Misconduct unit at London Fire Brigade makes progress but struggles with capacity
A professional unit set up to help the London Fire Brigade deal with misconduct has not been able to handle the volume of complaints it has received and “lacks independence”, according to a new report.
The London Fire Brigade’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) was set up after a damning 2022 review of the emergency service’s culture found evidence of institutional racism, homophobia and misogyny.
A new report published by the London Assembly Fire Committee found the LFB has made positive progress, but it identified capacity issues around the handling of complaints.
It found the PSU – set up to handle complaints of misconduct, and the first of its kind in the fire and rescue sector – has been “unable to handle the volume of complaints it receives in a timely fashion and lacks sufficient independence”.
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The PSU was set up a year ago in response to the Independent Culture Review and has heard from 400 complainants so far.
The LFB told the authors of the report that the cost of suspensions in the first year of the PSU was close to £900,000, not including the cost of investigations.
Hina Bokhari, chair of the London Assembly Fire Committee, said: “The committee recognises the substantial amount of work that has been done to address misconduct since the Independent Culture Review.
“The commissioner recognises the need to prioritise culture change and that there are no quick fixes to ensure a healthy workplace.
“The volume of work being handled by the PSU is evidence both that the cultural issues are being tackled, but also that they have not gone away.”
She added: “We have heard from a number of firefighters, a small sample of whom spoke to committee members about serious instances and patterns of alleged misconduct and about their lack of faith in procedures to address these issues.
“We have also heard how delays in resolving complaints have had a real impact on the well-being of staff on both sides of these complaints. There is a risk that the PSU may be perceived as ‘HR rebranded’.”
The latest report recommends that the LFB create a new independent standards commissioner responsible for oversight of the PSU, and that it surveys its staff annually and publishes the results.
Andy Roe, the commissioner of the LFB, said: “I am pleased the committee has recognised the progress that has been made in improving our culture. However, changing workplace culture takes time, and there is more for us to do. We are not complacent, and we remain focused on driving the right culture and behaviours at LFB.
“Our Professional Standards Unit will continue to evolve and adapt to the volume of cases and issues it is managing.
“The PSU has been in place for just over a year. It has been contacted over 400 times, demonstrating growing levels of confidence in this approach.
“We note that, during its investigation, and in its own words, the committee met with a ‘very small self-selecting group’ of London Fire Brigade employees. While those experiences and views are valid and important, this is in contrast to the comprehensive approach of [His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services].”
The commissioner also said he felt as if the available data did not support all the committee’s statements about the PSU.
Among the committee’s recommendations was that the government should establish a college of fire and rescue and pass the necessary legislation to make firefighting a regulated profession – something the LFB said it “fully supports”.
Mr Roe said the LFB will formally respond to the committee “in due course”.
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