Home Office confirm Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire Service

In early October 2024, WMFRA and WMFS requested an inspection of service and authority governance by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as suggested by HMCI Andy Cooke. At the same time, the WMFS and WMFRA requested and welcomed such further oversight and scrutiny as the Home Office thought necessary. The commissioning of any such inspection was ultimately a matter for decision by the Home Office and we have been awaiting confirmation of the intended approach.

We are pleased that on 7 November 2024 the Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP, Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, wrote to the Authority and Service to confirm that she would be commissioning a Best Value Inspection of WMFRA governance, to begin shortly.

On 8 November 2024 DCFO Simon Barry and Vice-Chair Cllr Catherine Miks replied to the Minister to welcome this development, and committed to working openly, transparently and constructively with the Home Office and the inspectors throughout the process.

Both the Minister’s letter and DCFO Barry and Cllr Miks’ response are attached below. We will provide further information on the inspection process when it becomes available.

The Minister also confirmed that the Local Government Association (LGA) would be initiating a Corporate Governance Support Board to provide support to the WMFRA. This is a very welcome development and follows WMFRA and WMFS’s direct approach to the LGA in October 2024. This board will provide support and guidance to identify opportunities for improvement and assurance to communities on the effective governance of the Fire Authority. We expect further details on these arrangements in the near future.

Senior leaders have also sought and continue to receive support from the National Fire Chiefs Council, which has been greatly appreciated during this difficult period.

As always, we remain confident that West Midlands Fire Service continues to deliver an efficient and effective service to the people of the West Midlands, including excellent emergency response. This is currently being reviewed through the latest round of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection and we look forward to completing that over the coming weeks.