Agenda item

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Ben Norman presented the report.  Members noted that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) inspection of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) was due to be conducted in April/May 2020 however, this was suspended due to the recall of staff within HMICFRS returning to their own Services to plan and manage the implications of the Covid-19 outbreak.

During this period, LFRS Service Liaison Officer had maintained contact with HMICFRS Service Liaison Lead, Jo Hayden by having bi-weekly conversations.  Engagement activities were now expected to begin in August 2021 to include station and department visits and meet senior management to review the work undertaken since the previous report in 2018.

Furthermore, it was now known that the inspection would start from week commencing 22 November 2021. The inspection would take place physically, but some elements would be digital depending on the progress of measures that monitored the infection rates. The inspection would conclude on 21 January 2022 which included a three-week break between 20 December 2021 and 14 January 2022, after which there would be a debrief between HMICFRS and the Chief Fire Officer. The resulting report would be expected in the latter months of 2022.

Currently, engagement had continued with Jo Hayden and learning from the 2020 Pandemic Thematic Inspection had been used alongside various reports such as “State of Fire Rescue 2020” to refresh preparation work that begun early 2020 before the pandemic interrupted progress. Going forward this would inform the next stage of preparation. The planned work included:

1.    Planning and Implementing reality testing across all departments and Fire Stations;

2.    The writing of a strategic brief and presentation to be delivered to HMICFRS in week 1;

3.    An additional Document request and data return planned for in October.

4.    A revised internal communications strategy;

5.    Identification of areas most at risk of receiving a ‘requires improvement’ grade;

6.    Identification of areas of best practice.

In response to questions raised by County Councillor Hennessy in relation to the planned work, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that the writing of the strategic brief was the responsibility of the Chief Fire Officer who would share the content with the Chairman of the CFA.  The CFA Chairman would also be involved with the inspection teams and involved in the debrief process.  In addition, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that the last inspection did not identify any formal areas that ‘required improvement’ but that the Service consider how it:

·         better identified leadership potential;

·         had sufficient resources to prioritise a risk-based inspection programme; and

·         had greater clarity around blue light collaboration opportunities.

He advised that there were other areas where the Service could demonstrate improvements including ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in recruitment and the current proposal to change the unwanted fire signals policy in line with other North West Fire and Rescue Services.

In response to a question raised by County Councillor Hennessy regarding the planning and implementing of reality testing, Acting Area Manager Neil Taylor advised that during the last inspection the Service was graded as ‘good’ against the three core pillars of efficiency, effectiveness and people and achieved an ‘outstanding’ grading in the sub-category of how we promote our culture and values.  He advised that there was a lot known about the Service and reality testing was about checking what was being done to improve our level of understanding and where possible make improvements across the three core pillars.  It was hoped the testing could commence within 2-3 weeks.

RESOLVED: - that the report be noted and endorsed.