Hereford and Worcester Fire Service 'requires improvement'

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service requires improvement, HMICFRS says

A fire service needs to "improve how it treats its people", an inspection has found.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has been rated as requiring improvement by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The inspectorate said it could "do more to make the service a fair place to work and to promote diversity".

Chief Fire Officer Jon Pryce said some improvements had already been made.

In her report, inspector Wendy Williams said she was "satisfied" with aspects of the service's performance and was "encouraged" it had made improvements since its last inspection in 2018/19, which found it needed to do more in its fire prevention plan.

But, she said, areas remained where improvement was needed.

While the service was good at protecting the public through fire regulation, the report said, it needed to be better in its understanding and prevention of fires, and also in responding to emergencies.

It should also improve its use of resources, the report said, and do more to plan for future financial challenges.

The report added there should be better communication between senior leaders and staff, with the senior leadership team advised to look for opportunities to improve organisational culture.

While staff were "positive" about the support they received following traumatic incidents, the report found the service needed to better understand individuals' needs.

The inspectorate said it was also "concerned at a lack of effective arrangements" for monitoring training completed by staff.

And while the service had increased the overall percentage of wholetime female firefighters, Ms Williams said it could make more progress to improve diversity among the workforce.

Following the publication of the report, Mr Pryce said: "Although it was disappointing that Her Majesty's Inspectorate judged that our service has fallen back in some areas, this report provides clear recommendations on where we can improve moving forward.

"I would like to thank all of the staff involved with helping the inspectors compile their report and the staff who have been working hard since April to deliver improvements in those key areas."