Bullying rife at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, finds inspection report

A DAMNING inspection report has revealed a culture of “bullying and domineering behaviour” at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with frontline women feeling “undervalued”.

The shocking findings were made by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) which slated the service’s internal politics.

Senior fire bosses were chastised, with inspectors declaring the service was “not doing enough to promote the right values and culture”. It had “to do more” to ensure staff recruitment, development and progression was “open and fair for all”.

In some stations there were no designated female shower facilities, some personal protective equipment was one size fits all – which “makes things difficult for smaller women”, and uniform trousers were only designed for men.

There were also examples of “gender exclusive language”, “domineering behaviour by managers” and complaints by staff that seniors, particularly middle managers, did not like being challenged, the report went on.

Inspectors said bosses had chosen not to “formalise or publish a set of values or behaviours”, adding: “They prefer to recognise that everyone is different, and that individuals and teams should abide by their own standards.”

But it added: “We are not convinced that this approach is working, but recognise that it takes time to embed a relatively new approach.

“Some female firefighters told us they feel undervalued, partly because of language which they considered divisive that they didn’t consider was tackled sufficiently by senior managers.”

Inspectors reported finding “irregularities” in promotion decisions, adding: “Staff lack confidence in the fairness of these processes.”

The report went on: “There can be no guarantee that these concerns would be addressed, even if chief officers defined the values and behaviours expected of the workforce.

“However, having an agreed set of standards would be a useful benchmark for members of staff to consider how best to conduct themselves.

“We recognise the recently appointed senior team’s intention to refocus the organisational culture in the coming months and look forward to this work coming to fruition. It would also help senior leaders to role-model the standards of behaviour they expect.”

Embarrassingly, the service’s 12 protection officers were also criticised. The inspectors implied their performance had suffered because they were pursuing “commercial activities” in work hours.

Despite them “struggling to balance the demands of their time” amid fewer staff being allocated to carry out fire protection duties, the officers were also working for a business operating from the service’s Eastleigh HQ to provide fire risk assessment advice and business safety training, the report said.

The service was judged as ‘requires improvement’ for how well it looks after its own staff. It was given the same substandard rating for ensuring fairness and promoting diversity, and for how it manages performance and develops leaders.

Formal inspections for fire and rescue services were reintroduced by the government last year. When HMICFRS inspectors visited Hampshire in July, it was the first fire service in the country inspected under the new regime.

On the positive side, Hampshire was judged to be doing well at preventing fires and other risks, and responding to emergencies. The service made good use of its resources, was affordable, and good at getting “the right people with the right skills”, the inspectors said.

“We are encouraged by the positive aspects we have identified. We look forward to seeing a more consistent performance over the coming year,” the inspectorate commented.

HMICFRS inspected 14 fire and rescue services around the country to produce a report, led by Zoe Billingham.

She said the assessment overall found fire services responded quickly with “bravery and dedication”.

She said: “This is the first time that fire and rescue services have been independently inspected in 12 years, and so it is not surprising perhaps that we found that there is some work for services to do.

“We were also concerned to find fundamental cultural problems in too many services. We found extraordinarily outdated practices, like no dedicated provision for female firefighters to change or shower, or staff being humiliated by their peers.

“Too often, these outdated practices are not occurring under the radar – most worryingly they are seen as the norm. Swift and sustained action is required for fire and rescue services to create a modern, inclusive environment, where everyone feels welcome.”

Cllr Chris Carter, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority chairman, recognised improvements were required. “We should be concerned to hear of issues with morale,” he said.

“I know the service is committed to creating a culture in which staff thrive and love the jobs they do. I can assure them we will be doing all we can to support them in keeping the people of Hampshire safe.”

But he was pleased with the overall findings of the report that HMICFRS was “satisfied with most aspects” of the service.

“This confirms what the authority has long been aware of – that the people of Hampshire are served extremely well by a highly effective and skilled fire service,” he said.

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin said: “I am glad the report recognises the professionalism and excellence our staff deliver to the public of Hampshire. We now need to ensure we continue on our journey to making our service an inclusive and inspiring place to work.”