Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service requires "further progress" in new report
The report found some areas had improved while others had deteriorated
A new report has found that Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service requires "further progress" to improve its service.
The service had been investigated by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) over its effectiveness and efficiency over the past two years.
The report found that in the 11 areas graded, six were "good", one was "adequate" and four "required improvement".
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue - which covers the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland - had improved its response times and increasing its effectiveness in dealing with incidents.
The report also praised the use of road safety initiatives to bring down reoffending rates as new practices that inspectors deemed "innovative", as well as helping to disparage potential young offenders from entering the criminal justice system.
However, the report also noted how some senior staff had not taken on issues raised by support staff, with some poor behaviour from leaders being seen.
On top of this, some members of staff had reported problems in the idea of bullying and harassment, with some admitting they could not come forward with concerns for fear of repercussions.
Speaking on the publishing of the report, Lee Freeman from HMICFRS said: "I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks, but there are areas in which the service still needs to improve.
"For example, the service should make sure there are appropriate strategic oversight arrangements in place to manage financial risks.
“I recognise that there have been some areas where improvements have been made. But I am disappointed to see that, since our 2022 inspection, the service hasn’t made the overall progress we expected.
"For example, some areas remain unchanged, and others have deteriorated, particularly in relation to how the service looks after its people.
“In view of these findings, I have been in regular contact with the chief fire officer, as I don’t underestimate how much improvement is needed.
"I will keep in close contact with the service to monitor its progress in addressing the areas for improvement."