'Tangible improvements' found in fire service months after critical report

Government inspectors have told West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service they have seen 'significant change' after a visit in January, thirteen months after they found the service as a whole requires improvement. The official watchdog told the Chief Fire Officer that, among other progress, it had found 'improvement work and change' that had brought more effective governance, improvements in fire safety visits, and support for staff. Additionally, it welcomed the county council's investment of £5.1m over three years to support improvements for the service. But inspectors said it was 'disappointing' that some progress connected with issues found during inspection visits had been slow. They also noted the service's IT system is 'creating problems', while stating measures to work around the difficulties had been well-received. A new IT system is expected to be phased-in late in the Spring. Wednesday's letter from Dru Sharpling, Her Majesty's Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services, came after a turbulent time for the service, a division of West Sussex County Council. In a full inspection report published in June 2019, the official watchdog concluded the service requires improvement as it released a litany of criticisms including reports of bullying, concerns about the way it keeps people safe and secure, and worries about the service's efficiency. At the time, inspectors said they did 'not underestimate how much improvement is needed'. Soon after the report's release, County Hall appointed Dr. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton as its new Chief Fire Officer, agreed the £5.1m extra budget for across three years, and began work on an improvement programme. The inspector said in a letter: "During this revisit, we found a clear commitment from you and West Sussex County Council to make the improvements the service needs.  "You recognise that more action is necessary, but we have seen tangible improvements, especially within the last four months, in mitigating the risks to public safety we identified. "The allocation of an appropriately-skilled and dedicated programme manager has added benefit to implementation with the prioritisation and co-ordination of action. "The recent establishment of an independent advisory group provides assurance and challenge. "Since October 2019, improvement work has moved faster, with new staff being appointed and better programme management. "Staff felt supported, and welcomed the increased speed of the improvements." However, criticisms and suggestions were also significant: "We found that progress against some of the actions has been slow — this is disappointing. "The service has cleared the backlogs in Safe-and-Well visits and fire safety audits. "This is positive, though it was only completed in November 2019. "The service should consider how it could better quality-assure the visits being carried out by community fire safety officers and operational crews." Ms. Sharpling said that inspectors will continue to monitor progress through updates from the service, and by examining returns of data. She promised a further inspection in 2021, to further assess progress against the recommendations. More Radio is continuously dedicated to providing a quality news service on-air and online, reporting local stories that matter across Sussex. If you enjoyed reading this story, then check out our home page at moreradio.online where you can find the latest from the county, along with features and competitions from our presenters, as well as listening to the station live. You can also sign up to our news alerts to receive updates on new stories. Simply click on the bell at the bottom right of the home page. This will then allow a pop-up which will ask if you would like to receive alerts. Press ‘allow’ and you’re all signed up! You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.