (national)

Isles of Scilly 2021/22

HM Inspector's summary

Effectiveness

How effective is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure?

Efficiency

How efficient is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure?

People

How well does the fire and rescue service look after its people?