The service should make sure the service plan clearly links to its strategies and that it adequately resources core functions.
Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2025–2027: Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Published 24 June 2026Fire & Rescue Inspection0 recommendations29 areas for improvement
Coverage
The organisations covered are not linked in this record. Check the original report for its scope and addressees.
Areas for improvement
The service should make sure that it oversees and scrutinises enforcement activity effectively to make sure the risk to the public is reduced.
The service should assure itself that its use of enforcement powers prioritises the highest risks and includes proportionate activity to reduce risk.
The service should make sure it has an effective quality assurance process so staff carry out audits to an appropriate standard.
The service should make sure it has an effective system to learn from operational incidents.
The service should assure itself that it has procedures in place to record important operational decisions made at incidents and that staff understand these procedures well.
The service should make sure it understands how to adopt national operational guidance, including joint and national learning, and puts a plan in place to implement this.
The service needs to improve how it monitors performance against its response standards
The service should make sure it has an effective method to share fire survival guidance information with multiple callers and that it has a dedicated communication link in place.
The service needs to show a clear rationale for the resources allocated between prevention, protection and response activities.
The service should have effective measures in place to assure itself that its wholetime workforce is productive and that its time is used as efficiently and effectively as possible to meet the priorities in the service plan.
The service should assure itself that all processes in place to support performance management are effective.
The service should make sure it has effective internal governance arrangements in place to hold senior officers to account for the corporate management of the service.
The service should do more to maintain availability of its on-call crews.
The service needs to do more in this area and we are therefore keeping this area for improvement open.
The service needs to improve how it manages performance
The service should proactively monitor working hours (including overtime and ) ’ w x .
The service should put in place a credible succession plan, for the whole organisation.
The service should assure itself that all staff are appropriately trained for their role.
The service needs to do more to improve the way it considers its future needs and succession planning.
The service should make sure all staff understand the benefits of equality, diversity and inclusion and their role in promoting it.
The service should make sure it improves the way it collects equality data so it can better understand its workforce demographic and needs.
The service should identify and overcome barriers to equal opportunity, so its workforce better represents its community; this includes making sure staff understand the value of positive action and having a diverse workforce.
The service needs to do more to fairly recruit a diverse range of talented staff
The service needs to do more to increase staff diversity.
The service needs to do more to retain and develop staff from under-represented groups
The service needs to do more in this area, therefore we are keeping this area for improvement open.
The service should equip its leaders with the skills, tools and clear direction to support them to achieve the objectives set out in its service plan and manage performance of its activities.
The service needs to do more to develop its leaders to manage performance