Agenda item

GM Price presented the report to Members regarding His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) activity and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services (LFRS) planning arrangements.

Round 3 Overview

HMICFRS commenced Round 3 inspections in early 2023, the three pillars; effectiveness, efficiency, and people remained the same as Round 2. Likewise, the 11 diagnostics under each pillar which inspectors made graded judgements against.

Although LFRS had not yet received confirmation of the new inspection date, it was anticipated that the Service’s inspection would take place in early 2025. Phil Innis had been appointed as LFRS’s new Service Liaison Lead, to assist with engagement prior to the inspection, an Inspecting Officer from HMICFRS, Viv Horton, would also remain as an LFRS point of contact. Viv Horton met with members of the executive board in August 2024 and was in regular contact with LFRS Service Liaison Officer, Area Manager Tom Powell as part of the engagement process.

The Organisational Assurance Team within the Service Improvement Department continued to track progress against the Service’s previous inspection, monitor national themes and prepare LFRS for it’s Round 3 inspection.

HMICFRS had published 24 Round 3 inspection reports. A summary of the gradings for all 24 Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) inspected so far in Round 3 were included in the report.

FRS inspection programme 2025/27 public consultation 

HMICFRS public consultation on the proposals for the FRS inspection programme for 2025/27 was launched on 19^th August 2024 and closed on 15^th September 2024. LFRS provided a detailed response. HMICFRS received around 61 responses to the public consultation, including almost all FRSs, as well as some from governing bodies, trade unions and national bodies. Overall, the HMICFRS received strong support for their proposals, however, respondents also raised issues with these planned changes, provided additional areas they thought should be covered, areas they should inspect less, and ways they could improve their reports.  

HMICFRS final plans would be published in the form of an Inspection Programme and Framework document in the spring of 2025, alongside a formal response to the consultation.

Positive Practice

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Positive Practice Portal provided details about interventions, which had been developed by one or more Fire and Rescue Service to address a particular need, concern or organisational change recognised by the NFCC or HMICFRS as an innovative or positive practice. These practices were in different functional areas and may include operational and non-operational responses, business practices and good ideas.

LFRS actively engaged with the positive practice process and had 10 submissions published on the portal and a further 5 submissions in progress.

As requested at the previous planning committee, a summary of the first HMICFRS Fire and Rescue Positive Practice Masterclass event is detailed below. There were presentations on the following topics:

• Opening address, HMCI Andy Cooke, HMICFRS
• ‘Our findings, positives practices and improvement’, HMI Roy Wilsher, HMICFRS
• ‘Greater Manchester FRS’s improvement journey’, CFO Dave Russel, GMFRS and Deputy Mayor Kate Green
• ‘People strand positive practices in Cambridgeshire FRS’, Hayley Douglas, CAMFRS
• ‘How learning and development promotes improvements in policing’, Ray Clare, College of Policing
• ‘How the leadership fire standards can support services to improve’, Independent Chair Suzanne McCarthy, Fire Standards Board
• ‘How the NFCC can support services to improve’, Chair Mark Hardingham, NFCC
• Panel session - Dave Russell, Hayley Douglas, Suzanne McCarthy, Ray Clare, Mark Hardingham, Roy Wilsher

LFRS would continue to monitor positive practice submissions and attend future events, benchmarking LFRS’s own progress against areas identified, and exploring potential areas for improvement.

HMICFRS Standards of behaviour: The handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services

HMICFRS published their Standards of behaviour: The handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services report in August 2024. This followed the detailed inspection of 10 FRSs, as well as analysing data provided by all 44 FRSs in England about their grievance and discipline cases. The service was making progress through the reports 15 recommendations.

Values and culture in Fire and Rescue Services

Values and culture in Fire and Rescue Services remained a focus for HMICFRS, LFRS continued to work proactively in terms of promoting its values and engendering an organisational culture where all employees can thrive. LFRS submitted its updated report on the progress the service was making regarding the HMICFRS and NFCC recommendations in relation to values and culture in March 2024.

HMICFRS Autumn Data Collection

The Autumn Data collection opened on Monday 14^th October and would close on Friday 22^nd November.

County Councillor N Hennessy stated that she had requested an update be brought to the next CFA Meeting in December 2024 in relation to standards of behaviour within the service.

The Chair remarked that the service was doing everything it could in preparation for the next HMICFRS Inspection.

In response to a question from County Councillor J Singleton in relation to the services’ misconduct cases, the DCFO confirmed that there were a low number of disciplinary cases and the statistics were reported to HMICFRS. In terms of the number of cases, an update would be included in the report going to the full CFA around progress against the recent HMICFRS cultures and values report.

Resolved: That the Planning Committee noted and endorsed the report.