Essex Fire 'needs to improve' according to government inspection
The service say they're already working on improvements
The fire service in Essex has been told it needs to keep making improvements by government inspectors.
The regulator says Essex County Fire and Rescue Service 'hasn't made the progress expected' since an inspection three years ago - which gave it the same rating of 'requires improvement'.
It's been told to do more to meet response times, address financial difficulties and to tackle bullying and harassment amongst staff.
Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton told us they're already working on the areas raised: "We welcome the report. It helpfully sets out where the service was when it was inspected ten months ago now.
"I'm really pleased that we've got plans in place already to address the areas of improvement the inspector has raised.
"There were no surprises in the report at all, and we're on the way, in terms of developing the plans."
He says they're still aiming to be the best service in the country: "We know we've got lots of work to do to get there, but it's very reassuring for me and my team to know that the areas the service has identified as needing to improve are the same areas that the independent inspectorate has identified as well."
As well as highlighting areas in which the service needs to improve, the report also showcases the improvements they've already made: "Since the last inspection in 2019, culturally, we were graded as inadequate, and we've now cleared that cause of concern we had for our culture and moved into 'requires improvement'.
"That's a real milestone for the service, although we know we've still got more work to do."
Overall, Rick remains positive about his team, and confident they will continue to improve: "I’m proud of my team. Every single one of us works hard every day to make Essex a safer place for everyone to live work and travel and we are all committed to improvement.
“You only have to look at how we have responded as a Service to the many incidents caused by the recent heatwave, and the support the public has given us, to know we are on the right path.”
What does the report say?
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Roy Wilsher said:
“We rated Essex County Fire and Rescue Service as requiring improvement across all three areas of our assessment. The service has improvement plans in place and is performing well in some aspects. Since our 2019 inspection, it has shown improvements in learning from operational activity, improving its culture and adopting service values, and providing out-of-hours support for technical fire safety advice. However, there are other areas where the service is falling short.
“In 2019, we issued a cause of concern on the service’s use of resources and how they align to risk across prevention, protection and response. Unfortunately, despite some work in this area, this cause of concern remains. The service isn’t meeting its own prevention and protection strategies, nor its own response standards. I’m disappointed to see station-based staff are not routinely involved in prevention work. There is still much to do to improve.
“During our last inspection in 2019, we found that the service required significant improvement in its organisational culture. I do not underestimate the scale of that challenge and I am encouraged by the improvements that are being made, but there is still work to do. The service needs to ensure its values are fully embedded and that all staff understand what is expected and behave appropriately to maintain a professional and effective service to the public, and a working environment where all staff feel safe and supported.
“We will revisit the service to review the progress being made.”