Lancashire Fire
and Rescue Service
Annual equality
diversity and inclusion report 2024-2025
1.
Background to the
report
The
Lancashire Combined Fire Authority (LCFA) is responsible for
governing Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS). The
Service employs in the region of 1200 people who are employed on
Grey Book (operational) and Green Book (support services) terms and
conditions. These roles include managerial members of staff,
operational firefighters, administrators, fire safety, community
safety and business support staff.
As
an employer our aim is to recruit and develop a workforce which is
diverse, can meet the needs of the diverse communities within
Lancashire and to ensure that our workforce feels valued, can work
with dignity and respect, protected from any type of prejudice or
discrimination.
This
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report highlights our
performance in relation to:
·
Meeting
our legal duties over the year 2023 – 2024.
·
Our
workforce profile as of 31 March 2024.
·
Our
plans in relation to equality, inclusion and diversity for the
period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
·
Activity
we deliver which supports our employees to thrive.
·
Key
monitoring
equality data/information.
It
makes visible how we are meeting our obligations to recognise
diversity, value inclusion and promote equality.
2.
Introduction,
aims, values and ethics
2.1
Lancashire Fire and Rescue aims
Making Lancashire safer is our commitment to making
sure that everything we do improves the safety of our diverse
communities. We do this by using our skills, experience and
resources to make people safer in much broader terms across
life’s stages:
·
helping
people to start safe
·
live
safe
·
age
safe
·
be
safe on our roads
LFRS is committed to its purpose of “making
Lancashire safer” and it has developed the following
priorities to support this intention:
·
Valuing
our people so they can focus on making Lancashire safer.
·
Preventing
fires and other emergencies from happening.
·
Protecting
people and property when fires happen.
·
Responding
to fire and other emergencies quickly and competently.
·
Deliveringvalue for money in how to use our
resources.
2.2 Lancashire Fire and Rescue Values
We define the expectations of our staff within our
Annual Service Plan and our values define how we STRIVE to achieve
our purpose of “making Lancashire safer” by ensuring
what we do is guided by strong principles of:
·
Service:
Making Lancashire safer is the most important thing we
do.
·
Trust:
We Trust the people we work with.
·
Respect:
We respect each other.
·
Integrity:
We do what we say we will do.
·
Value:
We actively listen to others.
·
Empowered:
We contribute to decisions and improvements.
Risk is dynamic and fire disproportionately affects
certain demographic groups. We therefore focus on the
potential root causes and the people who are most vulnerable to
them; those living alone, with health issues, with impaired
mobility, affected by socio-economic deprivation and drug and/or
alcohol users; these risks are reflected in our strategic risk
assessment and how we meet and mitigate them is captured within our
core strategies.
2.3 The National Code of Ethics
We
abide by the Core Code of Ethics which sets out a clear set of
principles in terms of the professional standards of practice and
behaviour. The code identifies five primary ethical
principles which reflect best practice principles and has been
designed to underpin the way we serve our communities, carry out
our role, and work together:
·
Putting
our communities first – we put the interest of the public,
the community and service users first.
·
Integrity
– we act with integrity including being open, honest and
consistent in everything we do.
·
Dignity
and respect – making decisions objectively based on evidence,
without discrimination or bias.
·
Leadership
– we are all positive role models, always demonstrating
flexibility and resilient leadership. We are all accountable
for everything we do and challenge all behaviour that falls short
of the highest standards.
·
Equality,
Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – We continually recognise and
promote the value of EDI both within the LFRS and the wider
communities in which we serve. We stand against all forms of
discrimination, create equal opportunities, promote equality,
foster good relations and celebrate difference.
We require all our employees and everyone in LFRS to behave
in accordance with the Service values and
to follow the Core Code, including those working with or on behalf
of the Service.
3.
Meeting our legal duties and
equality diversity and inclusion objectives
The annual priorities of the Service are detailed in
our Annual Service Plan 2024 -2025, and the Service’s
Community Risk Management Plan 2022 - 2027 explains the LFRS vision
in terms of how we will achieve our mission of “making
Lancashire safer”.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Annual
Report is part of the suite of delivery plans, in addition to the
Workforce Plan, the Operational Training Strategy, the Training and
Development Plan and the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Plan which
explain the interventions that will take place to support the
achievement of the our mission and values and our LFRS People
Strategy.
The EDI Steering Group is Chaired by our Chief Fire
Officer and is responsible for monitoring the development and the
delivery of the EDI Annual Report. During 2024, recognising
the impact that EDI has on a positive organisational culture we
broadened the role of the EDI Steering Group to monitoring our
activity and progress in developing an organisational culture where
everyone can thrive and consequently the Steering Group was renamed
the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture
Board.
(i)
The
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 states that everyone has the right to be
treated fairly and equally. The Act has two main purposes, it
brings together and simplifies all the existing discrimination law
and strengthens the law to further support progress on
equality.
In
the exercise of its functions (including any functions carried out
by an external supplier/organisation) LFRS must have due regard
to:
·
Eliminating
unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other
conduct prohibited by the Act. Advancing equality of
opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and
those who do not.
·
Fostering
good relations between people who share a protected characteristic
and those whodo
not.
These
are often called the three main aims of the general duty and are
detailed in the Equality Act 2010 Section 149. The Equality
Duty is supported by two main specific duties which require public
bodies to:
·
Publish
equality information at least annually.
·
Set
and publish equality objectives at least every four
years.
LFRS
reports progress against its equality objectives and how it is
meeting its obligations under the equality duty via the annual
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report.
(ii)
The
Human Rights Act 1998
All
public bodies and other bodies carrying out public functions must
comply with the Human Rights Act. Human Rights are the basic
rights and freedoms that belong to every person in Europe
regardless of their nationality and citizenship.
Human
Rights are based on five principles known as FREDA:
·
Fairness
·
Respect
·
Equality
·
Dignity
·
Autonomy
The
Human Rights Act sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that
individuals in the UK have access to, these rights are called
“the convention rights”.
(iii)
Equality Objectives
Further
to our review of the risks within the communities of Lancashire,
the Service has developed the following equality objectives in
supporting:
Our Communities:
·
Support
local businesses to reduce the risk of fire and remain compliant
within fire safety legislation.
·
Reduce
the number and impact of fire and other emergencies to our diverse
communities across Lancashire.
·
Develop
and deliver a prevention service targeting our most vulnerable
communities.
Our
Workforce:
·
Promote
equality in our workforce policies and workforce
practices.
·
Develop
our staff to ensure they can respond competently meeting the
different needs of ourdiverse
communities.
(iv)
Protected Characteristics (or protected
groups)
LFRS
aims to ensure that no one receives less favourable treatment for
reasons relating to all recognised protected characteristics
covered below by the Equality Act 2010:
·
Age
·
Disability
·
Gender
reassignment
·
Marriage
and civil partnership (in respect of eliminating unlawful
discrimination)
·
Pregnancy
and maternity
·
Race
– this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or
nationality
·
Religion
or belief – this includes lack of belief
·
Sex
(gender)
·
Sexual
orientation
(v) Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) - Equality Analysis
Equality analysis within an EIA is an effective tool to demonstrate
how the Service is meeting its legal requirements under the public
sector equality duty, identifying the impact of policies and
decisions on staff and communities ensuring that the impact is
fully understood, and any negative impact is mitigated. EIAs
are completed where there is an impact on people, or the
community. The Service complies with the NFCC equality impact
assessment tool kit.
The Service has recognised the need to strengthen its approach to
EIA, which has been updated to incorporate an element of quality
assurance to provide more scrutiny of the EIA. Comprehensive
training has previously been undertaken in relation to the
completion of an EIA’s and this continues to be part of
management development. A successful audit of the EIAs has
been undertaken by Lancashire County Council and external support
is utilised where EIAs are large, or complex.
(vi) Commissioning and Procuring
Services
LFRS will ensure that any partnership it is involved in operates in
line with equality principles and associated equality duties.
All contracts are required to agree to LFRS terms and conditions,
which will include relevant clauses in relation to
equalities. Additional scrutiny is incorporated within the
procurement process where it is considered appropriate. For
each procurement project, the lead stakeholder is responsible for
completing an equality impact initial screen and subsequent
assessment where required. Where an assessment is required
and undertaken, the internal customer/lead stakeholder must ensure
this is done pre-procurement and any required changes are made to
their specification/requirements before any exercise
progresses. The Head of Property is part of the NFCC National
Fire Estates Group, one of its priorities is to support the
development of dignified facilities/EDI standards and
improvements.
4.
The
communities of Lancashire
2021 Census population figures show that Lancashire has a
population of 1,531,127 people. Since the 2011 census, the
population has grown by 4.8%. Lancashire is home to some of
the most deprived areas in the country, as calculated by the
Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which can lead to increased
risk in communities. The largest ethnic group in Lancashire
was white (86.6%) and other than white ethnicities formed 13.4% of
the population.
The
2021 Census indicated 20.1% of the population were aged 65 and
over, 59.1% aged between 18 and 64, with 20.8% aged under
18.
Pendle
had 29.4% of people who were ethnic
minorities (excluding white minorities). In Preston
the rate was 27.4%. In Blackburn with Darwen the proportion
of the population who are ethnic
minorities (excluding white minorities), is 39.6%, by far
the highest in Lancashire. In Blackpool the rate was low at
just under 7,500, accounting for just over 5% of the
population. Asian British or Asian Welsh: Pakistani was the
largest minority group in Lancashire.
On
the day of the March 2021 Census, a total of 806,000 people
classified themselves in the Lancashire area as Christian. A
further 479,900 stated no religion, 141,300 indicated that their
religion was Muslim, 82,000 did not give a response, whilst the
other religious groups in Lancashire together accounted for
22,000. Blackburn with Darwen (35.0%) and Pendle (26.0%)
had the highest number of people who stated they were Muslim.
66.4% of people in the Ribble Valley stated they were
Christian. Among other religions, Preston (3.0%) has well
above the Lancashire average of Hindus and the largest percentage
of Sikhs (0.7%) in Lancashire.
Deprivation is measured across England through the combined Index
of Multiple Deprivation 2019 (IMD 2019) which is the official
measure of relative deprivation for small areas known as
Lower-Level Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in England. Types of
deprivation are often associated with each other, for example
health combined with the influence of an individual’s living
environment and lifestyle choices can all add to
vulnerability. These, in turn, can present hazards and risks
that an individual may be susceptible to due to their
circumstances. In 2019 Lancashire had 186 (5.7%) of
its LSOAs in the top 1% of the most deprived neighbourhoods in
England.
The LFRS fire risk model uses IMD information to establish our
response arrangements, thereby targeting those most at
risk.
5.
Workforce Profile
Public
authorities, covered by the specific duties, must publish
information to demonstrate their compliance with the general
equality duty. This information must include information
relating to people who share relevant protected characteristics,
who are its employees, and people affected by its policies and
practices. LFRS has developed and published a workforce
demographic of its employees and this information is attached at
Appendix A. This is further supported by an analysis of
recruitment shown at Appendix B.
Monitoring
equality and diversity in the workforce enables LFRS to identify
how employment policies are working and to identify areas where
these may appear to be working disproportionately on certain groups
of staff. Demographic information is monitored through the
EDIC Board and the Performance Committee.
6.
Summary of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Activity
(EDI)
The detail of our progress in relation to EDI is summarised in our
completed action plan attached at Appendix D. The new Action
Plan 2024 -2025 is attached at Appendix E.
7.
Other areas of focus relating to equality, diversity and inclusion
7.1
Accessibility
LFRS
Corporate Communications Department ensures that information is
made available in a variety of formats and using multiple channels
to best reach Lancashire’s diverse communities. The
Service’s equality and diversity values are promoted in key
publications and information sources internally and
externally. LFRS provides information in printed form and via
digital channels including the LFRS website. Making a website or
mobile app accessible means making sure it can be used by as many
people as possible. This includes those with:
·
impaired
vision
·
motor
difficulties
·
cognitive
impairments or learning disabilities
·
deafness
or impaired hearing
There are four design principles:
·
perceivable - users can recognise and use your service with
the senses that are available to them. For example, we
provide descriptive text for images and videos and the ability to
change the contrast and text size.
·
operable - users can find and use your content, regardless
of how they choose to access it (for example, using a keyboard or
voice commands). For example, we do not use blinking or
flashing content and the main navigation is accessible by keyboard
shortcuts.
·
understandable - people can understand your content and how the
Service works. For example, we use plain English, keep
sentences short and do not use words and phrases that people will
not recognise.
·
robust - content can be interpreted reliably by a wide
variety of user agents (including reasonably outdated, current, and
anticipated browsers and assistive technologies). For
example, we use valid HTML, so assistive technologies can
accurately interpret and parse content.
During 2023-24, the Service published a new website that is
compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2
AA standard, which is an internationally recognised set of
recommendations for improving web accessibility by the World Wide
Web Consortium (W3C). We aim to ensure our website is accessible
and trust as many people as possible will be able to use it without
difficulty. We are, however, aware that some accessibility
challenges exist within limited areas of the site, including our
home fire safety check form.
We are working in partnership with other fire and rescue services
to develop a new, accessible home fire safety booking form. In the
meantime, anyone wishing to book a home fire safety check who has
difficulties accessing the form is encouraged to contact us by
phone, so their needs can still be met.
Fire
safety advice is available in 26 additional languages on the
website to make the information more accessible to people whose
first language is not English. In addition, a series of fire safety
videos are available in British Sign Language.
All videos are produced with subtitles, including public safety
videos from emergency incidents. To ensure all social media
content is accessible, the department provides guidance and
delivers training across the service to social media users on how
to create accessible content. The department applies measures from
the British Dyslexia Association’s style guide in both
internal and external material to consider the visual stress
experienced by some dyslexic people and to facilitate ease of
reading.
The Corporate Communications Department actively supports the
prevention work of LFRS working with prevention, community fire
safety, and operational teams. A campaign planning process is in
place for the effective planning, delivery, and evaluation of
prevention campaigns. This includes setting objectives and
identifying target audiences based on data and insight relevant to
the risk, such as cooking safety, re-chargeable battery fires, and
water safety. Campaigns aim to effect behaviour change by
encouraging target groups to stop risky practices and adopt safer
practices.
The Service’s communications strategy sets a principle that
communications are inclusive and accessible in design, format, and
language to the target audiences. It is an objective to deepen our
understanding of Lancashire’s diverse communities and equip
ourselves to communicate with them as effectively as possible. An
email subscriber platform is used to target communities
geographically for both prevention purposes and warning and
informing the public during emergencies.
The department carries out positive action campaigns when
recruiting to encourage women and under-represented groups to apply
and supports several national campaigns and special events
including Pride Month, I’m not a Muslim but I will fast for
one day, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
8. Values
and Culture
Several cultural reviews have been delivered across different
Services, further to the reports this has resulted in a series of
recommendations plus additional recommendations via
HMICFRS.
The EDIC has been established as the mechanism for monitoring
progress in relation to any recommendations, and activity which the
Service is undertaking to ensure the culture of the Service is
positive, where all members of staff can thrive. The EDIC
also receives reports and details of matters relating to grievance
and misconduct. The Service Management Team receives reports
on where the Service has taken disciplinary action and
why.
Several actions have been completed including the launch of an
anonymous reporting help line, DBS checks for those in a Grey Book
role and those in a Green Book role further to a risk
assessment. In addition, a refresh of the Disciplinary
Support Pack to provide guidance to line managers and publication
of the ways in which staff can report concerns.
9. Training and Development
All members of staff undertake a corporate induction eLearning
package which covers the importance of equality, diversity and
inclusion, the risks of unconscious bias, the Service values and
the national Code of Ethics. All members of staff undertake
development in equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and
PREVENT.
The Service has launched a new Learning Management System, and this
allows members of staff to record if they need any reasonable
adjustments, or assistance.
The Service continues to support members of staff to attend
networking and training events such as Women in the Fire Service
and AFSA.
10.
Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment and progression data is analysed and reported to the
EDIC Steering Group. The demographic profile of the Service
is reported quarterly to the Performance Committee. LFRS
continues its journey to improve the diversity of the workforce to
ensure that it represents the community it serves. Positive
action was delivered to attract a diversity of candidates to fill
the Wholetime firefighter apprenticeship courses planned for
January and potentially September 2024. The Service has taken
an integrated approach in relation to delivering positive action
and promoting LFRS as an employer of choice; colleagues from human
resources, prevention and operational staff work together to
deliver attraction events supported by other colleagues from the
Service’s employee voice groups. Eight “Have a
Go” events were delivered by project members,
at various stations and at our
Leadership and Development Centre.
The events are supported by Corporate Communications who deliver an
integrated targeted social
media campaign delivered utilising Facebook ‘Events’
and Instagram Posts, and Twitter ‘Tweets’ were also
utilised to reach almost 1,200,000 people. Social media is
targeted at under-represented groups of
people.
A total of 167 people who attended across the events registered
their interest in becoming a wholetime firefighter. Of these
45% were BME; 16% were female and 9% were from the LGBTQ+
community.
Previously an internal audit was carried out on the Service’s
approach to positive action and concluded that “the current
recruitment activity adopts Positive Action approach, the processes
and controls that are in place are adequate, efficient, and
effective at ensuring the right person is recruited to each
individual role”, with no actions or recommendations
identified.
Wholetime firefighter applications opened on 7 August 2023 and
closed on 16 August 2023 with 956 valid applications
received.
Of the 956 who applied the demographic profile of applicants was as
follows:
|
Total Applications
|
Male % of total
|
Female % of total
|
BME % of total
|
LGBT+% of total
|
Disabled % of total
|
|
956
|
87
|
13
|
11
|
9
|
5
|
The outcome further to a robust recruitment process was as
follows:
|
Total Selected
|
Male % of total
|
Female % of total
|
BME % of total
|
LGBT+% of total
|
Disabled % of total
|
|
35
|
60
|
40
|
17
|
29
|
6
|
This
is in addition to 164 other recruitment campaigns associated with
Grey and Green Book staff which occurred between 1.4.2023 –
31.3.2024, full details are included at Appendix B.
The Service has developed a talent gateway which allows for the
quicker progression of operational members of staff demonstrating
high potential and has also developed functional routes to allow
progression through the roles where incident command isn’t a
preference for operational members of staff. During 2024, the
Service will be exploring a direct entry route for high performing
graduates who have successfully achieved the Fire and Leadership
degree.
11.
Achievement, turnover and progression of wholetime firefighter
apprentices
LFRS
is an employer provider of firefighter operational apprenticeships.
As at 31 March 2024 the Service had 88 firefighter apprentices who
had all successfully completed their end point assessment (100%
compared to 99.9% nationally). Of the 88 passes, 8 gained
distinctions. In addition to those, the Service had 90
apprentices who are working through their apprenticeship
programme.
12.
Workforce Strategies and Policies
LFRS
has numerous policies which support employees with a protected
characteristic including:
·
Bullying
and Harassment Policy.
·
Maternity
Handbook (incorporating Paternity and Adoption).
·
Shared
Parental Leave.
·
Grievance
Policy.
·
Equality,
Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
·
Flexible
Working.
·
Recruitment
and Selection.
·
Living
with the Menopause
·
Supporting
People with Dyslexia.
·
HIV.
·
Equality
Impact Assessment/Equality Analysis.
·
Code
of Conduct.
·
Flexitime
Policy
·
Neurodiversity
·
Transition
at Work
·
Domestic
Abuse
During
2023/2024, the special leave policy was updated to incorporate
provision for carers of family members with long term care needs or
terminal illnesses. The flexible working policy was updated
to make the right to request flexible working a ‘day
one’ right, and for individuals to have the right to make two
requests per year rather than one. The paternity leave policy
was amended to allow parents to take paternity leave within 52
weeks of the birth of the child, rather than within 56 days, and
for the leave to be available as two non-consecutive weeks’
leave, rather than it being a requirement to take the block of one
or two weeks’ leave together. The different policies
relating to making a complaint were simplified and a communication
campaign was delivered explaining how members of staff can raise a
concern via the grievance procedure, the whistleblowing policy, the
anonymous reporting line, or the harassment and bullying
procedure.
LFRS
also monitors employees who are involved in disciplinary action,
grievances and harassment and bullying complaints.
Additionally, the Service is now required to notify HMICFRS of
any
allegations that have the potential to constitute staff gross
misconduct. A
profile is attached at Appendix C. However, the full details in
some areas of the profile are not reported in public due to the low
numbers and the need to preserve confidentiality of the
employee.
13. Engagement and Consultation
The Service has a consultation strategy which provides a framework
through which it can seek public opinion on major change issues.
The strategy is reviewed each year to assure continued compliance
with guidance or legislation and to incorporate learning from any
public consultation exercises undertaken. In the last year, public
surveys have been conducted via social media on behaviours relating
to wildfires and lithium-ion batteries to inform
campaigns.
A communications strategy supports the delivery of the Community
Risk Management Plan 2022-27 and includes stakeholder analysis for
determining the level of engagement with communities, partners, and
others. A targeted approach is taken to engaging with people in
relation to fire safety, with corporate communications working
closely with prevention and community safety teams to deliver
campaigns.
In 2023-24, the Service added to its communications channels to
reach more people. The Service became active on Next-door, a social
networking platform with over 200,000 confirmed residents in
Lancashire subscribed. A podcast was also launched called Out of
the Ashes: Stories from Lancashire. Episodes have included topics
such as mental health for International Men’s Day, interviews
with female firefighters for International Women’s Day, and
fire safety advice during Ramadan. These channels join existing
website, social media, e-marketing, and traditional media
methods.
An internal communications strategy sets out the approach to staff
engagement including a programme of engagement activity. Staff
engagement is a key performance indicator reported to the Combined
Fire Authority and is achieved through a variety of activities
carried out every day across the service including station visits,
digital staff sessions, appraisals and team meetings.
A comprehensive staff survey is undertaken periodically to gain
insight from all staff on a range of topics including leadership
and management, training and development, and equality, diversity
and inclusion. The feedback is used to shape future activity and
bring about improvements and new ideas. The survey includes a staff
engagement index which is a measure of overall staff engagement
based on levels of pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration, and
motivation. The current staff engagement index score is 74% (2023)
and an action plan is in place to address feedback. Activity
includes introducing a dedicated quarterly on-call newsletter, in
print and digital versions, launching a voluntary text message
subscription service, and open ‘Chat with the Chief’
online engagements sessions.
Surveys and consultations are held on specific matters and in the
last year these have included proposals for policy changes, staff
recognition, and on-call communications. Software for carrying out
more regular pulse surveys on issues affecting members of staff has
also been introduced.
The service’s intranet, The Engine House, has a discussion
forum called “Shout Up” where all staff can share their
views on a range of topics, raise questions, ideas and
improvements, and staff are regularly involved in testing and
trialling new equipment and ways of working.
Collaboration with multiple partners continues, particularly those
in the Lancashire Resilience Forum which includes the Authorities
of Lancashire and Lancashire Constabulary. The Service launched a
quarterly stakeholder newsletter, called Hot Topics, in the year
which features key stories and information about the Service to
keep partners updated. A newsletter called Prevention Matters was
also launched specifically for prevention partners and contains
information relating to community fire safety.
Five employee voice groups comprising staff from under-represented
groups in a wide variety of roles and ranks provide insight and
feedback to inform Service policies, procedures, and campaigns:
race and religion, women and families, LBGTQ+, Neurodiversity and a
recently established Disability group. The groups are a useful
mechanism for consulting with staff and receiving feedback,
ensuring that any negative impact is fully understood and
mitigated.
A programme of wellbeing interactions such as workplace toolbox
talks, station visits, workshops and wellbeing support dog visits
support the delivery of the Services Health and Wellbeing
Strategy.
Business Fire Safety, Community Fire Safety and Service Delivery
engage with different communities within their area delivering a
range of prevention activities and undertaking Business and Home
Fire Safety checks working towards keeping communities across
Lancashire safe.
Consultation
with the Trade Unions takes place through formal and informal
consultation meetings, the Service now recognises the Fire and
Rescue Service Association (FRSA) and the Fire Officers Association
(FOA) for the purposes of collective bargaining. Workforce
and employment-related decisions and documents are reviewed with
trade union representatives and other members of staff from within
LFRS.
14.
Performance Management
The
Annual Service Plan details the activities we will undertake in the
year to deliver the strategy we set in our Community Risk
Management Plan (CRMP). The most important of these
activities are managed by the Leadership Team through the Corporate
Programme Board. Local Delivery Plans (departmental and
district plans) which detail activity which further supports the
delivery of our strategy, but which is led by local
teams.
All
staff have a performance appraisal where objectives are set which
support the delivery of our plans and feedback is given about
performance in relation to our values. Further to feedback
from members of staff the performance appraisal tool was simplified
this year. Within the performance appraisal is the
opportunity to have a career conversation, a useful tool to inform
workforce planning. The number of people who had an appraisal
was 95% for Wholetime staff, 90% for On Call and 90% for Green Book
members of staff.
15.
Bullying and Harassment
LFRS
has a bullying and harassment procedure for dealing with employee
complaints in relation to concerns relating to bullying, or
behaviour. Further to complaints, issues are fully
investigated in accordance with the bullying and harassment
procedure, or the disciplinary procedure depending on the clarity
of the information available. Details are attached at
Appendix C.
16.
Issues of concern of employees
The
Service has a grievance procedure which is the main procedure used
for dealing with other employee concerns in relation to a broader
range of issues other than misconduct. The Service has
promoted the principle of encouraging employees to voice their
concerns informally, encouraging line managers to “nip issues
in the bud” and then adopt a more formal approach where
issues remain unresolved, which has worked successfully. This
approach is supplemented by station visits by Senior Managers and a
cross checking of matters being raised across the Service to
identify any underlying themes of concern. The anonymous
reporting line ‘Safe Call’ has been established where
volunteers, members of staff and cadets can raise issues of concern
anonymously. This has resulted in 7 reports which has resulted in
investigation, training and action depending on the set of
circumstances.
17.
GenderPay Gap
(GPG)
17.1
Provision of Gender Pay Gap Information
LFRS are
required, under the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information)
Regulations 2017, to publish an annual Gender Pay Gap report.
The Act requires that organisations with 250 or more employees must
report on their Gender Pay Gap using a snapshot date of 31 March 2024. This information is
required to be published on the LFRS and Government website and
measures the difference between hourly earnings of men and
women.
The Gender Pay
Gap is an equality measure that shows the difference in average
earnings between women and men in the workforce. It does not
show differences in pay for comparable jobs, unequal pay for men
and women is illegal, rather it compares hourly rates of pay and
any bonuses staff may receive by gender, highlighting any areas of
imbalance. The causes of the Gender Pay Gap are complex and
overlapping. A higher proportion of women choose occupations
that offer less financial reward, for example in administration.
Many sectors are disproportionately made up of male workers
and a much higher proportion of women work part-time and part-time
workers earn less than their full-time counterparts on
average.
According to the
Office for National Statistics (ONS) the Gender Pay Gap nationally
has been declining slowly over time and over the last decade it has
fallen by approximately a quarter. ONS data for April 2023
shows the UK average Gender Pay Gap continuing a downward trend,
with the GPG among all employees decreased to 14.3%, from 14.9% in
2022 and from 15.1% in 2021.
17.2
Employees for the purposes of the Gender Pay Gap
On the snapshot
date, 31 March 2024, LFRS employed 1188 people. A
significantly higher proportion of men than women are employed in
the Service. The Service has a far larger volume of
operational roles within the Service and currently those roles have
traditionally been more commonly occupied by men, where turnover is
low. Women make up the larger proportion of staff in
support roles.
17.3
Mean Gender Pay Gap
The
mean (average) Gender Pay Gap is calculated by adding together the
hourly pay rates of all female employees and dividing by the total
number of females to create a mean (average). This
calculation is repeated for men and the difference in the two
figures identifies the Gender Pay Gap. Using this
calculation methodology across LFRS, the mean Gender Pay Gap is
significantly different than the national average which is 16.64%
in favour of women who on average earn on average £2.28 per
hour more than men.
17.4
Median Gender Pay Gap
To
calculate the median Gender Pay Gap all women’s earnings are
ranked and all men’s earnings are ranked, by their hourly
pay, to establish the middle of the female pay range compared to
the middle of the male pay range. The difference between the
two is the median pay gap. The median Gender Pay Gap at LFRS
equates to 0%. This means that there is no difference between
the earnings of men and women.
The
inclusion of On-Call and dual contracted staff who are primarily
male significantly skews the mean and the median Gender Pay Gap on
the basis that the way their earnings are accrued, results in a
large number of men with lower earnings at the bottom of the
ranking which accounts for the results.
17.5
Occupational Group
An
analysis of the quartile distribution by occupational group
demonstrates that 89% of the employees in the lower quartile are
On-Call staff. This group of staff equate to 22% of the
employee population.
Most
female part time support staff are found in the lower-middle
quartile, with fewer in the upper middle and upper
quartiles.
The
proportion of women in the upper-middle and upper quartile is
representative of the overall proportion of women within the LFRS
workforce. The upper-middle quartile is predominantly male,
but this is where most members of staff are undertaking the role of
Firefighter. A high proportion of men undertake the
role of Firefighter, so it is therefore unsurprising that this
quartile is male dominated.
A
high proportion of male employees employed on the National Joint
Council (NJC) for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service terms and
conditions (known commonly as the ‘Grey Book’), attract
additional allowances that are not available to staff conditioned
to the NJC for Local Government Service (‘Green Book’)
support staff, the majority of which are female. These
additional allowances increase Grey Book average earnings and moves
this staff group to the lower middle quartile.
It is
recognised that women are significantly under-represented in the
operational workforce and consequently LFRS is committed to
increasing the number of female firefighters. This forms an
important part of LFRS’s approach to EDI within the
Service. LFRS is now undertaking positive action initiatives
aimed at encouraging people from under-represented groups to apply
for positions in the organisation. Recruitment activity is
locally monitored (including the levels of attraction and
appointment) to identify problem areas to drive forward
improvements.
Appendix A
WORKFORCE
EQUALITY PROFILE AS AT 31 MARCH 2024
Employment monitoring
data is collected and reported annually in relation to all
protected groups apart from gender reassignment due to the
sensitive confidential nature of this data.
These following
figures relate to the total number of posts occupied by members of
staff, this allows for dual contracted members of staff to be
included twice, due to them undertaking two roles within the
Service.
1. Workforce
Demographics LFRS
|
Total No of
roles
|
White or
unknown
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
LGBT+
|
Average Age
|
|
1317
|
1270
|
47
|
1057
|
260
|
38
|
49
|
40 yrs
|
|
%
|
96.4
|
3.6
|
80.3
|
19.7
|
2.9
|
3.7
|
|
Since 2022/23 there
has been a slight increase in the number of women we employ from
18.9% to 19.7% continuing the upward trend. There has been a
slight increase in the number of people who are BME from 3.2% to
3.7% back to the same level as 2021/22 and a slight increase in the
number of people we employ who declare a disability from 2.6% to
2.9%. The number of people who identify as LGBT+ has stayed
the same at 3.7%.
2. Workforce
Demographics LFRS Grey Book
|
Total No of
roles
|
White or
unknown
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
LGBT+
|
Average Age
|
|
1074
|
1039
|
35
|
966
|
108
|
31
|
42
|
39
|
|
%
|
96.7
|
3.3
|
90
|
10
|
2.9
|
3.9
|
|
The percentage of
Females holding grey book positions has increased by 1.2% from last
year. There has also been a rise in the number of people who are
BME increasing from 2.7% to 3.3%. The number of people declaring a
disability has risen slightly and LGBT+ numbers have remained the
same as last year.
3. Prevention and
Protection
(i)
Protection:
Business Fire Safety Staff
|
%
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age in
years
|
|
|
95.1
|
4.9
|
75.6
|
24.4
|
2.4
|
2
|
(ii)
Prevention:
District Community Safety Staff and HQ Prevention Staff
|
%
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age in
years
|
|
|
89.1
|
10.9
|
34.8
|
65.2
|
2.2
|
46
|
The
diversity within prevention and protection is more
positive.
(iii)
Prevention:
Princes Trust Programme Support Green Book staff
|
%
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age in
years
|
|
|
100
|
0
|
12.5
|
87.5
|
0
|
37
|
There has been a
slight reduction in the number of women and people who are BME in
the Princes Trust, however the increase in men has increased the
diversity of the Department.
4. Response Grey
Book Operational staff including resilience and specialist
capability
(i)
Wholetime
Firefighters (including apprentices) : 224, Flexible Day Crewing
and DCP duty roles
|
Role
|
Total No of
staff
Headcount
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age
|
|
Strategic
|
18
|
18
|
0
|
14
|
4
|
0
|
47
|
|
First Line
Supervisors
|
74
|
73
|
1
|
70
|
4
|
2
|
45
|
|
CM
|
88
|
87
|
1
|
82
|
6
|
2
|
43
|
|
FF
|
394
|
378
|
16
|
343
|
51
|
15
|
38
|
|
Total excluding Day
Duty
|
574
|
556
|
18
|
509
|
65
|
19
|
40
|
There has been an
increase in women employed within the wholetime Service and an
increase in the number of people who are BME. There has also
been an increase in the numbers of people who declare a
disability.
(ii)
On-Call –
includes dual contract
|
Role
|
Total No of On-call
staff
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age
|
|
WM
|
28
|
27
|
1
|
26
|
2
|
0
|
44
|
|
CM
|
87
|
84
|
3
|
82
|
5
|
1
|
43
|
|
FF
|
306
|
295
|
11
|
283
|
23
|
8
|
35
|
|
Total
|
421
|
406
|
15
|
391
|
30
|
9
|
|
There has been an
increase in the number of women employed within the On-call
Service, and the number of people who are BME. There has been a
slight increase in the number of people who declare they have a
disability.
(iii) . Support
Staff Grey Book (Including TOR, Control, Day Duty staff - refers to
terms of employment)
|
Total No of
staff
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age
|
|
49
|
48
|
1
|
41
|
8
|
2
|
43
|
|
%
|
98
|
2
|
83.7
|
16.3
|
4.1
|
|
There has been a
slight drop in the number of women and those who declare a
disability employed within the grey book support staff. The number
of people who are BME has remained the same as last
year.
5. Female
Firefighter operational workforce
The total number of
women employed within operations increased from 91 to
108.
|
Crewing
System
|
Rank
|
Number
|
|
224
|
FF
|
36
|
|
CM
|
5
|
|
WM
|
2
|
|
DC
|
FF
|
4
|
|
CM
|
0
|
|
WM
|
0
|
|
DCP
|
FF
|
0
|
|
CM
|
1
|
|
WM
|
0
|
|
Day Duty (including
Protection)
|
CM
|
5
|
|
WM
|
5
|
|
SM
|
2
|
|
FDO
|
SM
|
2
|
|
GM
|
4
|
|
On-call
|
FF
|
23
|
|
CM
|
5
|
|
WM
|
2
|
|
Trainee
Recruit
|
FF
|
11
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
108
|
The total number of
108 refers to the total number of women in table 3. i (65) in table
3.ii (30) plus (8) in table 3.iii who undertake the day duty system
in TOR,(4) who are grey book Fire Safety and one temporarily
seconded into a prevention function.
There is a total on 23
female supervisory managers which has increased from 21.
6. Business Support
Staff Green Book
|
Total No of
staff
|
White
|
BME
|
Male
|
Female
|
Disability
|
Ave Age
|
|
170
|
164
|
6
|
67
|
103
|
6
|
46
|
|
%
|
96.5
|
3.5
|
39.4
|
60.6
|
3.5
|
|
Whilst the number of
staff who are BME was increasing there was a slight reduction last
year. The number of women is high within support services and
remains fairly static
7.
Turnover
|
Staff
Category
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Ethnic
Minority
|
Disabled
|
% of
females
|
% of BME
|
|
Wholetime
|
43
|
1
|
44
|
0
|
0
|
2.3%
|
0%
|
|
RDS
|
41
|
2
|
43
|
0
|
1
|
4.7%
|
0%
|
|
Control
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
0
|
0
|
|
Service Delivery
(CFS)
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
100%
|
0
|
|
Support
Staff
|
12
|
18
|
30
|
2
|
0
|
66 %
|
6.7%
|
|
TOTAL
|
96
|
23
|
119
|
2
|
1
|
|
|
There
has been a slight reduction in the number of women leaving the
Service overall. There has been a decrease in the number of
people who leave who declare they have a disability and who are
BME.
8. Age
Profile
|
Staff
Category
|
Age
|
Age
|
Age
|
Age
|
Age
|
Age
|
Age
|
|
Under 34
|
35-39
|
40-44
|
45-49
|
50-55
|
56-60
|
61+
|
|
Wholetime
|
147
|
171
|
88
|
86
|
139
|
19
|
3
|
|
On Call
|
157
|
105
|
58
|
46
|
30
|
16
|
6
|
|
Control
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Service Delivery
(CFS)
|
9
|
9
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
8
|
7
|
|
Support
Staff
|
43
|
19
|
23
|
19
|
32
|
30
|
21
|
|
TOTAL
|
356
|
304
|
175
|
158
|
211
|
76
|
37
|
There
has been an increase in the total number of people employed aged
under 34 years and 35-39 years and a reduction in the number of
people aged 45 - 55 years. Within the wholetime
service 23% are aged under 34 years old as compared to 22% in the
previous year.
Appendix B
Recruitment Profile
Applications during the period 1.4.2023 –
31.3.2024
|
Total
Applications
|
Male
|
Female
|
BME
|
% of female
|
% of BME
|
LGBT+
|
% LGBT+
|
Disabled
|
% Disabled
|
|
2399
|
1861
|
538
|
284
|
22.4
|
12
|
172
|
7.2
|
157
|
4.
6.5
|
|
Shortlisted
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
940
|
704
|
236
|
77
|
25.1
|
8
|
78
|
8.2
|
68
|
7.2
|
|
Successful
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
264
|
188
|
76
|
16
|
29
|
6
|
18
|
7
|
12
|
4.5
|
Number of applications
The number of total applications for roles within LFRS has risen
significantly since 2022-2023, by almost 22%.
The percentage of applications from men has risen by 19% during
this reporting period, and the number of female applicants has
increased by a healthy 32% on the previous year. Men comprised 77%
of all applications compared to 79% in 2022/23.
BME applicants increased by 16% compared with a 30% increase in the
previous year, but still making over 12% of all applicants; there
was a 52% increase in disabled applicants in this period, another
rise of just over 1% of total applicants from the previous two
reporting periods. There was an increase of 24 more
applicants from the LGBTQ+ community during the period 2023/24,
making this an increase of 16% from the previous year. These
figures show that LFRS are continuing to make progress in becoming
an employer of choice for under-represented
groups.
Shortlisting
With regards to shortlisting, BME applicants decreased slightly,
resulting in 8% of those shortlisted as opposed to just over 9% in
2022/23, and this represented 27% of all BME applicants successful
at the shortlisting stage.
Female applicants made up 25.1% of all those shortlisted, an almost
3% increase on last year, with almost 44% of female applicants
successful at shortlisting, which represents a decrease of 14% from
2022/23.
Applications from those who identified at LGBT+ comprised 8.2% of
those shortlisted – almost 1% higher than last year and just
over 45% of applicants from that group were successful in being
shortlisted.
Those applicants declaring a disability made up just over 7% of
shortlisted applicants in 2023/24 which is a 2.2% increase on
2022/23. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of
disabled applicants being successful at shortlisting, with 43% as
opposed to over 52% in 2023/24 reaching the interview stage; in
comparison, the number of disabled applicants successful at
shortlisting also stood under half in both 2021/22 and
2020/21.
Appointments
The Service made 264 appointments in 2023/24 compared with 244 in
2022/23. Of our new employees, 71% of these were men (an increase
of 14%) and 29% were women (an increase of 4% on last
year).
Those employed from BME groups comprised 6% (8% in 2022/23) of the
total number of new starters with 7% (5% in 22/23) coming from
LGB&T groups and 4.5% having declared themselves as having a
disability, which is a 0.5% decrease since the period
2022/23.
Grey Book Promotion Recruitment Stats – April 2023 –
Mar 2024
Senior Manager – Brigade and Area Manager
|
Successful
|
2
|
|
Male
|
2
|
|
Female
|
0
|
|
BME
|
0
|
Middle Manager – Group and Station Manager
Group Manager
|
Successful
|
1
|
|
Male
|
1
|
|
Female
|
0
|
|
BME
|
0
|
Station Manager
|
Successful
|
5
|
|
Male
|
4
|
|
Female
|
1
|
|
BME
|
0
|
Station Manager Talent Gateway – Dec 2023
|
Successful
|
4
|
|
Male
|
3
|
|
Female
|
1
|
|
BME
|
1
|
Supervisory Manager – Crew and Watch Manager – Sep and
Dec 2023
Crew Manager
|
Successful
|
33
|
|
Male
|
29
|
|
Female
|
4
|
|
BME
|
0
|
Watch Manager
|
Successful
|
21
|
|
Male
|
19
|
|
Female
|
2
|
|
BME
|
0
|
Middle Manager Development
In
the period 1 January 2023 - 31 March 2024 of those people we
identified for a middle manager development programme, 20% were
female; 80% male and 20% declared a disability. None of the
candidates were from a BME group.
Training
Training
attending for operation members of staff is compulsory and is
assigned by rank and role regardless of protected
characteristic. Further to the implementation of the new
Learning Management System eLMS additional reporting in relation to
training attended will become available.
Appendix C
C.i Disciplinary
Cases for the period 1.4.2023 – 31.3.2024
There were 28 disciplinary investigations during the period 1 April
2023 to 31 March 2024 this is an increase of 9 compared to the
previous year.
|
Male
|
Female
|
BME
|
Disability
|
LGBTQ+
|
Appeals
|
Appeal Upheld
|
|
25
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
In terms of the outcomes of these cases:
·
Two
dismissals*
·
Three
final written warning
·
Eight
formal written warnings
·
Seven
management letters
·
Five
no case to answer
*Three people resigned or retired prior to the hearing. In
two cases the investigations continued and reached a decision to
dismiss and in the third case, the individual would likely have
been dismissed had the evidence available been proven at
hearing.
The disciplinary investigations were relating to alleged breaches
to Service policy, eg vehicle damage or damage to property by
vehicles, failure to uphold the values of the Service, e.g.
inappropriate use of social media, failure to follow reasonable
instructions, failure to respond, and alleged criminal activity
outside the workplace.
No
disproportionate impact can be identified on any minority
group.
C.ii Matters of Grievance for
the period 1.4.2023 – 31.3.2024
There were nine grievance cases
during the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
|
Male
|
Female
|
BME
|
Disability
|
LGBTQ+
|
Appeals
|
Appeal Partially Upheld
|
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
There were nine grievance cases during the period 1 April 2023 to
31 March 2024 which is an increase of one compared to the previous
year.
Eight
grievances were not upheld, and one was partially
upheld.
There
were four appeals and two of these were partially
upheld.
In
terms of the reason for the grievances, two were pay related, two
were related to progression in role, one was related to request for
modified duties, and four were related to
ECR.
No
disproportionate impact can be identified on any minority
group.
C.iii Harassment and Bullying Cases 1.4.2023 –
31.3.2024
There were no cases identified as a potential harassment and
bullying during the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which is
a reduction of one from the previous year.
