His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services News

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has confirmed it is satisfied with the progress Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is making to address improvements identified during its previous inspection. In a letter received this week following an October revisit, inspectors recognized early positive change across leadership, governance and organizational culture, supported by a comprehensive action plan developed with staff and representative bodies....

Most police forces effectively identify patterns and causes of homicide, and allocate the right resources to prevent it, but there is still too much inconsistency in how policing tackles homicide prevention, a new report has found. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carried out an inspection of homicide prevention, jointly supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the College of Policing, and the Independent Office for...

The FIA CEO has responded to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that responsibility for fire safety will move from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Ian Moore (CEO of the FIA) said that this decision (that many of us have known was coming for some time) is common sense and he is glad to see that the Government is finally listening (after many years) to feedback from the fire industry. WMS 8-Machinery of Government Organizati...

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is performing well and has been congratulated for its performance, the fire inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas and found the service was ‘good’ in ten areas and ‘adequate’ in one area. HMICFRS praises Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service HMICFRS said Great...

London Fire Brigade has made improvements and has therefore been removed from an enhanced level of monitoring by the fire inspectorate. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continuously monitors the performance of all fire and rescue services in England. The monitoring process consists of two stages: Scan and Engage. All fire and rescue services are in routine monitoring under the Scan stage by default, but may be escalated to enhanced...

South Wales Police’s custody services require further improvement, having shown limited progress in some areas since its last inspection, a report has found. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that South Wales Police has clear governance arrangements for the provision of custody. However, HMICFRS and CQC said that oversight of these arrangements is not robust enough and that there has b...

The Metropolitan Police’s approach to child protection is putting vulnerable children at risk, and it should make urgent improvements, the police inspectorate has found. causes of concern His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the Met is failing to: Identify and assess risks appropriately, and to respond adequately, when children are reported missing; and Effectively investigate when children are at risk of, or harmed by, crimin...

Suffolk Constabulary needs to improve how it responds to the public and protects vulnerable victims, the police inspectorate has said. review of the Suffolk Constabulary Suffolk Constabulary needs to improve how it responds to the public and protects vulnerable victims, the police inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Suffolk Constabulary’s performance across nine areas of policing and found the constabula...

Merseyside Police is effective at preventing crime, but it must improve its service for the public in a number of key areas, the police inspectorate has said. review of Merseyside Police His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Merseyside Police’s performance across eight areas of policing and found the force was good in three areas, adequate in three areas and requires improvement in two areas. HMICFRS praised the force for listen...

Cleveland Police has made improvements and has therefore been removed from an enhanced level of monitoring by the police inspectorate.  PEEL Cause of concern His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continuously monitors the performance of all police forces in England and Wales.  The monitoring process consists of two stages: Scan and Engage. All police forces are in the Scan phase by default, but may be escalated to Engage. Cleveland...

Gloucestershire Constabulary has made improvements and has therefore been removed from an enhanced level of monitoring by the police inspectorate.  PEEL Cause of concern His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continuously monitors the performance of all police forces in England and Wales.  The monitoring process consists of two stages: Scan and Engage. All police forces are in the Scan phase by default, but may be escalated to Engag...

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas and found the service was ‘adequate’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in seven areas. HMICFRS said that while improvements have been seen in most areas, more improvements are needed. In particular, the service needed to improve how effective it is at protecting the public through the reg...

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas and found the service was ‘adequate’ in four areas, ‘requires improvement’ in six areas, and ‘inadequate’ in one area. HMICFRS said the service needed to improve how it ensures fairness and promotes diversity, particularly in ensuring it provides adequate facilities to maintain the dignity of...

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has made improvements in some areas, but further changes are needed, the fire inspectorate has said. Effectiveness and people: SFRS His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 11 areas and found the service was ‘good’ in one area, ‘adequate’ in three areas, and ‘requires improvement’ in seven areas. HMICFRS said t...

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) reviewed crime data recorded during 2021-22, where a victim was identified, and found that in 61% of cases the victim’s ethnicity was not recorded, in 26% sex wasn’t recorded, and in 27% the age wasn’t stated. The inspectorate said that while the police have done much work in recent years to identify race disparity in stop and search, in too many areas, forces are unable to accurately ass...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been assessed as 'Outstanding' in one of eleven categories inspected earlier this year by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). They also received six Goods, three Adequates and one Requires Improvement. The inspection team, who visited the Service in April, gave the highest score possible for how CFRS manages its resources, highlighting innovative practices for its ‘comprehensive financial and r...

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) is not effectively gathering and recording up-to-date risk information, and its mobilization system is unreliable and crashes during 999 calls, the fire inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the issues were a potential risk to public safety, and must be urgently addressed. Fire and rescue service’s failures After making limited progress since 2021, Avon FRS has now been iss...

Staffordshire Police has improved in some of the ways it protects children, but it still needs to improve the quality of its investigations, a new report has found. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) re-inspected the force in March 2023, after an initial inspection in 2021 found systemic failings and made 15 recommendations for improvement. Action plan to improve its services In the latest visit, inspectors found that Staffordshire Police...

Devon and Cornwall Police has improved its performance in many areas of firearms licensing since the Keyham mass shooting in 2021, though concerns remain over its licences backlog and improper use of temporary permits, the police inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was commissioned by the Home Secretary in April 2023 to undertake an urgent review of the force’s progress in implementing recommendations made by the...

Following the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Culture and Inclusion Conference on 27 and 28 March 2023 and the spotlight report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) entitled ‘Values and culture in fire and rescue services’, released on 30 March 2023, the NFCC has developed a Culture Action Plan to address culture and inclusion within the fire and rescue sector. NFCC’s fire and rescue services protect the pub...

Police forces are effective in deploying firearms, and officers discharged weapons at only 0.02 per cent of armed operations in 2021-22, a new report has found. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that there are good selection processes for firearms officers, and officers are well-trained and well-equipped.  However, the inspectorate said improvements need to be made in the selection and training of strategic and tactical firearm...

In his first annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Andy Cooke has called for major reform, including new powers in law for the inspectors of constabulary. These include giving the chief inspector of constabulary power to give direction to a police force when there are significant concerns about public safety. The chief inspector described widespread systemic failings in both the police and criminal justice system, both of which threaten to damage public trust in police. He ha...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Positive Practice Portal has been launched at the NFCC Spring Conference 2023, taking place at St George’s Park, on 9 May and 10 May 2023. The Positive Practice Portal will share case studies and examples of positive practice captured by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), enabling fire and rescue services to learn from each other and improve their services for the benefit of the public. NFCC a...

The Metropolitan Police Service has not learned enough from its failings in the case of serial killer Stephen Port, and it could happen again, a new report has found. An inspection of the Metropolitan Police Service’s response to lessons from the Stephen Port murders Stephen Port murdered four young men in East London between June 2014 and September 2015 – but despite the obvious similarities, the Met failed to recognize the deaths were connected. Training and guidance for off...

Sussex Police needs to improve how it keeps the public safe and reduces crime, the police inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Sussex Police’s performance across nine areas of policing and found the force was ‘good’ in two areas, ‘adequate’ in four areas, ‘requires improvement’ in one area, and ‘inadequate’ in two areas. Sussex Police’s work in preventi...

Gwent Police needs to improve the service it provides to the public in answering and attending calls and identifying vulnerable callers, the police inspectorate has said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Gwent Police’s performance across eight areas of policing and found the force was ‘good’ in two areas, ‘adequate’ in three areas, ‘requires improvement’ in two areas, and ‘inadequate&...

The police response to online child sexual abuse and exploitation is too often leaving vulnerable children at risk – and allowing offenders to escape justice, a new report has found. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that while officers are generally good at dealing with very high-risk cases, forces are often not properly responding to allegations or concerns about suspects, leading to unacceptable delays and missed opportuniti...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer has responded to the report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on values and culture in the fire service nationally. HMICFRS report Chief Fire Officer - Chris Kirby, said: “The HMICFRS report on values and culture makes difficult reading for anyone working in the fire and rescue service. It shouldn’t need saying- but there is absolutely no place for the negative...

Responding to the inspectorate spotlight report on culture in the fire and rescue service, the Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has stated his commitment and determination to work with all fire and rescue services to deliver an open, inclusive, and welcoming culture for all. He is clear that this is his number one priority. Following His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report into values and culture, NFCC Chair - Mark Harding...

Staff reported allegations of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in every fire and rescue service in England – and recent headlines about misconduct may be just the tip of the iceberg, the fire inspectorate has warned. A new report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) calls for appropriate background checks on all firefighters and staff, and new misconduct standards to be introduced, including a national barred list and new m...