Chief Inspector's Update 2021-2024

29. By examining how the Service is delivering it functions we can add value by:

• applying independent and external assessment and public reporting which contributes to public accountability
• promoting reflection and learning that flows from credible professional perspectives and challenge
• highlighting good practice and areas for improvement
• acting as an improvement lever which contributes to making the SFRS self-reflective
• contributing to our own team’s sector-wide learning
• addressing the ‘insight gap’ and level of self-awareness in the Service

30. Our Inspection work looks at service provision. It normally includes three interdependent broad evaluation models:

Process – We consider a policy or function and look at how it is implemented and delivered, what actually happens in practice and what works well.

Impact – We look at implementation, consider benefits and what is being delivered (including any unintended benefits), objectives achieved and use of resources.

Outcome – We consider the benefit and effort to determine whether benefit justifies effort.

31. In summary we consider how the policy is delivered, the difference made, and the benefit derived from it.

Laying Our reports before the Scottish Parliament

32. Our inspection reports include findings on how well the Service is delivering its functions. They also identify innovation and good practice and normally contain recommendations for the SFRS. The Service has a legal requirement to ‘have regard’ to these recommendations and does so through the creation of an action plan and progress reporting to the Board of the SFRS.

33. While HMFSI is independent of the SFRS, we seek to maintain positive and professional working relationships with the Officers and managers of the Service. A key aspect of identifying and agreeing good practice and making recommendations within our inspection reports is the consultation processes that we go through with the SFRS prior to the initiation of an Inspection, and in advance of report publication. This allows the Inspectorate team to seek and then consider comments from the SFRS during the Inspection process.

34. For an Inspectorate report to be laid before Parliament it must go through an inspection and publication process. These processes have several key steps:

• agree and establish terms of reference for the inspection and the parameters of the Inspectorate’s field work
• establish a Single Point of Contact within the SFRS, agree an interview and/or an investigations schedule
• initiate the inspection field work, gather data, analyse information, consider outcomes and conclusions and compile the inspection report
• ongoing informal consultation with the Service SPoC
• three-week formal consultation period with SFRS when a final draft of the inspection report is produced
• consider the SFRS’s formal consultation comments and produce the final draft for publication
• three iterative stages of draft proofing with the Inspectorate’s appointed professional publications partner
• agree date for publication and laying before the Scottish Parliament with the Scottish Statutory Instruments Unit
• lay the inspection report before the Scottish Parliament and publish on HMFSI website

35. The working relationships that the Chief Inspector has established with the SFRS has ensured that the recommendations made through our inspection reports are fully understood and that active ownership of these recommendations is taken up by the Service. Our governance approach allows a journey of improvement to be taken alongside the SFRS whilst maintaining our independence and appropriate professional distance.

36. The Chief Inspector and members of his team attend a range of Board committee’s and SFRS groups that reflect upon and action the recommendations that are made in our Inspection reports. This approach closes the governance loop and provides positive confirmation of the Service having due regard of the reports that are laid before Parliament.

Other improvements

37. In addition to our new cyclical way of inspecting the SFRS, there have been several improvements introduced in the way that we operate.

Website

38. It has been a long-held desire of staff to have a dedicated website. In 2023 we introduced a new stand-alone HMFSI web site. The web address is http://www.hmfsi.scot. The new arrangement replaces the previous approach where our online presence comprised a number of pages within the Scottish Government website. Our website now reflects our style and underlines the reality that HMFSI is an independent organisation. The website is much more intuitive and helpful to users and allows us to upload our reports and post relevant information without relying on third-party assistance.

Relationships and engagement

39. Engagement with the SFRS management team has improved with HMFSI inspectors developing appropriate working relationships with SFRS strategic level managers aligned to job functions and areas of special interest. This new arrangement ensures that both the Inspectorate and the SFRS are updated routinely on key developments and strategic direction across a wide range of business areas. This engagement takes the form of regular scheduled face to face information exchange sessions between the aligned Service and Inspectorate staff members.

“As Chief Officer of the SFRS, I am committed to continuous improvement and welcome the professional, value adding, scrutiny applied by HMFSI. Whilst we fully respect the statutory role of the Chief Inspector, we have fostered a healthy working relationship built on trust and mutual respect.”

Ross Haggart
Chief Officer Scottish Fire and Rescue Service