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HMICFRS

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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

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 Portfolio Manager.
Governance arrangements have been reviewed and updated, including changes to committee structures and senior management meetings. The Service has also developed an organisational assurance framework to help monitor performance, manage risk and provide oversight across its key areas of work.
A Portfolio Management Office (PMO) has been established to support the planning, delivery and oversight of projects. New portfolio management arrangements, supported by project management software and governance processes, are helping the Service monitor progress and make sure projects remain on track.
These changes are helping the Service strengthen governance, improve oversight of performance and risk, and support the delivery of improvement activity.
 
Next steps: The Service will continue to embed the organisational assurance framework and portfolio management arrangements.
 

Status: In Progress

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

Action Taken:

The Service is using a revised corporate risk register to help identify and manage its most significant risks. The Senior Management Team reviews these risks regularly, and risk reporting through governance meetings has been strengthened.
Guidance has been provided to risk owners to support consistent risk management across the Service. An independent review of risk management arrangements was also carried out, with the findings used to create an action plan for further improvement.
These changes are helping the Service strengthen how it identifies, manages and responds to risk.
 
Next steps:
The Service will continue implementing the actions identified through the external audit. This includes strengthening arrangements for risk management, supporting staff understanding of risk appetite and decision-making, and embedding the updated corporate risk management framework.
 

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.
 
Next steps: The Service will continue to develop its performance management arrangements, including embedding the revised IPDR process, evaluating its effectiveness and completing the remaining actions linked to organisational assurance and corporate performance reporting.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 4 -

The Service has appointed a Head of Digital and Data and published Digital and Data Strategies for 2025-28. Improvements have also been made to several data dashboards including those supporting area command, HR and operational incident analysis, helping managers and staff access information more easily and supporting better decision-making. Staff have reported increased confidence in the reliability of Service data.
Progress is monitored through the Digital, Data and Systems Governance Group, which oversees delivery of the digital and data strategies.
 
Next steps: The Service will continue its improvement work to deliver the remaining actions and further strengthen digital, data and reporting arrangements.
 

Status: In Progress

Recommendation 5-The Service has made significant progress in strengthening its financial management and governance arrangements.
 

Action Taken:

A Section 151 Officer has been appointed and now attends weekly Executive Leadership Team meetings to provide financial advice and support. Key roles, including Head of Finance, Head of Resources and Portfolio Management Officer, have also been recruited to strengthen financial oversight and project governance. An Investment Approvals Committee (IAC) and Portfolio Board have been established to provide greater scrutiny of major projects and investment decisions.
 
Financial reporting to the Fire and Rescue Authority has been improved, providing members with clearer and more detailed information to support decision making. The Service has also completed a lessons learned review of the Telford Fire Station project, and the learning from this work is being used to help strengthen the planning and governance of future projects.
These improvements have strengthened the Service's financial management arrangements and governance processes.
 
Status: The actions needed to address this recommendation have been completed. The Service will continue its improvement work

 

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. 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: Protection has improved how it keeps track of enforcement and prohibition notices. Each notice is recorded on CFRMIS, given a reference number and checked against its review date. System reminders help make sure follow-up work is not missed. A separate register is also used to track notices, longer-running cases and any actions that still need to be completed. Managers review this information every month and decide whether a further visit or other action is needed. Older prohibition notices have also been checked and, where needed, removed or replaced. This means there is now clearer responsibility and better monitoring of formal notices.

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

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. Fire engines still attend high-risk premises and all premises overnight. The Service also works with commercial premises to reduce unwanted fire alarm calls. These changes have reduced the number of times fire engines are sent to false alarms, and data is now being used to monitor the impact.

Status Awaiting reviews by Strategy, Risk and Improvement team and Executive Leadership Team.

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

Action Taken:

The Senior Fire Safety Inspecting Officer continues to lead on quality assurance (QA), supported by a revised policy that sets out the minimum levels of QA expected across all protection work. QA activity is built into the Risk Based Inspection Programme, with specific QA jobs issued to officers, and an internal monitoring form has been developed to confirm the team are embedding the process into their audit work. Regular updates are given at team meetings to share good practice and encourage participation.. The scope of QA has also been expanded to include building regulations consultations and all formal notices to strengthen consistency and oversight, and all of this is reflected within the department plan.

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

This area for improvement is about making sure the Service learns effectively from operational incidents and uses that learning to improve how it works and keeps people safe.

Action Taken: 

The Service has reviewed and updated its approach to operational learning. A Power App is being used to record debrief submissions and support the identification and sharing of learning from incidents. 

Hot debriefs are routinely completed following incidents. Where further learning or concerns are identified, these can be escalated for a structured debrief. 

Learning, concerns and actions identified through debriefs are reviewed by the Operations department. Relevant learning is considered by the Operational Learning Board, with actions recorded and monitored through Microsoft Planner. Learning is also shared with staff through the Hot Debrief Newsletter.

 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

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 delivered training on fire survival guidance and the Unblur* system to firefighters, officers and Fire Control staff. 

Fire Control and operational crews have tested Unblur during exercises at tall buildings. The system has also been used during a real incident. 

Learning from the exercises are monitored and used to improve procedures where needed. 

*Unblur is a system used to help manage information from multiple people calling the Fire Service during a major incident. It allows Fire Control and operational crews to share and manage information effectively. 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

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

Action Taken:

The Service has updated its guidance for responding to terrorist incidents. This explains what Fire Control, firefighters and officers need to do, and how they should work with other emergency services. 

Staff receive face-to-face and online training to help them understand their role.  

The Service has tested its arrangements through training and exercises. Learning and feedback from these exercises are used to improve the Service’s plans and training. 

 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

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 reviewed property costs with the managers responsible for these budgets. It has also started comparing its costs with other fire and rescue services to understand where improvements could be made. 

A new system allows the Service to look at spending by supplier, type and month. This gives the Service a clearer picture of where money is being spent and may help it find possible savings. 

The Service is also improving procurement arrangements.  

Training has also been provided to Fire Authority members and senior managers to help them better understand the Service’s finances.  

Status In Progress

The Service should make sure it can continue providing its most important services if something unexpected happens. Its plans should be kept up to date and tested regularly. 

Action Taken:

The Service has developed a Business Continuity Strategy that covers a range of possible risks, including power cuts and industrial action. 

Heads of department are responsible for completing business continuity plans for their departments. Business continuity plans have also been completed for fire stations. The Service will now check that all departments and stations have an up-to-date plan and address any gaps. 

The Service has carried out exercises to test these arrangements. Learning from exercises are shared with the Organisational Learning Board, where actions can be recorded and monitored. 

Status In Progress

AFI 11 looks at how the Service works with other organisations and how the Service checks that partnership work is making a difference. 

Action Taken: The Service has introduced new guidance for partnership working and a simple way to review the results. Staff have also received training to help them check whether partnership work is effective, providing value for money and benefiting local communities. 

Next steps: 

The Service is carrying out a further review to strengthen the evidence showing how well its partnerships are working and what benefits they provide. 

StatusFurther assurance work in progress

The Service should have clear arrangements for choosing, planning and managing projects. This should help make sure projects provide value for money and achieve what they are meant to. 
 

Action Taken:

The Service has reviewed how projects are managed and introduced a more consistent approach. 

A Portfolio Management Office (PMO) has been set up to support the planning, delivery and oversight of projects across the Service. 

New project management software is being used to help plan projects, track progress and identify risks. A Portfolio Meeting has also been introduced, giving senior managers oversight of projects across the Service. 

This is supported by project documents and reports that help the Service monitor progress, risks and decisions. Staff have also received support to develop their project management skills. 

 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

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

AFI 14 looks at whether the Service has the right people, skills and arrangements to manage change successfully. 

Action Taken:

The Service has reviewed its structure and developed a clearer approach to managing change. 

A Portfolio Management Office has been set up to support how projects and improvements are planned, managed and monitored across the Service. 

Work is also taking place to improve how the Service manages change, learns from its work and checks that improvements are being delivered. This helps the Service check that risks are managed, and learning is used to support future change. 

Next steps: 

The Service will continue to improve how change is managed and strengthen links between change management, project management, organisational learning and assurance. 

 

Status In Progress

Action Taken:

This AFI identified the need for the Service's estates management programmes to be more closely aligned with the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). In response, revised estates, fleet and equipment policies have been developed to better support the priorities set out in the CRMP. Learning from the Telford redevelopment project has also been shared with the senior management team and Fire Authority. These lessons are now being used to support the Telford Training Facilities project. 

Status Complete

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

Action Taken: 

The Service has recruited a Culture Manager to lead its cultural transformation programme. Progress is monitored through the People and Culture senior leadership Meeting 

The Service has reviewed its Code of Conduct and is moving from the Workplace Charter to the Core Code of Ethics. This work has been supported by the Cultural Working Group, with staff involved in developing the new approach. 

A range of activities have been introduced to support a positive workplace culture, including Cultural Working Groups, Managers' Development Days and Action Learning Sets. Training has also been provided on positive workplace behaviours and having difficult conversations. 

The Service has also improved how it monitors workplace culture. Information about discipline, grievances and complaints is reviewed by senior managers, and learning from staff surveys is used to support further improvement. 

 

Status Complete 

The actions needed to address this area for improvement have been completed. The Service will continue its cultural improvement work through the cultural transformation programme. 

This area for improvement was about making sure senior managers are visible, listen to staff and lead by example by showing the Service’s values through their behaviour. 

Action taken: The senior leadership team has continued to improve leadership and workplace culture. Senior leaders have spent more time visiting teams, listening to staff and being visible across the organisation.  

Staff have helped shape improvements through surveys, workshops, focus groups and other engagement activities. The Service have introduced leadership development, coaching, mentoring and 360 feedback to support managers and senior leaders. 

Senior leaders have strengthened the focus on values and behaviour by promoting the Core Code of Ethics, supporting training on positive workplace behaviours and difficult conversations, and introducing a leadership framework linked to the Service’s performance and development process. 

Policies continue to be reviewed and updated to support fairness, wellbeing and a people-first approach. 

 

Status Complete - The actions needed to address this area for improvement have been completed. Work to support visible leadership, positive behaviours and a supportive workplace culture will continue as part of the Service’s normal day-to-day work.

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

Action Taken:

The Service has appointed a new occupational health provider. Staff can access more face-to-face appointments, and there is a dedicated doctor for more complex cases. Where urgent support is needed, cases can be raised directly with the provider to request an earlier appointment. 

The Service meets with the provider every month to discuss waiting times, delays and any concerns. An annual review is also carried out to check how well the service is working and identify any improvements needed. 

The occupational health referral form has been updated, and managers have received training to help them use it correctly. 

Fitness equipment at fire stations has also been reviewed, with extra equipment provided where needed. The fitness policy has been updated, and a Health and Wellbeing Officer has been recruited 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

The Service should monitor staff working hours, including overtime and other employment, to support staff wellbeing. 

Action Taken:

The Service has reviewed its arrangements for recording working hours and on-call annual leave. New on-call leave arrangements have been tested, and the guidance has been updated following feedback. 

Staff with more than one contract or another job have been reminded of their responsibility to manage their working hours. Managers discuss working hours with staff through regular one-to-one meetings and staff development reviews. 

HR also provides managers with information about staff who have more than one contract or another job. This helps managers identify and discuss possible concerns.  

Next steps:
The Service will introduce a more consistent system for recording and monitoring working hours. 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

AFI 20 looks at how the Service manages health and safety and checks that its arrangements are working effectively. 

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

AFI 21 looks at how the Service plans for its workforce and makes sure it has the right people and skills to meet current and future needs.

Action Taken: 

The Service has developed a Workforce and Resourcing Plan. The plan sets out work to understand workforce risks, skills gaps and future staffing needs.  

A first working version of a workforce planning dashboard has also been developed with competencies Purple Frog. This is intended to bring workforce information together to support planning and decision-making. The dashboard is still at an early stage and is being reviewed and improved.  

 
Next steps:
The Service will carry out an assurance review of the Workforce and Resourcing Plan and the supporting evidence. This will check how the plan is being used to understand the skills and staffing needed to deliver the Community Risk Management Plan. 
 

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 has improved its succession planning arrangements. A workforce plan and an updated retirement profile are being used to help the Service understand and prepare for future workforce changes. 

Critical roles and roles that rely on one person holding specialist knowledge or skills have been identified. The risks linked to these roles are discussed by HR and department managers, including what action may be needed to maintain important services. This could include developing other staff, recruit an apprentice or temporarily use external support.  

HR officers meet regularly with heads of department to discuss vacancies, skills gaps, retirement information and future staffing needs. These matters are also considered at People Management Meetings to support planning and decision-making.  

The Service also reviews roles that are difficult to fill and considers what changes could help attract suitable applicants.  

 

Status Awaiting a final review by the Executive Leadership Team.

The Service should make sure all staff receive the right training for their role.

Action Taken:

The Service has continued to maintain important operational training while parts of the Telford Training Centre are unavailable. Alternative arrangements are in place for breathing apparatus training.  Other core operational skills continue to be monitored.  

Home fire safety training has been delivered to wholetime station champions and on-call advocates. This supports the new person-centred home fire safety visits and the use of tablets to record information.  

Equality, diversity and inclusion training is also provided as part of operational and non-operational staff inductions, with refresher training provided every three years.  

Next Steps: The Service will bring together training information from across the organisation to check that all staff receive the training required for their role.

Status In Progress

AFI 24 looks at how the Service prevents and responds to bullying, harassment and discrimination. It aims to make sure staff feel safe, respected and confident to raise concerns. 

Action Taken:

The Service has updated its Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy and shared information with staff to help them understand the changes. Information about the policy is also included in staff induction.  

Managers have received training on performance management, preventing sexual harassment and having difficult conversations. The Service has also introduced workshops and training to help staff understand positive workplace behaviours and challenge unacceptable behaviour. 

Short training videos have been developed to help staff learn more about equality, diversity and inclusion. Active Bystander and Allyship training is also being introduced to help staff challenge inappropriate behaviour safely. 

Welfare officers are available to support people involved in concerns, complaints, grievances or disciplinary matters. The Service also provides a confidential reporting service for staff who want another way to raise a concern. 

The Service has introduced arrangements to monitor the progress and timescales of disciplinary and grievance cases. Information about cases is reviewed by HR and senior managers to support oversight, identify concerns and improve how cases are managed. 

Status Complete

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.
 

Status Awaiting internal assurance

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

AFI 29 looks at how the Service makes sure promotion and selection processes are fair, open and trusted by staff.

Action Taken:

The Service has reviewed and tested its promotion process, using feedback from the evaluation to make improvements. The updated Operational Promotion Process Order was published in August 2026. 

The updated order covers permanent, temporary and acting-up appointments. It gives applicants clearer information about each stage of the process, including how it will work and who will be involved. 

Interview panels now include a manager from the recruiting area, two other managers and an HR representative. This provides wider involvement in decisions and allows HR to oversee fairness and consistency. 

HR selects the final interview questions and keeps them secure until the morning of the interview. HR also checks whether panel members have completed the required training, including unconscious bias training. 

The Service has also introduced forms and guidance to help managers give staff feedback about performance and readiness for promotion.  

 
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 Complete. The actions needed to address this area for improvement have been completed. Work will continue through the Station Manager promotion process using the revised arrangements.

AFI 30 looked at how the Service identifies and supports staff who want to develop their skills, progress in their careers or become future leaders.

Action Taken: 

The Service has updated its staff development review process, known as an IPDR. Staff and managers were involved in shaping the changes, and training, guidance, videos and frequently asked questions have been provided to support the new process. The Service also checks a sample of completed staff development reviews to assess their quality and consistency.  

A new leadership development offer has been introduced to help staff plan their development and prepare for future opportunities. This includes access to leadership programmes, coaching, mentoring, 360-degree feedback and national development courses.  

The Service has reviewed how staff prepare for promotion and introduced a new readiness for promotion process, which is being trialled for 12 months. It has also refreshed its career development pathway for non-operational staff, helping people understand how their skills and experience could support their future development. 

A Springboard programme has been delivered to support female staff with their personal and professional development.  

 

Status Complete