Strategic Goal 5: We will continue our improvement journey to deliver an outstanding service

This goal focuses on the continuous improvement of our services, systems and processes.

In 2023/24 our focus for improvements included:

• Undertake phase 2 of our Futures 25 programme, looking at service redesign and financial efficiencies
• Further develop our online repository of information about risks and communities for our public-facing teams
• Roll out new tablet computers on our appliances, to improve access to risk information and support mobile working
• Continue to develop our management information capability to better support performance management and decision making
• Ensure our intranet is readily accessible to all staff including those with different needs or access requirements
• Continue to respond to the recommendations of public inquiries, sector learning and new fire standards as they are published

During 2023/24:

• Phase 2 of our Futures 25 programme focused on service improvement, effectiveness and how we continue to serve our communities with integrity
• As part of our Futures 25 service improvement programme, we have conducted a review of our Prevention Team’s activities and its roles. A revised organisation structure was agreed following consultation with staff, which will better support the evolving demands on our prevention activities and the changing needs of communities, and enable increased levels of community engagement
• We have improved the IT infrastructure for our stations. All stations now have improved connectivity with the installation of a new inter-station network. The latest technology has been used to improve performance and resilience. We have also enabled the use of Microsoft Teams to enable group interactions between stations and other locations across the service
• We have been establishing requirements for new tablet devices for our fire appliances. The new equipment will assist crews when collecting data and risk information for prevention and protection purposes. The new devices are expected to be in use during 2025
• A service desk ticketing system has been introduced to several departments to improve efficiency, tracking and reporting of requests and issues. This system will be introduced to other teams during the coming year
• Following an audit by an independent organisation, we have made improvements to our service intranet. Changes have been made which will improve the accessibility and availability to all staff including, colour scheme changes to assist users with sight problems and those with dyslexia
• We have introduced a software support role to promote more effective use of our software systems. Part of this role involves educating and upskilling of staff across the service

Other Highlights

Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks are a constant threat to organisations and especially those in the public sector.

We continue to monitor and update our practices to make sure we are well placed to deal with current and future risks.

Over the past year, we have thwarted over 439,340 total threats. This includes spam, malware and viruses.

We have again achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification standard. The independently verified accreditation demonstrates our cyber security commitment to the public and provides stakeholders and other partners with reassurance of compliance.