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The inspectorate said some staff “remain reluctant to report problems” due to “fear of retaliation” or concerns about investigations.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has not made enough progress in improving issues related to its culture, the inspectorate says.
A letter from HMIFRS says there is still “more work to do” to ensure LFB staff feel confident in reporting and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
She said some employees “remain reluctant to report problems” due to “fear of retaliation” or concerns about investigations.
HMICFRS is scheduled to carry out a full inspection of the LFB in June.
The LFB was placed under special measures by the inspectorate in 2022 after a report found the service was “misogynistic and institutionally racist”.
Writing to LFB Commissioner Andy Rowe on Friday, HM Inspector Lee Freeman said he would retain the third recommendation from the 2022 review – which advised the LFB to “conduct and implement a review of brigade operations designed to deal with behavior such as bullying and discrimination”. Improvements that build trust among employees.”
“Fear of retaliation”
In it, Freeman stated that while the inspectorate acknowledged “progress against our third recommendation” and that staff “had good awareness and were confident of the brigade’s external complaints service”, some staff “remained reluctant to report problems”.
He explained that this was due to “fear of retaliation, being seen or labeled as troublemakers, not feeling that they will be treated fairly in any investigation or that the time taken to investigate cases is too long.”
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It was found that the London Fire Brigade had made some improvements by the Inspectorate
He also stressed that although 70% of staff responded to the 2023 LFB staff survey, 39% of respondents agreed that if they raised a complaint, it would be dealt with appropriately, and only 18% agreed that the brigade had managed to change well.
The letter also highlighted that the Professional Standards Unit was only established in January, and that work on improving the brigade's human resources department is far from over, with the program scheduled to be completed in May.
Despite these concerns, HMIFRS noted areas where progress had been made at the LFB – in understanding the brigade's values, communicating those values, leadership training for managers, and reviewing processes for dealing with behavior such as bullying and discrimination.
The letter is the latest update from the inspectorate to the LFB following a visit last month relating to the report's findings.
Speaking last week, following HMIIFRS’ decision to remove the London Fire Brigade from the enhanced monitoring regime, London Fire Commissioner Andy Rowe said: “The Inspectorate’s decision recognizes the significant amount of work that has been undertaken over the past 15 months since the Independent Culture Declaration.” review.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire brigade. This is important recognition for the many of our staff who go about their work professionally every day. I am proud that our core values are rooted in our amazing history which demonstrates the courage of our staff and commitment to London.
“There is still much more to be done. As a Commissioner, I have always been clear that the work to ensure we have a safe and dignified workplace culture can never stop. I look forward to the Inspectorate, our staff and the people of London continuing to keep us in the workplace.” account.”
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