Agenda item

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) updated Members regarding His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) activity and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) planning arrangements.

Round 3 Overview

LFRS HMICFRS Round 3 inspection commenced on 20 January 2025, initiated by a request for a collection of documents, a self-assessment proforma and three surveys (staff survey, human resources survey and a trade union survey) to assist with preparation for the fieldwork phase of the inspection. This was succeeded by a three-week period of staff engagement, during which two weeks were conducted on-site throughout the organisation. The final week was conducted remotely with department heads.

On Friday, 28 March 2025, the strategic brief was presented by the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO), and Director of People and Development (DoPD). It was an opportunity for the Service to brief the HMI and service liaison lead, provide a summary of performance, achievements, and work completed on previous areas of improvement. Following the brief, the Chair of the Fire Authority was interviewed.

The feedback from the HMICFRS inspection acknowledged that every staff member they interacted with was highly engaging, and they felt genuinely welcomed throughout the organisation.

The Service had recently received the draft inspection report, which afforded LFRS the opportunity to conduct factual accuracy checks. The release of the official final report was anticipated in early August, following this the service would focus on addressing any areas for improvement that may have been identified and continuing the services journey towards outstanding.

HMICFRS had published 38 Round 3 inspection reports. A summary of the gradings for all 38 FRSs inspected so far were included in the report. 3 grading reports were due to be published on 15 July 2025 and the final 3 reports including LFRS’s were due to be published in August.

In response to a question from County Councillor J Tetlow in relation grade changes at other services, the DCFO explained that all HMICFRS reports were available online and he was unable to commend on individual services gradings. He also explained that the service monitored the publication of reports and identified areas of learning to be implemented at LFRS.

HMICFRS Inspection 2025-2027 Update

The 2025-27 inspection programme would involve a number of changes from the previous round. These included the following:

a)    Reduction in diagnostic questions:

In previous rounds of inspections, HMICFRS assessed and gave graded judgments for 11 diagnostic questions. For the 2025-27 inspection programme HMICFRS had reduced the overall number of diagnostic questions to 10 by combining the efficiency questions.

b)   Characteristics of good:

In the 2025-27 inspections, the HMICFRS would measure fire and rescue services against the characteristics of good performance. These characteristics described the levels of performance a fire and rescue service (FRS) needed to achieve to be graded ‘good’.

c)    Impact of Governance on FRSs:

In the 2025-27 inspections, the HMICFRS would look more closely at the governance arrangements and how services were impacted by their governance. They would not inspect the governing authority, only the impact of governance on the FRS.

When assessing effectiveness, they would assess how governance impacted the effectiveness of the FRS and examine how FRS work with local communities to make them more resilient. In their assessment of efficiency, they would assess how each FRS was affected by its authorities governance, oversight and scrutiny arrangements.

In their assessment of how well the FRS looked after their people, they would assess whether the governance and scrutiny arrangements created a positive culture, and whether standards of conduct existed to support the health and well-being of the workforce.

      d) Leadership:

The assessment of how each FRS looked after its people would focus on leadership at all levels of the organisation. They had enhanced the leadership questions, and as part of the overall summary, the HMI would set out the most important findings relating to the service’s leadership.

The FRS Inspection Schedule for 2025-27 had been published, and the dates for the inspection program would be released in three phases. The initial phase of the schedule would commence with the inspection of Bedfordshire FRS in July 2025. Currently, LFRS were listed as the last service to undergo inspection, although this was subject to potential amendments.

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.

LFRS had been onboarded on to the HMICFRS Monitoring Portal and the service have completed the 15 recommendations and uploaded all evidence to the new Monitoring Portal.

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 could thrive. 

LFRS had been onboarded on to the HMICFRS Monitoring Portal and had submitted evidence to close all recommendations applicable to the Service.

Joint Fire and Rescue Service and Policing positive practise event

The first joint Fire and Rescue Service and Policing positive practise event was held on 19 June 2025 at the College of Policing, Ryton-on-Dunsmore. The agenda focused on Culture, Leadership and Misconduct and provided opportunities for the different sectors to learn from one another to improve this mutually challenging area. The event was attended by Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Jon Charters, who presented alongside former CFO Justin Johnston on the LFRS journey. 

In response to a question from Councillor J Hugo in relation to the reports due to be published, the DCFO confirmed that Hampshire and Isle of Wight, South Yorkshire and Cumbria’s HMICFRS reports were due to be published on 15 July 2025 and Lancashire, Kent and Durham and Darlington’s HMICFRS reports were due to be published in August 2025.

Councillor J Hugo asked a further question in relation to if the service raised any questions as part of the fact checking process. The DCFO explained that the service was unable to challenge the content of the report at the fact checking stage but did make some corrections to data and amended wording.

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