IN A MOVE aimed at overhauling the troubled fire services in Wales, Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, Hannah Blythyn, announced a comprehensive reform plan for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on Monday, 11 March 2024. This declaration comes on the heels of a distressing report by Fenella Morris KC, which uncovered a range of malpractices within the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, including severe misconduct among staff, a toxic workplace environment, and widespread management failings.

Reacting to the damning revelations, Blythyn took decisive action last month, appointing four commissioners to assume control over the beleaguered South Wales service. The Deputy Minister has now turned her attention to the two other fire and rescue services operating in Wales, following engagements with their chief fire officers and chairpersons. These discussions, centred around the Morris report and its recommendations, aimed at ensuring a transformation in the workplace culture and values of the services.

Both fire and rescue services are now embarking on ambitious programmes to overhaul their organisational cultures. These initiatives are a response to a variety of inputs, including staff surveys, an investigative report by ITV News, findings from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and the Morris report itself. Examples of existing good practices were highlighted, such as North Wales’ approach of assigning a dedicated support officer to every fire station and Mid and West Wales’ policy allowing employees to freely raise concerns with any level of management.

Despite these measures, the Deputy Minister continues to receive complaints from both current and former employees about issues ranging from bullying and sexual harassment to bias in promotion processes. These ongoing concerns underscore the urgent need for a cultural and managerial revamp within the services.

As part of the reform strategy, both Mid and West Wales and North Wales fire and rescue services have committed to an independent review. This assessment will evaluate the current state of affairs in relation to the Morris report’s findings and other relevant studies, with a focus on workplace culture, employee satisfaction, and diversity. The review is expected to produce a publicly available report by autumn 2024, excluding any details that could reveal individual identities.

The Deputy Minister pledged to keep members informed of the progress, underlining the government’s dedication to restoring public confidence and ensuring a safe, respectful work environment for all staff.

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas said: “We welcome Welsh Government’s decision to accept our proposal to review how we are progressing on our cultural journey.

“A robust cultural audit, undertaken by an external company, has already taken place at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and as a result, through the formation of a Culture and Inclusion Board and Working Group, an action plan to make wide-ranging enhancements to our Service is underway, a process which has been welcomed by Welsh Government.

“As well as focussing on the outcomes of our own cultural audit, this exercise pays cognisance to similar reports published by other Fire and Rescue Services, as well as His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services in England Spotlight report, recognising there are significant learning opportunities within their recommendations.

“We are committed to working closely with Welsh Government and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on the review process – a collaborative approach which will ensure a comprehensive and unbiased assessment of our progress.

“The Service has a zero-tolerance policy on any form of misogyny, racism, bullying or inappropriate behaviour and we place great emphasis on ensuring our staff feel supported in the workplace, providing several routes should they feel they need to share any concerns.

“I want to show appreciation for the continuous hard work and dedication of our staff, as well as reassure the public that we will handle this process with integrity, honesty and transparency.”