HMICFRS outlines updated inspection programme for fire and rescue services covering 2025 to 2027 cycle
Iain Hoey
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Inspection programme announced for fire and rescue services
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has announced its latest fire and rescue service inspection programme, covering the inspection cycle from 2025 to 2027.
HMICFRS said the programme operates on a two-year cycle, which is the time required to inspect each of the 44 fire and rescue services in England.
The inspectorate gathers evidence throughout the cycle using a range of methods to help make sure the inspection programme reflects changes in fire and rescue and lessons learned from previous inspections.
This process also enables inspectors to examine challenges affecting services and adjust inspection priorities accordingly.
Updated inspection areas include leadership and governance
The updated inspection programme retains changes introduced in the previous cycle and introduces additional areas of focus, HMICFRS said.
It said there will be a greater emphasis on leadership across fire and rescue services, including leadership at every level.
Inspectors will assess Fire and Rescue Authorities’ governance, oversight and scrutiny of their services, including how efficiently services manage projects such as rebuilding or relocating fire stations.
The programme will also apply deeper scrutiny to values, culture and misconduct, building on thematic work examining how misconduct is identified and handled.
Inspectors will assess how services support community resilience, including their work with local communities to prevent fires.
Assessment framework and grading structure
HMICFRS said the inspection programme is a regular assessment of fire and rescue services in England, examining effectiveness, efficiency and how well services look after their people.
Services are assessed against ten core questions covering management of risk, prevention, regulation, response to emergencies and multi-agency incidents, resources, workplace culture, development, fairness and diversity and leadership.
Each area is graded as outstanding, good, adequate, requires improvement or inadequate.
Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue, said: “Our inspection programme must evolve to reflect the challenges facing fire and rescue services.
“The changes we have made for this cycle build on what we have learned from previous inspections and focus on the areas where we know improvement is most needed, including governance, leadership and community resilience.
“Our aim is to provide independent, evidence-based assessments that support services to improve and help keep the public safe.”