Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has made some progress, but concerns about its culture remain
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has made progress in some areas since its previous inspection, but there are still concerns about the culture of the organisation, the fire inspectorate has said.
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023–2025: Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas. It found the service was ‘good’ in five areas and ‘adequate’ in two areas, ‘requires improvement’ in three areas and ‘inadequate’ in one area.
HMICFRS said the service continues to identify risk well, and routinely collects and updates its information about the highest-risk people, places and threats it has identified. But it needs to make sure safe and well visits are better prioritised based on risk. Inspectors also said that the service has a good command of incidents and works well with its fire control partners.
The inspectorate brought forward the inspection and found that while the service has a plan to improve its organisational culture, this will take time to implement. Currently, behaviours persist in some areas that aren’t in line with the service’s values. Inspectors also said that when staff report these issues, managers don’t always support them.
HMICFRS also found that the service hasn’t yet made enough progress in equality, diversity and inclusion, and that staff don’t have confidence in the grievance and discipline or the promotions process.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Roy Wilsher said:
“I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks, but there are areas in which the service still needs to improve. In particular, I have concerns relating to the culture of the organisation.
“In December 2023, following a review into the service’s workplace culture, senior leaders agreed an action plan to deal with the concerns it raised. But having brought our inspection forward we found some worrying issues that are consistent with the independent review. More needs to be done to implement the action plan and make sure staff act with integrity and demonstrate the service’s values.
“The service has made some progress in other areas since our previous inspection. For example, it is better at understanding risk, and has addressed the area for improvement from our last inspection. It also continues to perform well in efficiency and has a clear plan in place to make further efficiency savings. But there is still more work to do.
“In view of these findings, particularly with regard to the service’s culture, I have been in contact with the chief fire officer. I recognise that changing the culture takes time. I will keep in close contact with the service to monitor its progress in addressing the cause of concern and associated recommendations.”
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023–2025: Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Notes:
- For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
- This inspection contains our third assessment of the service’s effectiveness and efficiency, and how well it looks after its people. We have measured the service against 11 areas and given a grade for each.
- We haven’t given separate grades for effectiveness, efficiency and people as we did previously. This is to encourage the service to consider our inspection findings as a whole and not focus on just one area.
- We have expanded our previous four-tier system of judgements to five. These changes mean that it isn’t possible to make direct comparisons between grades awarded in this round of inspections with those from previous years.
- A reduction in grade, particularly from good to adequate, doesn’t necessarily mean that there has been a reduction in performance, unless we say so in the report.
- Read more information about the 2023-25 assessment framework for fire and rescue service inspections.