Accessibility Statement

HMICFRS

Contact us

Call: 01743 260 200

Email: enquiries@shropshirefire.gov.uk

Follow us

Youtube Facebook X-twitter Linkedin Instagram

Outstanding

Good

Understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies

Adequate

Preventing fires and other risks

Responding to fires and other emergencies

Responding to major and multi-agency incidents

RequirEs
Improvement

Protecting the public through fire regulation

Making the FRS affordable now and in the future

Promoting the right values and culture

Getting the right people with the right skills

Ensuring fairness and promoting diversity

Managing performance and developing leaders

Inadequate

Making best use of resources

*HMICFRS measure fire and rescue services against the 11 characteristics of ‘good’ awarding potential gradings of Outstanding, Good, Adequate, Requires Improvement or Inadequate.

In the rest of the report, HMICFRS sets out its detailed findings about the areas in which the service has performed well and where it should improve.

it was clear in the report that the Service understands its local risks and responds well the emergencies which is at the heart of what we do.

 Read the full report

Read more about how we did in our last HMICFRS inspection.

The report contained 30 areas for improvement. This page details our response to these recommendations:

 

Cause for Concern

Recommendation 1 - looks at how the Service is managed and how risks, performance and improvement plans are checked.
 
Action taken: Structures have been reviewed and changes made to strengthen how the Service is led. This includes strengthening the Executive Team and recruiting key roles, including a Section 151 Officer, Monitoring Officer and a Portfolio Manager.
The corporate meeting structure has also changed, so it links better with the new Service Assurance Framework and its key areas of work. A Portfolio Management Office, known as a PMO, has also been set up. The PMO helps make sure important projects are planned well, have the right people and resources, and stay on track with time and budget.
These changes help the Service manage risk better, check progress more clearly, and make sure improvement plans are delivered properly.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 2 - looks at how the Service records, checks and manages important risks.

Action Taken: A corporate risk register is being used more actively to help the Service understand known risks and take action to reduce them.

The Service Management Team now reviews corporate risks regularly. New guidance has also been shared with risk owners, so they are clear about what they need to do. Risk reporting through governance meetings has also been improved, so risks can be discussed and managed in the right place.
The Service also asked an external organisation to review how risk is managed. Their report helped shape an action plan and make sure the Service are focusing on the right improvements.
These changes help the Service spot risks earlier, manage them better and make safer, more informed decisions.
 
Next steps:
To continue work on the external audit recommendations through an action plan.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 3 – The Service is improving the way it measures and manages performance across the Service.

Action Taken:

Performance measures and departmental plans have been reviewed to make sure teams are working towards clear goals.
A new approach to evaluating work has also been developed so departments can better understand what is working well and where improvements are needed.
Staff development reviews (IPDRs) have been updated, and training has been delivered to help managers support and monitor performance consistently across the Service.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 4 -The Service is improving access to accurate data and analysis to support effective performance management.

Action Taken:

The Service is improving access to accurate data and analysis to support effective performance management. The Service are putting the new digital and data plan into action. This includes training for staff so everyone can use digital tools with confidence.
A Digital Systems Governance Group (DSGG) has been set up. This group helps make sure ICT projects and new technology work are managed properly and support the Service's goals.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 5- The service is improving the process of reporting accurate, timely and detailed financial reporting to the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA).
 

Action Taken: The service has appointed a Section 151 Officer, who helps make sure the Service manages its money. The Section 151 officer now attends weekly Executive Leadership Team (ELT) meetings to provide financial advice and support.

A new investment approvals committee (IAC) and a portfolio board have been set up to help oversee important work. These groups check that work has the right people, funding and resources to succeed.
The financial reports that go to the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) have been improved, making it easier to understand how money is being managed.
The Telford project review has been completed. The learning from this project will be used to help plan and deliver the new training facilities project more effectively.
 
Next steps: To confirm the process for reporting project information into the Fire and Rescue Authority.
A Senior Management Team (SMT) meeting will be held to review and adjust the 2026/27 budget plans.
 

Status: In Progress

 

Areas For improvement

Action taken: The Prevention team has created a new home fire safety visit that focuses on each person’s needs. Staff will use tablets during the visits, which will make it easier to record information clearly. This is the biggest change to home fire safety visits, and how they are recorded, for several years. A new dashboard has also been made so the Service can see information about home visits across the whole organisation. The safeguarding app has been updated and tested by the IT team. Evaluation methods are being used in some prevention work and has been included in department plans. Prevention performance measures have also been created and shared with the IT department.

Next steps: The safeguarding app will be launched across the whole Service. On-call advocates will be trained to use the new home fire safety visit. More data and dashboards will be created to help the Prevention department understand what is working well and what could be improved.

Status: In Progress

Action taken: The Prevention department managers have carried out quality assurance (QA) of home visits by prevention officers.  A sample checklist for what a good visit should include has been created. The prevention department have also set up ways for partner organisations and people who receive a visit to tell us what they think. 

Next steps: The prevention department are still checking the full strategy and quality assurance procedures. Training for staff who QA visits. Procedures for sharing the findings also need to be defined.

Status: In Progress

Action taken: The department has changed the way it is organised so there are now more people able to help check and manage protection notices. These notices are important because they help make sure buildings and people are kept safe. A live report has been created, which means the information can be kept up to date and checked every month. The report shows all the different actions being taken. Protection managers have developed departmental, corporate and health performance indicators. This work is also talked about in regular one-to-one meetings.

Next steps: The Service now needs time to embed the process and review data – due around October 2026.

Status In Progress

The service should make sure it effectively addresses the burden of false alarms. False alarms are generated by automatic fire alarm systems, often in businesses, hospitals, or offices. The Service is working to reduce these because they can, tie up fire engines and firefighters unnecessarily. And create unnecessary risk when fire engines are travelling under emergency conditions. The Service wants to balance public safety with reducing unnecessary emergency responses.

Action Taken: The Protection department has reviewed the risks linked to unwanted fire alarm calls (UwFS). As a result, the Service no longer sends fire engines to some lower-risk premises during the daytime when an automatic fire alarm activates. However, fire engines still attend high-risk premises and all premises overnight based on this risk-based approach. The protection department continues to work with commercial premises to reduce the number of UwFS.

Next steps: A new command and control system, which is used to send fire engines to incidents, is planned for the autumn and will allow greater categorisations of incidents to help with recording of incident types.

Status In Progress

The service should make sure it has an effective quality assurance process, so staff carry out audits to an appropriate standard. 

Action Taken: The Service has developed a created more time for a Station Manager to lead on quality assurance (QA) work. A review has also been carried out on protection activities to make sure the right checks are in place. New ways of sharing the results of QA checks are being introduced, so teams can learn from what is working well and where improvements are needed. The protection team have developed a department plan.

Next steps: The protection team will continue to embed QA processes into everyday work and review long-term QA systems to make sure they remain effective and support continuous improvement.
 

Status In Progress

This recommendation is about making sure the Service learns from incidents and exercises so it can keep improving and keep people safe.

Action Taken: 

The Service reviewed how debriefs are carried out to identify where improvements were needed. The debrief guidance was updated to make the process clearer and more consistent.
 
Learning and recommendations from debriefs are recorded, reviewed, and shared through the Learning Board and newsletters, so lessons can be used across the Service.
 
Next steps: The Service will continue developing arrangements for overseeing operational learning. Creation of a debrief app.
 

Status In Progress

The service should make sure its method of sharing fire survival guidance  information with multiple callers is understood by staff and is well tested. 

Action Taken: The Service has continued to improve training for firefighters/officers and fire control staff during a high-rise building emergency. Training sessions, exercises and debriefs have been completed, helping teams practise real-life situations and learn from each experience. Plans are also in place for more tabletop exercises, and a new operational preparedness and capability framework has been approved. A mandatory training programme has been developed to make sure the right staff receive the knowledge and skills they need.

Next steps: Training for Command Groups and the Unblur system is still ongoing and will continue as part of normal day-to-day business. The Training and Exercise (T&E) Working Group and Fire Control will keep monitoring progress, reviewing learning from exercises and making sure skills remain up to date.

Status In Progress

AFI 8 looked at how well the Service is prepared to work with other agencies during a major terrorist incident, and whether staff understand what they need to do.

Action Taken:

The Ops department have checked and updated plans and worked with partner organisations to run practice exercises based on real-life situations. These exercises help test these plans and learn what works well.
Training has also been updated and delivered to operational staff. A new training and exercise programme has been introduced to help keep skills and knowledge up to date.
Every three months, staff awareness is checked and a progress report is sent to the Organisational Learning Board. After each multi-agency exercise, there is a debrief session to discuss what went well and what can be improved.
 

Status In Progress

The service should make sure that it is taking steps to reduce non-pay costs and can show how it is achieving value for money. 

Action Taken: The Service has completed a review of estate costs with budget holders to better understand how money is being spent. Work has also started to compare costs with other Fire and Rescue Services to identify good practice and areas for improvement. Financial reporting has continued to improve, helping provide clearer and more regular information about how public money is being used. The Service is also reviewing non-pay costs and looking for opportunities to work more efficiently and achieve better value for money.

Next steps: The remaining benchmarking work with other services will be completed, and a Productivity and Efficiency Plan for 2026/27 will be developed. The Service will continue to review spending, identify savings and efficiencies, and improve financial reporting so it remains clear and transparent. Work will also continue to strengthen procurement arrangements and establish learning to support future purchasing decisions.

Status In Progress

The service should make sure it has appropriate business continuity arrangements in place regularly review the arrangements and test them to make sure they take account of all foreseeable threats and risks.

Action Taken: The Service has reviewed the Business Continuity (BC) Strategy to make sure we can keep important services running if something unexpected happens. A gap analysis has been completed to find areas that could be improved, and this will be reviewed every year. The Service has also defined who is responsible for what during a disruption or emergency.

Next Steps: Departments will complete Business Impact Assessments. This means they will identify which of their activities are most important, understand what could happen if those activities are disrupted, and make plans to reduce any risks. This work will help make sure the Service is prepared and can continue supporting communities when needed.

Status In Progress

AFI 11 looked at how the Service works with other organisations and how we check that joint projects and activities are making a difference.

Action Taken: We have introduced new guidance for partnerships, created a simple way to measure results, and provided training for staff. This helps us show that working with partners is making a positive difference, gives good value for money, and benefits our communities.

Status Complete

The service should have a clear internal structure with appropriate governance arrangements to make sure the selection, design and delivery of projects are well managed, represent value for money and provide the intended outcomes.
 

Action Taken: 

The Service have completed a review of how the Service manages important projects and improvements. As part of this, roles and responsibilities within the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) have been outlined.
The PMO has developed staff in project management practices.  Also, a new software system has been introduced to help plan, track and manage projects.
To make sure there is a clear and consistent approach, a PMO charter, mandate and policy have been written.
 

Status In Progress

The Service needs to assure itself that it is making the most of opportunities to improve workforce productivity and develop future capacity through use of innovation, including the use of technology.

Action Taken: 

 The Service have completed a Productivity Plan.
New tablets have been bought to support Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs), making it easier for staff to record information while visiting people in their homes. The Service are also looking at how these tablets could be used for other activities across the Service. The Service is also replacing pagers with new alerters.
 
Next Steps: The Productivity Plan will be reviewed. This will support the wider Efficiency and Productivity Plan and will form the basis of future station work plans.
 

Status In Progress

Looked at how the Service manages change, develops leadership and makes sure it has the right arrangements in place to check that improvements are being delivered effectively.

Action Taken:

 The Service has approved a new vision for change after a review of the Service’s structure. Its Project Management Office (PMO), which helps manage and coordinate change across the organisation. A new Leadership Standard has also been developed.
 
These improvements support wider work to strengthen strategic leadership and organisational assurance. Organisational assurance is how the Service checks that it is working effectively, managing risks, delivering improvements and providing the best possible service to the public.
 

Status In Progress

The service should make sure its estates management programmes are linked to its community risk management plan (CRMP), and that it understands the impact future changes to those programmes may have on its service to the public.

Action Taken: The Service has developed a new Resources Strategy covering estates, fleet and equipment to help make sure resources are planned and invested in where they are needed most. The strategy supports the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), helping ensure people, vehicles, buildings and equipment are aligned to the risks facing our communities.

Next steps: The Resources Strategy will be presented to the Fire Authority and Senior Management Team for feedback. Learning from the Telford project will also be used to help shape future projects and improve the way they are planned and delivered.

Status In Progress

The Service should make sure all staff understand and demonstrate its value.

Action Taken: 

The Service has recruited a Culture Manager to lead the cultural transformation programme. Progress is monitored through the People and Culture meeting and the People Management Meetings.
The Code of Conduct has been reviewed. The Service is moving from the Workplace Charter to the Core Code of Ethics, which provides a clear set of values and behaviours for everyone to follow.
 
Next steps:
The Service will communicate the adoption of the Core Code of Ethics to all staff and training scheduled. The culture transformation program will continue.
 

Status In Progress

This recommendation is about making sure senior managers are visible and available and that they lead by example, showing the Service's values every day.

What we have done: The Service has been working to improve leadership and create a positive culture for everyone. Senior managers have spent more time visiting teams and listening to staff.
Staff have taken part in workshops, surveys and meetings to share their views and help shape improvements. Coaching, mentoring and development opportunities have also been provided for managers.
A cultural working group has been created, and the Service has reviewed policies to make sure they put staff first and support fairness and wellbeing.
 
Next steps:
The results of the latest staff survey will be reviewed, and work will continue to develop a clear cultural vision for the future.
 

Status In Progress

AFI 18 looked at how the Service supports the mental and physical health of its staff.

Action Taken: HR have reviewed fitness equipment and provided extra resources at fire stations. The fitness policy has been updated. HR have also recruited a Health and Wellbeing Officer and seen an improvement in fitness test pass rates. This helps make sure staff have access to the support they need to stay healthy, safe and well at work.

Status Complete

The Service should proactively monitor working hours (including overtime) to improve staff well-being.

Action Taken: The Service has reviewed on-call annual leave and completed a trial of the new process. Following feedback, the on-call leave brigade order has been updated to reflect the new arrangements. The Service has also reviewed how annual leave is recorded and introduced a new system for staff to use.

Next steps:
The new system will be rolled out to managers, helping to ensure annual leave is recorded consistently and managed effectively across the Service.

Status In Progress

Looked at how the Service manages health and safety and makes sure staff can work safely.

Action Taken: Action taken:
The Service has reviewed its health and safety training requirements.  A new reporting system, called Cuttlefish, has also been introduced. This provides a single place for recording incidents and near misses, making it easier for staff to report concerns and for managers to track actions and improvements.

Next steps: The Service will continue to review health and safety policies and brigade orders. Risk assessment training will be reviewed, along with current risk assessments and how they are stored. A new Health and Safety Committee will also be established to report to the Health and Safety Board.

Status In Progress

Looked at how the Service plans for its future workforce and ensures it has the right people, skills and capacity to meet community needs.

Action Taken: 

The Service has completed a workforce planning gap analysis and developed a Business Intelligence (BI) dashboard to provide better workforce information and support decision-making. A workforce planning approach has been agreed, and a trial has been carried out to test the process.
 
Specialist workforce planning software, known as Purple Frog, has been used to help understand current and future workforce needs. This work will help the Service identify skills gaps, plan for future staffing requirements and ensure resources are aligned to the risks faced by our communities.
 
Next steps:
Every year the Service will review workforce planning to look at what staff it has and what staff it might need in the future.
 

Status In Progress

The Service have been working to ensure it has effective arrangements in place to manage staff turnover so that the service can keep helping people, even when staff leave, retire, or move to different jobs.

Action Taken: 

The Service have been working to ensure it has effective arrangements in place to manage staff turnover so that the service can keep helping people, even when staff leave, retire, or move to different jobs.
 
To do this, the Service has completed a workforce plan and created a retirement profile showing who may retire over the next five years. The Service has also updated the staff development guidance and hold regular meetings between human resources and department leaders to discuss our people and future staffing needs.
 
Important jobs where only one person has key knowledge or skills has been identified, so we can plan and make sure others are trained to help if needed.
 
Next Steps: To create a heatmap that will show which areas need more resilience and support. And to continue identifying staffing issues and discussing them in the people management meetings.
 

Status In Progress

The service is committed to ensuring that all staff have the knowledge, skills and training needed to carry out their roles safely and effectively.

Action Taken: A gap analysis has been completed for non-operational staff training, helping the service understand where additional learning and development may be required. A training gap analysis for operational roles has also been undertaken to support the wider Training Facilities Project.

Next Steps: Reviews of training provision for prevention delivery and commercial building risk visits are also planned. To support future training improvements, a dedicated Training Facilities Project has been established.

Status In Progress

The Service want to make sure that everyone who works for the service feels safe, respected and treated fairly.

Action Taken: An updated Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy has been completed and is now in place. New Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) micro-videos are being made available so staff can learn about these important topics in an accessible way. In addition, a lot of training has been rolled out to managers, including performance management and preventing sexual harassment training. This helps managers to better support their teams and address concerns appropriately.

Status In Progress

The service is continuing to take steps to make sure our workforce better reflects the communities we serve.

Action Taken: 

Over the past year, we have reviewed previous positive action campaigns. A Recruitment Action Group has been established, with workshops completed to review and improve recruitment processes. A 12-month positive action plan is place for 2026.
The Service has attended recruitment and apprenticeship events to encourage applications from a wider range of people and to raise awareness of the different career opportunities available across the organisation.
HR/EDI have also completed a trial of revised recruitment and promotion processes. The outcomes have been evaluated, improvement areas have been identified, and the recommendations are currently awaiting formal approval.
 
Next steps: the recruitment policy is being updated and will include an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA).
A careers booklet that highlights all roles within the Service is being developed, including corporate and non-uniformed positions.
 

Status In Progress

The Service have been working to make sure everyone is treated fairly when decisions are made across the Service.

Action Taken:

he Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) team have reviewed the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) Order, toolkit and policies. And looked at how other Fire and Rescue Services manage EQIAs to learn from good practice. Training has been delivered to managers and staff, and refresher training has also been introduced. Through our Project Management Office (PMO), checks are in place to help make sure EQIAs are completed for all projects. Managers have also been offered workshops and support to improve understanding and compliance.
Senior Management Team (SMT) expectations have been strengthened, with papers expected to include an EQIA before being considered. A review of all policies is planned to ensure equality impacts are properly assessed and recorded.
 
Next steps: To embed an ongoing programme of EQIA refresher training, to ensure knowledge remains up to date and good practice continues across the organisation.
 

Status In Progress

AFI 27 looked at how the Service collects equality data so we can better understand our workforce and what support staff may need.

Action Taken:AFI 27 was achieved through a targeted programme of equality data collection and employee engagement. We increased awareness of the importance of equality monitoring data through inductions, performance reviews, internal communications and ongoing engagement, encouraging employees to review and update their information. Regular monitoring and reporting enabled us to improve both the quality and completeness of workforce data, resulting in increased disclosure rates across key protected characteristic categories and providing a more accurate understanding of our workforce demographics and needs.

Status Complete

AFI 28 looked at how staff understand and use the performance development review process, known as IPDR.

Action Taken: The development team have listened to feedback from staff, simplified the process, and tested the changes with a small number of watches and stations before relaunching it in May 2026. This helps make IPDR easier to understand and use, so staff and managers can have better conversations about development, support and performance.

Status Complete

This recommendation is about making sure promotion, and selection processes are fair, open and trusted by staff.

Action Taken:

The promotion process was initially reviewed, trailed and evaluated. The results were evaluated and reported to senior managers. The Promotion Order was updated to include recommendations identified through the review.
The service has also opened certain roles to operational and non-operational staff, which increased the number of applicants for the roles.
A review of management training for staff involved in interviews was completed and training in key areas was provided.  Training has also given to fire authority members who may sit on interview panels.
 
Next steps: The updated Promotion Order is still being discussed with Trade Unions before it can be formally published and put into use. Once consultation is complete, the new arrangements will be introduced across the Service.
 

Status In Progress

AFI 30 looked at how the Service helps staff develop their skills and progress into leadership roles in a fair and open way.

Action Taken: 

These improvements help make sure everyone has a fair chance to learn new skills, develop as a leader and progress in their career.
The Career Progression Gateway (CPG) process has been reviewed, and a new way of helping staff prepare for promotion is being tested.
A career pathways platform has also been created for non-operational staff. This helps people understand the skills and experience they need for different jobs and supports them in planning their future careers.
A Springboard programme was organised for female employees to help them build confidence, learn new skills and develop their careers.
The development team has worked closely with teams and managers to help them get the most out of the IPDR process. This helps managers have better conversations with staff about their goals, development and performance.
 

Status Complete