Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service performing below expected standard

13 Jan 2022 12:15 PM

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is performing below the expected standard and needs to make improvements, a new report has found.

Get the report

Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2021/22 – Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) judged that Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service:

• requires improvement at effectively and efficiently keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks; and
• requires improvement at looking after its people.

HMICFRS said Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was well prepared for major threats, such as a terrorist attack, and praised its community work.

However, the inspectorate found that since its last inspection in 2018 the service had not made the expected progress. It said further changes are needed, including improving emergency response times and fire prevention work, and providing better value for money.

In a separate letter published yesterday, HMICFRS has assessed the service’s progress against three new causes of concern, which include the service’s work to protect people most at risk of fire, its identification of high-risk buildings, and its approach to diversity and inclusion.

HMICFRS sent condolences to the family, friends, and former colleagues of Kieran Amos, Warwickshire’s former chief fire officer, who sadly died in November.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services Wendy Williams yesterday said:

“We are satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. It is contributing to its community by transporting patients ready for discharge from hospitals and helping people who might be vulnerable. The service is also good at tackling fire-setting behaviour and responding to national risks.

“However, we are disappointed that the service has not made the progress we expected since our 2018 inspection. It hasn’t got better at identifying the people most at risk from fire and working with them to reduce these risks. It also prioritised improvements to diversity and inclusion which, while extremely important, was done in a way that caused some staff to disengage. The service has already started to ensure that safety and inclusion are understood to be complementary elements of an effective workforce.

“Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has shown a clear commitment to implementing the recommendations we have made. The service now has an action plan which sets out how it intends to make improvements, and we will be closely monitoring its progress.”

Get the report

Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2021/22 – Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Notes

1. This is the third time HMICFRS has inspected fire and rescue services across England and Wales. The most recent inspections in 2020 considered how each fire and rescue service was responding to the pandemic.
2. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is part of the first tranche of reports to be published for 2021/22. Reports for the remaining fire and rescue services will be published across the next year.
3. For further information, the HMICFRS Press Office can be contacted at 07836 217 729 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.