Agenda item

To consider item 10

The Lead Member for People, Equality and Diversity and Assurance Introduced the report and advised Members that it was an extensive piece of work, building on previous work that had been undertaken over a number of years to really reshape and reform how the fire service looks and feels and how it works with its people.

The Station Commander HR Projects advised Members that this was a

year one update on the People Strategy 2020-2025 which included a recommendation for the ‘staff engagement plan’ to be agreed and approved. The People Strategy 2020-2025 replaced the previous 2016-2020 strategy and was approved by the Authority on 14 October 2020 and had now been in place for one year. The strategy was produced in agreement and consultation with stake holders across each key area, trade unions and staff. The People Strategy 2020-2025 framework contained five key areas: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Employee Engagement; Organisational Development and Resourcing; Training, Learning and Development and Employee Health and Wellbeing.

The Station Commander HR Projects advised Members that the Authority was fully committed to equality and diversity. The Service recognised that fairness and inclusion was fundamental to everything it did, to achieve its vision of making Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes the safest areas in England in which to live work and travel. The Service believed a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the local working population would create a stronger, more enriched and well-informed organisation, able to meet the expectations of a modern fire and rescue service. This was a key aspect of the People Strategy. The objective was to embed equality and diversity into everything it does internally and externally.

The Station Commander HR Projects advised Members that the plan over the next six months was to visit each fire station and shift system, including support staff, to engage and consult on the People Strategy 2020-2025. The roadshow would include a presentation to staff on the strategy and highlight through discussion, how the Service would meet any challenges and identify risks and opportunities. This was with the intention to raise the profile of the strategy, encourage engagement and ensure staff from across the entire organisation were made aware of how their work contributes and supports the five key areas. The development of this strategy would continue to be supported by engagement with Organisational Development, Joint Consultation Forum, Leadership Group, EDI group, Human Resources, Health and Safety, Operational Training and Assurance and all employees. The strategy was public facing on the Service’s website and work was ongoing to refresh this and to ensure it remained engaging, accessible, and practical.

The Station Commander HR Projects advised Members that a robust communication plan had been established to ensure information from within the strategy was published.

Members asked that an update on the staff engagement plan be brought back to a future meeting.

The Vice Chairman stated that he had recently written to the Chief Fire Officer, Chairman and Lead Member for People, Equality and Diversity and Assurance following the conviction and sentencing of the former Metropolitan Police Officer for the murder of Sarah Everard:

 ‘The fire service generally had an image historically of being very male dominated, with a potentially male orientated macho masculine culture, and while the horrific circumstances that led to the abduction and murder of Sarah by the then serving police officer would be unlikely, indeed impossible perhaps, to occur within the fire service, it was worth reassuring ourselves that the service in our county was fit for purpose that these issues were consistently monitored, and any strain away from acceptable behaviour was nipped in the bud in whatever way was most appropriate immediately. Gone were the days when comments and attitudes could be dismissed as being only banter or a bit of fun, and the public and all staff have a right to expect the highest standards at all times.’

The Chief Fire Officer responded to Members by saying that the abhorrent murder of Sarah Everard, and the reports in the public domain of the culture of misogyny in public services, was a reminder to us all around the need to root out this evil and to continue on this journey. The Service would not tolerate bullying, harassment or misogyny at any level. All public authorities need to redouble their efforts and take a long hard look at themselves and ask whether the culture was fit for the future.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer assured Members that there were robust and strict procedures and processes in place and policies for anything that was outside of the Code of Conduct and any such behaviours were dealt with immediately, through the appropriate processes, procedures, whether that be through grievance, whistle blowing, up to, and including disciplinary procedures.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members that the Service had for some years been undertaking Culture Survey's within the organisation to better understand and improve the culture and how the Service moved forward to reflect a 21st century fire and rescue service. All operational staff and public facing staff were vetted through the DBS procedure which should also give a level of assurance.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that he met with the employee relations team every fortnight to go through all cases, whether disciplinary, grievance etc., that were being looking into. Everything was scrutinised to a very high level. Another survey would be going out in January 2022 and the Service had just embarked upon another initiative called ‘Bully versus Banter’ which every staff member had access to.

The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that although trust levels in the fire and rescue service were very high, the Service did not seem to be able to attract a diverse range of candidates to become firefighters and that was something the Service needed to redouble its efforts on. The Service was not attracting anywhere near the people it needed to get, in terms of reflecting its community. As Members were aware, the diversity of the workforce drives change, different processes, different procedures and a different culture. Although trust in the fire and rescue service was high, it was nowhere near as reflective of the Community it served.

A Member asked how the Service was getting women's voices heard within the surveys and within the work being done, and to understand what kind of behaviour women perceive as misogynistic and what kind of behaviour was bullying versus banter, as there may be a gender divide on it.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the Culture Survey was open to everyone, and everyone was encouraged to participate in it. There was also an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Group where there were female representatives and there was a Woman in the Fire Service group nationally.

A Member asked if the trade unions were involved in the promotion of the staff engagement plan.

The Station Commander HR Projects confirmed that the strategy was produced in consultation and agreement with the trade unions. A lot of hard work went into diversity and inclusion across the Service. There was an Equality and Diversity section on the internal website and staff were signposted to this for updates and news.

The Lead Member for People, Equality and Diversity and Assurance invited any Members to attend the EDI Group meetings to see the great work that was being undertaken by them.

RESOLVED –

That the People Strategy 2020-2025 staff engagement plan be approved.