Recommendation 4

By 1 June 2023, chief fire officers should assure themselves that updates on how concerns are being handled are shared with those who have raised them. The updates should be given in an accessible way that encourages trust and confidence in the service response. Consideration should be given to creating a professional standards function to handle conduct concerns in service (or from an external service) to have oversight of cases, to make sure they are conducted in a fair and transparent way and to act as a point of contact for all staff involved.​ 

RBFRS action: Our policy outlines how concerns are to be handled and when and how updates should be provided. Our HR team oversee this to ensure they are fair and transparent and analyse for trends and report findings to our Audit and Governance Committee for scrutiny. We use external expertise on a case by case basis to ensure objectivity and trust in the process.  We have an anonymous reporting line and feedback via that mechanism to ensure those raising complaints are receiving feedback.  

Action: Complete