Reforming England's Fire and Rescue Services - A Look at the New Measures
In recent months, deeply worrying instances of harassment, bullying, and discrimination in England's fire and rescue services have come to light, triggering a call for widespread reforms.
In response, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conducted an investigation and recently published their findings and recommendations. Some of the examples highlighted in the report detailed shocking behaviour. This included:
A senior officer accused of calling a black colleague the N-word dismissing it as simply “having a laugh”.
A firefighter reporting a superior for making a racist comment, only to find his account dismissed because the alleged offender “wouldn’t behave in such a way”. The senior officer in question then threatened “to make his life hell”.
Two male firefighters mockingly told a female colleague they were “going to rape her”, before simulating it with her.
Some staff being reluctant to speak up after being told it would be “career suicide” to do so.
As a crucially important service within society, it is understandable why this behaviour has caused such outrage.
These findings have prompted authorities to take immediate action to curb such behaviour. One of the proposed measures is the introduction of DBS checks.
What is a DBS Check?
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides employers with vital information regarding an individual's criminal history, aiding them in making informed hiring decisions. There are three main types of DBS checks:
Basic DBS Checks: These checks reveal any unspent convictions or conditional cautions the applicant has.
Standard DBS Checks: These are a level up and disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings.
Enhanced DBS Checks: These are the highest level of criminal record check. They reveal the same as the Standard Disclosure, as well as, any relevant police notes and (if applicable) a search of the Barred Lists.
In the context of the fire service, it’s only Basic and Standard DBS Checks we need to think about.
DBS Checks in the Fire Service
Under previous rules, members of the fire service were only required to have a Basic DBS Check. As of April 24th, legislation states that all fire service employees are now entitled to have a Standard DBS Check.
Commenting on the new legislation, Fire Minister Chris Philp said:
“Fire reform is urgently needed, and this is a step in the right direction to help raise overall standards and ensure the integrity of fire and rescue services.
We want to see a service where everyone is welcome and treated with respect.
Stringent criminal record checks will help ensure staff and the public are better protected and is an important part of the change that now needs to happen.”
The introduction of DBS checks is not just about safeguarding against criminal backgrounds. It is also about fostering a culture of trust and respect within the fire and rescue services.
What other measures were recommended?
While DBS checks are an important tool, they are only one part of the solution. A shift in culture is needed, one that encourages open dialogue, promotes diversity and inclusion, and takes strong action against discrimination and harassment.
In total, the HMICFRS report outlined 35 recommendations to overhaul the fire service. Some of the key recommendations are:
How staff can raise concerns
Misconduct handling including a national barred list
Leadership
Mechanisms for all staff to raise concerns
Management and leadership training and development
Diversity data
Improving diversity
Reviewing the implementation of the Core Code of Ethics
HMICFRS says that all the findings and recommendations in the report need to be considered by the government when refreshing the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England.