Surrey Fire service praised ›

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has received positive feedback for its progress in culture in an official report published today, 13 September 2023.

Following an inspection of the service by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS) throughout March and April, inspectors praised the ‘positive working culture.’

The report stated that the inspector was ‘encouraged’ by the cultural improvements that were evident in the service, adding: “Staff understand the values well and demonstrate positive behaviours. We saw that service leaders have improved their visibility and approachability.

“There is a positive working culture throughout the service, with staff empowered and willing to challenge poor behaviours.”

The findings also highlighted that the service is good at keeping the public informed and has an effective Community Risk Management Plan in place.

The report outlines areas where the service has done well, areas for improvement and a ‘cause of concern’ regarding the risk-based inspection programme. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service are bringing together an improvement plan to address all of the areas for improvement that have been highlighted in the report.

Chief Fire Officer, Dan Quin said: “I am extremely proud of the hard work happening across our service and want to thank all of our team for playing their part. As a service we are committed to creating a fully inclusive workplace where everybody feels supported. The improvement of the service’s culture was a priority for all staff, so we are delighted to see these efforts recognised.

He added: “We know that there are areas where we can still improve and we will address these issues as a priority.

“While we had expected a more positive outcome in certain areas we recognise the benefits of an independent inspectorate. This is an opportunity for us to reevaluate our current programmes and strategies. Our aim is to address the recommendations and further improve our services. I would like to thank the inspectors for taking the time to learn about our work, for their recommendations and for holding us to account. We remain committed to becoming an outstanding service as we continue to put our communities first.”

Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Safety, Denise Turner Stewart said: “Surrey Fire and Rescue Service Leadership Team have put in place programmes of work to improve all areas since the last inspection in 2021. I am delighted that the inspectors recognised the progress made on SFRS’ cultural improvement journey.

“I’d like to thank everyone within the service for their continued dedication and for demonstrating our positive working culture to inspectors. Staff showed exceptional commitment to support the inspection process.

“It’s important to acknowledge that there are areas that demand immediate attention. We are fully committed to addressing these areas with diligence. Our goal is to make substantial and ongoing improvement. We look forward to demonstrating these improvements with HMICFRS.“