Fire chief pleased with progress found by inspectors

Louise Harrison was appointed chief fire officer just after the authority was placed under an enhanced level of monitoring

The chief of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has said she is "really pleased" with the "really good progress" it has made since inspectors placed it under special supervision last November.

Chief Fire Officer Louise Harrison was talking to the BBC after a recent follow-up visit from inspectors.

Although the authority, which also covers Milton Keynes, remains under special supervision, inspectors praised it for taking "significant steps" towards improvement.

Ms Harrison was appointed after His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services made the authority one of three in England that they were monitoring closely last year.

At the time, inspectors said the service had failed to identify those most at risk from fire, ensure teams prioritised work according to risk, and improve equality.

In May they paid a follow-up visit to the service's Aylesbury headquarters, and earlier this week published the results of that.

Ms Harrison said the inspectors' update was "a fair and accurate picture of where we're at" and "reflects the really, really good progress we're making and the hard work our team has done".

She hoped the authority would be out of enhanced monitoring soon, and added: "There are no quick wins and inspectors want the reassurance what we're doing is sustainable and will continue to work."

Inspectors praised the service for "making good progress to improve the way it promotes equality, diversity and inclusion".

A recent recruitment drive has seen seven candidates taken on who are expected to start in September.

Ms Harrison said: "Having a diverse workforce brings in a richness of perspective and it's really important that, as a public sector service, we reflect the communities we serve."

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, which has its headquarters in Aylesbury, also covers Milton Keynes

Nine months into the job, Ms Harrison was also keen to look to the future.

She told the BBC: "We can't take our foot off the gas and need to maintain and continue our improvement journey."

She added that the authority was "already beginning a new community risk management plan that will lead us and the service into the next five years, so there's lots of stuff being done".

When she was appointed, the Fire Brigades Union said it was "deeply concerned" because of her lack of firefighting experience.

But Ms Harrison said she thought she had a good relationship with the FBU now.

"I speak regularly with them and we want the same things, pretty much. Our focus will always be on the health and wellbeing of staff," she said.

"I'd like to think they can see I'm doing a good job."

The union's Chris Wycherley told the BBC it had "no direct criticism of Louise" when she was appointed, and its concerns were more about the process and "giving the chance for members to reach elevated positions within the service".

He added that "since Louise came on board, there has definitely been sustained improvement" and that they "have had a really good working relationship".