Cumbria fire service rated inadequate amid uncertainty

Inspectors said they did not "underestimate how much improvement" was needed for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service

A fire service has been rated inadequate at efficiently keeping the public safe because of uncertainty over who will run it in the future.

An HM Inspectorate report found Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service was failing to attract staff with the right skills and was worried it could be unaffordable.

However, it said the rating was not a failing of the service but because of uncertainty over its future governance.

It added it "faced near-unprecedented uncertainty" amid council changes.

Approval was given last year for Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner to take control from April.

The Home Office gave approval in August for Peter McCall to become England's first Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC).

However, the move has been opposed by the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), which fears three fire stations could be shut under the changes.

Peter McCall was given approval by the Home Office last August to take over the fire service

The fire service is currently run by Cumbria County Council, which will not exist when two unitary authorities of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness take over in less than three months.

The report, by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), said the "inadequate" rating for efficiency was given because during times of such uncertainty it "could not guarantee there would be no risk to the public".

HM inspector Matt Parr said as the service was unable to do financial planning at present, he would look again at plans in March.

Ability to recruit

He said if any new arrangements presented no risks, he would close the inspectors' causes for concerns.

Elsewhere in the service, the report said there were several areas where performance had declined since the last inspection in 2019.

Among the areas highlighted for improvement were how the service looked after its workforce, particularly its ability to recruit the right people with the correct skills.

Inspectors also rated the service as "requiring improvement" in the way it ensured fairness and promoted diversity, along with the way it managed performance and developed leaders.

Mr Parr said he did not "underestimate how much improvement is needed" but he expected to see the service make progress.