Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is performing well in some areas, but further progress is needed
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is good at keeping people safe from fire and other risks, but its performance has deteriorated in some areas, the fire inspectorate has said.
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023–2025: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas. It found the service was ‘good’ in six areas, ‘adequate’ in one area and ‘requires improvement’ in four areas.
HMICFRS said that the service is well-prepared for responding to major and multi-agency incidents, is meeting its revised response times and has improved its overall approach in effectiveness. It has developed a dashboard displaying the key performance targets for prevention and protection. This helps staff understand their responsibilities and supports actions on the service’s community risk management plan.
Inspectors also highlighted the service’s use of road safety initiatives to help reduce reoffending as innovative practice. The service works with Leicestershire Youth and Justice Service on a road safety intervention programme to divert young offenders away from the criminal justice system.
However, the inspectorate heard examples of senior leaders not acknowledging issues being raised by support staff. And inspectors were told about several examples of poor behaviour demonstrated by leaders. Some staff lacked confidence in the fairness of bullying, harassment and discrimination processes, and they said that they didn’t report concerns due to a fear of repercussions.
Inspectors also said that worryingly, a high proportion of more recent support staff absences were due to stress. Some staff said that they felt the high level of sickness among support staff was due to poor mental health, high workloads and conflict with senior leaders’ leadership styles.
HMICFRS said that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) must become a higher priority for the service. Senior leaders aren’t providing effective strategic oversight or commitment in this area. The service should make sure it provides strategic commitment, visibility and leadership to support EDI throughout the organisation.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Lee Freeman said:
“I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Leicestershire 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. For example, the service should make sure there are appropriate strategic oversight arrangements in place to manage financial risks.
“I recognise that there have been some areas where improvements have been made. But I am disappointed to see that, since our 2022 inspection, the service hasn’t made the overall progress we expected. For example, some areas remain unchanged, and others have deteriorated, particularly in relation to how the service looks after its people.
“In view of these findings, I have been in regular contact with the chief fire officer, as I don’t underestimate how much improvement is needed. I will keep in close contact with the service to monitor its progress in addressing the areas for improvement.”
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023–2025: Leicestershire 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 assessment framework for fire and rescue service inspections.