Tyne and Wear 2021/22
Read more about Tyne and WearThis is HMICFRS’s second full assessment of fire and rescue services.. This assessment examines the service’s effectiveness, efficiency and how well it looks after its people. It is designed to give the public information about how their local fire and rescue service is performing in several important areas, in a way that is comparable with other services across England.
The extent to which the service is effective at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks is good.
The extent to which the service is efficient at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks is good.
The extent to which the service looks after its people is good.
Roy Wilsher, HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
HM Inspector's summary
It was a pleasure for the team to revisit Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and I am grateful for the positive and constructive way that the service engaged with our inspection.
I am pleased with the performance of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fires and other risks, although it needs to improve in some areas to provide a consistently good service. For example, the service needs to improve fairness and diversity in the workforce and how it develops future leaders.
We were pleased to see that the service has made progress since our 2018 inspection. The service is now more effective and has secured a sustainable financial future. But more work is needed to make the service a good place to work for everyone.
These are the findings I consider most important from our assessments of the service over the last year.
- The service needs to do more to improve fairness and diversity to better reflect the community it serves. The service also needs to do more to support staff with developing leadership and managerial skills, at all levels of the service.
- The service has made good improvements with training for risk-critical skills and how it prepares operational commanders to manage incidents. The service has also improved its prevention activities in people’s homes.
- We also found the service is good at financial management and collaborating with partners and other agencies to provide an overall efficient and effective service to the public. But improvements are not always aligned to risk or provide the most efficient way of delivering the service.
Overall, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is providing a good service to the public and is financially sustainable. The service also continues to respond well to the pandemic, playing a leading role in supporting other agencies with testing and vaccination in the local area.
However, the service needs to improve ways to promote diversity and fairness within its workforce and do more to support and develop current and future leaders. The service also needs to continue to drive efficiency in operational delivery through innovative practice and transformational change.