South Wales Fire and Rescue Service establish a plan for positive culture

Isabelle Crow
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A year on from the Fenella Morris KC review into the culture at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS), the service has released its revised culture statement, aligning with its ambitions and aspirations for the future.
Culture statement
With the communities of South Wales at its heart, the culture statement is the service’s promise to ‘[create] a safe, modern fire and rescue service in South Wales and to [ensure] everyone is treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination, bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviours.
We make this commitment to our staff, our communities and the partners and stakeholders we work with every day’.
Preceded by an outline for new expectations around behaviours and ways of working, the statement is reinforced by pledges from senior leaders from the service, including the Welsh Government appointed Commissioners, the Senior Leadership Team, and Chief Fire Officer Fin Monahan, who joined SWFRS in November.
The Chief promised to ‘ensure transparency, fairness, and a clear strategy to guide us forward’ as well as to ‘celebrate success, recognise achievements, and make sure that all voices across the organisation are heard’.
The service has been on a journey of change since the culture review was published in January 2023, which outlined 82 recommendations for improvement. As part of this cultural overhaul, the new position of Director for Change and Transformation was created within the service’s Executive Leadership Team.
Director of Strategic Change and Transformation, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dominic Mika’s statement
Dominic Mika, who is leading on Step Forward: A Programme for Transformation and Change, promised that South Wales FRS will provide a service to the public and communities which is founded on ‘operational excellence’.
Dominic Mika commented: “The service has also been working on a review of our values, our mission and our vision for the future recently, with managers engaging 160 teams across the service for their input.
This collaboration is part of a new way of working for us – with transparency and communication at the core – ensuring that every single member of the service understands the part they play, how they can get involved, and is part of the journey to arrive at an improved destination together.”
Culture statement announced by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service: Summary
South Wales Fire and Rescue has announced plans to establish their positive culture. The Director of Strategic Change and Transformation, Dominic Mika said that the service has been working on a review of their values, mission and vision.