Recommendation 2
Recommendation 2:
By 1 June 2023, chief fire officers should, as a priority, specify in succession plans how they intend to improve diversity across all levels of the service. This should include offering increased direct-entry opportunities.
ECFRS action:
April 2023:
The CFO and SLT re-considered use of Direct Entry on 1 November 2022 and agreed to continue engaging with the self-funded NFCC direct entry project and the pilot sites, taking on board their learning over the next 12 months and diarized to consider participation in the next phase in September 2023
The CFO and SLT also committed to continuing use of the strategic workforce plan to ensure that we have planned internal development to address recruitment challenges in specific areas and to ensure that our staff have the right operational skills and competencies. We continue to create development plans, focused on those identified through LRS and succession plans which see development at an appropriate speed for the individual.
Positive action plans are in place and a pre-mortem relating to this work was carried out on 4th May 2023.
We are currently exploring a research project with the University of Essex regarding positive action and improving diversity.
Use of Practice to Progress will further target development of individuals who are currently under represented.
October 2023
Direct entry - awaiting NFCC evaluation of recruitment stage before taking next steps.
Strategic workforce plan presented to SLT in October 2023, reviewed every month.
Practice to Progress to target development of 8 individuals who are currently under represented.
Positive action plan 2024 presented to SLT in October 2023. 2024 plan informed by outputs of 12 weeks of research by Leonard Cheshire intern. Also considered our Annual Workforce Report 2022-3 which shows an increase in the number of female starters in the Service (21%, up from 16% in 2020-1) and starters of a minority ethnicity (6.4%, up from 2.8% in 2020-1). Analysis of our Whole time recruitment information confirms there is no disproportionate drop off for any individual group with a protected characteristic throughout the processes (2021-3, 11% of applicants were female, 11% of offers were to females; 8% of applicants were from non-White British ethnicity, 8% of offers were to non-White British candidates).
Positive action work recognised by AFSA. Winner of the 2023 AFSA award for Positive Action.
January 2024
Data provided monthly and scrutinised through the Performance and Resources Board.