WIREDGOV

Issued on behalf of Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland

Eight months on from reorganisation into a single service, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is making good progress down the transition “journey of change”, according to a report published yesterday.

Steven Torrie, HM Chief Inspector of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, has expressed satisfaction with how the major transition process has been carried out so far, but cautioned that reform is a marathon not a sprint and that there remains a big programme of work to be carried out.

Mr Torrie’s inspection report presents a detailed assessment of the SFRS in the early stages of its existence, following the process of combining eight fire and rescue services and one fire training college into a single, national organisation.

Commenting on the report, Steven Torrie said:

“The inspection team have examined the early development of the SFRS’s transition into a new national body, and whether that change is having an effect on the delivery of services. We have also looked at how the SFRS management is dealing with the complexity of reform whilst maintaining delivery of ‘business as usual’.

“It was also important that we consider how reorganisation is being used to maximise the benefits of reform, and to see how ambitious the SFRS Board is being in its aims.

“In general terms, we are satisfied with how the complex transition process is being dealt with and the lack of disruption being caused, recognising that our inspection has taken place during the transitional phase for the organisation.

“The Board and Strategic Leadership Team deserve credit for the progress being made and that the Service plans to complete its first year within its allocated budget.

“As you might expect in the early stages of such a significant reorganisation, there are some issues that we call the Service’s attention to around service delivery, management and supervision arrangements and the delivery of benefits from reform. I am confident that the Service will reflect on these points and ensure that the necessary actions are taken.

“The SFRS is on a journey of change. Our opinion at this stage, through this in-depth inspection process, is that the direction of travel looks good but the Service is, understandably, closer to the beginning of its voyage than the end.”

During the development of the report, the inspection team played particular attention to the former Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (HIFRS) area. They found that business continuity in the former HIFRS area is not yet assured, and identified a number of areas that require on-going monitoring to ensure that the special measures in place before SFRS was established do not suffer loss of momentum.

Copies of the Inspection Report can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0043/00437774.pdf

Her Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland (HMFSI) is a body that operates within, but independently of the Scottish Government. Inspectors have the scrutiny powers specified in section 43B of the 2005 Act. These include inquiring into the state and efficiency of SFRS, its compliance with Best Value, and the manner in which it is carrying out its functions.

The legislation that created the SFRS also redefined the role of HMFSI, with the intention of providing a robust and fit-for-purpose body that could provide assurance to Scottish Ministers and to the public about the functioning of the new Service.

An inquiry by the Inspectorate can be self-directed or can be subject to direction by Scottish Ministers. This Overview Inspection of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is self-directed by the Chief Inspector.

Reform of fire and rescue services in Scotland is intended to protect the Service at a time of reducing public sector funding and, at the same time, produce benefits for the community. With that comes an inevitable element of risk associated with the changes to the way in which services are delivered. The HMSFI therefore considered it important, at an early stage, to inquire into the broad functioning of the new Service, to establish what effects reform is having on service delivery.

The purpose of this inspection was accordingly to gain an overview of the functioning of the SFRS and in particular:

In the Summary of this report above, The HMSFI have emphasised that this inspection took place at an early stage of the transition of the predecessor services into the SFRS. They understand that they are not seeing, or commenting on, mature structures and processes and any comment they make in this report must be read in the context that the SFRS is still evolving as an organisation and that a range of issues which they have captured may well have moved on come the publication of this report.