South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority intervention

An independent SWFRS Culture Review Report was published by Fenella Morris KC on 3 January 2024.

As a result, the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership made an oral statement on 9 January 2024. On 6 February 2024, the Deputy Minister made a further oral statement and issued Directions to the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA).

The Directions confer all of the functions of the FRA to 4 Commissioners:

• The Baroness Wilcox of Newport, former leader of Newport City Council and the Welsh Local Government Authority (WLGA)
• Kirsty Williams, former Member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnor
• Vij Randeniya, former Chief Fire Officer of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
• Carl Foulkes, former Chief Constable of North Wales Police

• Implement of all the recommendations of the review of SWFRS culture and values within deadlines stipulated in it.
• Establish and oversee a new senior management team and related processes that are untainted by the failings identified in the report.As a first step, they will appoint a Chief Fire Officer and, as necessary, other senior staff necessary to contribute fully and effectively to the FRA’s recovery.
• Establish and implement a process to identify grievance cases arising during the period covered by the report which may have been improperly and/or unfairly dealt with. They will also ensure those cases are reopened and re-examined, leading to a fair and just outcome.
• Implement all of the recommendations made in the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser’s thematic reviews on:
  • learning from Grenfell Tower Inquiry 
  • fire and rescue service capacity
  • fire and rescue service operational training
• Make arrangements for a significant and sustained reduction in SWFRS’s attendance at false alarms.
• Develop proposals for the future governance of FRA to minimise the risk of further such failings.
• Discharge other functions of the FRA and its members as set out in statute and the FRA’s standing orders.
• Advise the Welsh Government on progress with the above, and on the potential for ending intervention.
• Undertake all their work in the full spirit of social partnership, and through continual and effective engagement with SWFRS staff and representative bodies.

Follow the progress on the work of the Commissioners on the SWFRA website.