Improvements at West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service highlighted in latest HMICFRS report

Inspectors have highlighted the improvements West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) has made in the latest report published today by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The report has rated the service as ‘good’ or ‘adequate’ in all areas, with inspectors removing any previous causes for concern. This is the first report WSFRS has received with no causes of concern or any grading judgements of ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ since the inspectorate obtained responsibility for fire and rescue services in 2018.

The publication of this report follows on from a 10-week inspection in the spring of this year.

The inspectors have highlighted the extensive work carried out by the service to address concerns around fire service culture, an issue which has been well-documented across the sector, reporting that “there is a positive working culture throughout the service”.

The report highlights:

• The service has improved the way in which operational staff prioritise and undertake prevention activity leading to increased community engagement and a substantial increase in the amount of Safe and Well Visits delivered to those most vulnerable.
• The service has implemented an effective risk-based approach to effectively reduce unwanted fire signals. They have achieved this through call challenge and a targeted non-attendance policy.
• The service has a positive working culture and have improved staff’s understanding of their values and how they are displayed. The development of team charters has supported this, and staff now feel empowered and willing to challenge poor behaviours.
• The service’s financial and workforce plans, including allocating resources to prevention, protection, and response, continue to be consistent with the risks and priorities it has identified in its CRMP.
• The service has continued to improve its approach to equality, diversity and inclusion but could do more to increase diversity in some management roles.

Chief Fire Officer, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, said: “I am delighted to see the hard work and dedication of our staff reflected in this latest report. We have come a long way since our first inspection in 2018, which rated the service as ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’ across all areas, with four causes of concern. In fact, the publication of this report means that we are now one of the few fire and rescue services with no ratings of ‘requires improvement’, which is something I am immensely proud of.

“While this is a very different picture to our previous reports, we acknowledge that there is still more work to be done and we already have plans in place to address the eight areas for improvement identified by HMICFRS.

“When I joined the service in 2019, one year on from the publication of the first report, I felt a huge sense of responsibility to ensure that our people were not defined by words such as ‘inadequate’, so today is a monumental moment in the rich history of West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

“Our teams have really been at the forefront of this transformation, and they have all worked tirelessly to address the issues highlighted in previous reports. While we still have work to do, it is encouraging to see that we are on track to receive ‘good’ ratings across the board.

“Ultimately, our aim is to be an outstanding fire and rescue service, and I believe that even the very best services should continuously make improvements. We must constantly evolve to ensure that we remain an effective and efficient public service for the communities we keep safe, and this is something we will always do.”

Councillor Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “This report is gives clear and tangible evidence of the steady improvements that West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has made, not only for those working in the service, but for the communities we serve.

“Providing a good public service is something that the people of West Sussex should expect of their local fire and rescue service, and I am pleased to be able to say that West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service does just that.

“This transformation has been years in the making, and progress will continue on this upward trajectory to ensure our fire and rescue service is one that we can all be proud of.”

You can read the full inspection report here: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/frs-assessments/west-sussex-2023-2025/

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