HMICFRS

Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023–2025: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Published 23 April 2025 Fire & Rescue Inspection 29 areas for improvement

The organisations covered are not linked in this record. Check the original report for its scope and addressees.

Areas for improvement 29

Area for improvement A1

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that its home fire safety visits target people most at risk and make sure the recording of prevention activity is transparent and accurate.

Area for improvement A2

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to assure itself that control procedures are aligned to national operational guidance

Area for improvement A3

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure there are appropriate strategic oversight arrangements in place to manage financial risks.

Area for improvement A4

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has robust processes for reporting accurate and suitably detailed finance and risk information to the fire and rescue authority.

Area for improvement A5

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself it has effective budget management arrangements in place.

Area for improvement A6

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure there is appropriate strategic oversight to manage financial risks

Area for improvement A7

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself it has effective budget management arrangements

Area for improvement A8

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should be more transparent in reporting finance and risk information

Area for improvement A9

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should continue to take steps to understand how its workforce’s time is used and make sure this is as productive as possible.

Area for improvement A10

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has robust financial ICT systems in place to support its financial management arrangements.

Area for improvement A11

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has the right skills and capacity to successfully manage change across the organisation.

Area for improvement A12

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should have a clear and sustainable strategic plan for using its reserves.

Area for improvement A13

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more work to understand and plan for future challenges

Area for improvement A14

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should improve the reliability of its finance ICT system

Area for improvement A15

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has the right skills and capacity to successfully manage change

Area for improvement A16

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that it has the right resources in place to manage and complete the changes needed across the organisation.

Area for improvement A17

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that senior managers are engaging, visible and demonstrate service values through their behaviours.

Area for improvement A18

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has effective absence and attendance procedures in place and that managers are appropriately trained to manage staff absence.

Area for improvement A19

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should proactively monitor working hours to make sure staff (including those on dual and secondary contracts) don’t work excessive hours.

Area for improvement A20

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to make sure that its process for monitoring working hours is effective

Area for improvement A21

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to improve its approach to monitoring absence

Area for improvement A22

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should review its succession planning to make sure that it has effective arrangements in place to manage staff turnover while continuing to provide its core service to the public.

Area for improvement A23

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it provides strategic commitment, visibility and leadership to promote equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation.

Area for improvement A24

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should improve the way it collects people data and make sure it has robust processes in place to carry out equality impact assessments so it can better understand its workforce’s needs and how its policies and procedures may affect people differently.

Area for improvement A25

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should improve communications between staff and senior managers, so questions and feedback receive prompt and appropriate responses and so that staff are confident using its feedback mechanisms.

Area for improvement A26

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to improve the way it stores people data

Area for improvement A27

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should improve the way it collects and manages its people data and how it uses this to inform EIAs.

Area for improvement A28

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should improve communication between staff and senior managers, so questions and feedback receive prompt and appropriate responses and so staff are confident using feedback mechanisms.

Area for improvement A29

Status: Open

Addressed to: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should fully evaluate personal development discussions to make sure they are effective to manage staff development and performance.