Inspector from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) noted that they were ‘pleased’ with the improvements Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has made in their most recent inspection. The inspector has despite noting the improvements made identified six areas of the force that require improvements to be made including Making best use of resources, Promoting the right values and culture, Ensuring fairness and promoting diversity, Managing performance and developing leaders, Preventing fires and other risks and Getting the right people with the right skills.
The Inspectorate said that they were ‘pleased to see the service has made good progress against several of the areas for improvement we identified in our last inspection.’ These improvements included engaging with the public, having a sound financial plan, strengthening assurance processes and effectively identifying those who are most at risk in the community.
The inspection is an independent and robust scrutiny of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service by a team on inspectors over a year. ‘Outstanding’ is the best outcome possible, followed by ‘Good’, ‘Adequate’, ‘Requires Improvement’, and ‘Inadequate’. CFRS received five ‘Good’ ratings and six ‘Requires Improvements’:
Understanding fires and other risks - Good
Preventing fires and other risks - Requires improvement
Protecting the public through fire regulation - Good
Responding to fires and other emergencies - Good
Responding to major and multi-agency incidents - Good
Making best use of resources - Requires improvement
Future affordability - Good
Promoting the right values and culture - Requires improvement
Getting the right people with the right skills - Requires improvement
Ensuring fairness and promoting diversity - Requires improvement
Managing performance and developing leaders - Requires improvement
This is the first inspection the service has received since governance responsibility transferred to the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from Cumbria County Council in 2023. The transfer followed after the Government announcement that the county would be split into two unitary authorities: Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “I’m really pleased to see Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service receiving recognition for the continuous and positive work they are doing to improve services.
“When my office took on governance responsibility for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, they inherited a cause of concerns from assets to estates to finance. With the proper support, the Chief Fire Officer and his staff have been able to really put in the work to improve. The Service is embarking on a journey of continuous improvement, and I will do whatever I can to support them.
HMICFRS has provided recommendations – none of which are a surprise, these areas for improvement were raised by the Chief and his Senior Leadership Team beforehand and work had already started to move these concerns forward. I intend to take these recommendations forward to ensure that we can provide a better service to our public.
“I will ensure that these recommendations are taken forward so that we work towards being ‘Outstanding’ in all areas.
“I want to assure the public that all the recommendations made are about improvements to processes and back-office functions, no recommendations have been made to the delivery of emergency services. Cumbria has a fantastic Fire and Rescue Service that will always be there when needed in an emergency. That is my and the Chief Fire Officer’s number one priority.
“The Chief Fire Officer has assured me that these recommendations are being worked on currently - I’ll be monitoring to ensure that they have been and that the journey of improvement continues to make sure the people of Cumbria have the best possible service.
“Well done to CFRS – I know just how hard you have all worked to get to this point and are still improving greatly. I look forward to helping to continuing the positive work to protect Cumbria’s safety.”
Chief Fire Officer, Paul Hancock, said: “We welcome the findings of the latest HMICFRS inspection and are pleased the progress made since our last inspection has been recognised.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see positive feedback on our culture — a clear reflection of the professionalism, passion and commitment of our staff who work tirelessly to keep Cumbria safe.
“We’re proud of the areas rated as ‘Good’, which demonstrate the impact of our collective efforts. At the same time, we fully accept the areas for improvement identified in the report and are committed to taking swift and meaningful action.
“We were particularly impressed by the professional and supportive approach taken by the inspection team. Their manner encouraged honest reflection from our staff and led to valuable feedback on where we are and what we need to focus on going forward.
“With the continued support of the Commissioner and the dedication of our people, I am confident we will build on this progress and continue to deliver the best possible service to our communities.”
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