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

by Featured NewsPeople

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.

Fire Service Discrimination and Harassment Toolkit launched

by Featured News

Women in Fire and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have announced the release of the Fire Service Discrimination and Harassment Toolkit aimed at helping both volunteer and career first responders prevent, identify, and respond to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.

Instances of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation can be extremely damaging to individuals and to the entire department. It is crucial that departments adopt proactive measures to identify and respond to these issues, and the Fire Service Discrimination & Harassment Toolkit is designed to be a vital resource for achieving this.

The toolkit has been created to provide members of the fire service with the knowledge and understanding necessary to recognise, confront, or prevent certain unlawful or unwanted employment actions. It fills in gaps in understanding for those who may not know what qualifies as harassment and discrimination or what to do if they or someone they know is the target of these actions.

The information provided includes who is protected by federal employment laws, who can perpetrate harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation in the workplace, what actions can constitute discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace, and what to do if you suspect that you are being targeted.

Developed in consultation with an attorney specialising in these issues, the toolkit will equip responders with the knowledge they need to create a respectful, harassment-free fire service. However, it is important to note that it does not replace legal advice, and individuals experiencing discrimination or harassment are encouraged to contact an attorney for advisement.

The Fire Service Discrimination & Harassment Toolkit is to be used as a reference resource on the legal framework on discrimination and harassment and is hoped to be used in every officer development training program as well as be a stand ready reference guide on every officer’s bookshelf.

“Every emergency response leader must accept that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace,” said NVFC Maryland Director David Lewis. “This applies equally in workplaces employing paid and/or volunteer personnel. Ignorance of the laws, regulations, and requirements cannot be held as an excuse for not taking appropriate action.

“The Fire Service Discrimination and Harassment Toolkit is an excellent reference resource on the legal framework on discrimination and harassment and should be used in every officer development training program as well as be a stand ready reference guide on every officer’s bookshelf.”

Access the Fire Service Discrimination & Harassment Toolkit here: https://bit.ly/3A79d0W

Harassment problems ‘go right to the top’ says FBU

by Featured News

Following the publication of a report revealing the prevalence of discrimination, harassment, and bullying across UK Fire and Rescue Services from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has responded saying discrimination and harassment problems “go right to the top”

FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters have the right to work without fear of being mistreated because of their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability or neurodiversity – or bullied or abused while doing their job.

“Just as much as fire contaminants and unsafe working practices, this kind of behaviour is a matter of health and safety in the workplace.

“It is welcome that His Majesty’s Inspectorate is beginning to address these issues, and to acknowledge the scale of the problem. Our Equalities Sections have also raised concerns about these issues for many years.

“It is clear, both from our experience and from the contents of this report, that the failure to address discrimination and harassment in the service goes right to the top.”

Wrack said that some fire service leaders are part of the problem, and have systematically failed to address discrimination, harassment and bullying in the service: “This report corroborates those experiences. It details how racism, homophobia and misogyny are routinely ignored, or even instigated, by people at the very top, and that firefighters are scared to speak out. Complainants have found themselves under investigation or subject to disciplinary proceedings.”

He added that the Fire Brigades Union is committed to transforming the culture of Fire and Rescue Services: “As the only democratic and representative body for firefighters and control room staff, the Fire Brigades Union will take a leading role in transforming the culture of the Fire and Rescue Service, putting Women, LGBT and Black and Ethnic Minority firefighters in the driving seat of our campaign.”