South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service: Inspection rates service as 'requires improvement'

An inspection found the extent to which the service is effective at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks ‘requires improvement’. Inspectors also rated the extent to which the service is efficient at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks ‘requires improvement’.

The extent to which the service looks after its people is ‘good,’ inspectors found.

They said standards had dropped since the last inspection in 2019, pointing out that fewer fire safety home inspections are being carried out than previously. But bosses were praised for 'sound financial management’ although they were urged to ‘do more to plan for future financial challenges’.

Fire chiefs say they have already taken significant steps to improve the service, following publication of the report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). They point out it was rated ‘good’ in seven out of 11 sub-categories.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby, said: “The report highlights many areas of good practice across the service and we are proud of these positive findings. We are particularly proud to be rated ‘good’ for People - with those we employ our most important and valued asset.

“However, we acknowledge there are also areas for improvement and we will use this report to drive further improvements to our service for the people of South Yorkshire.

“We’ve already addressed several of the areas identified in the report and believe we have made significant improvement since the inspection team visited us last summer.”

Improvements South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has made since the inspection team visited, include recruiting more on-call firefighters, beginning to overhaul its occupational health unit and delivering more work to implement nationally developed guidance for firefighters.

It is the second time South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has been inspected since HMICFRS extended its remit to include inspections of fire and rescue services in 2017.

The inspectorates assesses and reports on the efficiency, effectiveness and people management qualities of the 45 fire and rescue services in England. Services are rated either ‘inadequate’, ‘requires improvement’, ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ under each of these.