Strategic Goal 4: We will continue to support and develop our workforce and promote an inclusive Service

This goal focuses on inclusion and the development and wellbeing of our workforce.

In 2024/25 our key objectives were to:

Welcome 20 new wholetime apprentice firefighters, to begin training in April
Continue to embed the Core Code of Ethics into our service values and behaviours, and act on the relevant learning from reports across the sector in relation to culture
Complete implementing the actions identified in our independent culture review
Host the ASFA conference in July 24 and deliver NFRS staff conferences

Our focus for improvements included:

Establish an effective succession, leadership development and talent management process to support our workforce in their development
Develop a 10 Year Plan which commits to improving diversity across Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, ensuring we are more representative of the community that we serve
Review our structures and the capacity our ICT department
Continue to roll out our new, more inclusive uniform
Work with Nottingham Trent University to further develop our understanding of the communities within Nottinghamshire, to better engage and work with them

During 2024/25:

20 new wholetime apprentice firefighters began their initial training on a recruit course held at our Service Development Centre. 19 of these completed their initial training and were deployed to stations to continue their development
We undertook a review of key departmental functions to ensure they continue to provide high-quality services that meet evolving demands and support the delivery of priorities set out in the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). As part of this work, the Service has completed a restructure of the Prevention department, initiated a review of the People and Organisational Development department, and commissioned a digital maturity assessment, which will inform a restructure of our ICT Department
We completed a project to further embed the core code of ethics into our Service including a review of our policies and procedures across all departments. We also rolled out e-learning and a revised communications plan to ensure full awareness. This work also included assuring our performance against the Fire Standard for the Core Code of Ethics
We hosted the Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) conference in Nottingham which was attended by fire services from across the country. This enabled us to showcase our work in engaging with diverse communities and our improvement journey over the last few years
We held staff conferences over four days at the Hindu Temple and Community Centre in Nottingham
Following the conclusion of trials, the procurement of our new inclusive uniform was completed. The new uniform will be rolled out in Spring 2025

Other Highlights

Values, culture and standards of behaviour

We continued to make positive strides in strengthening our organisational culture. We have reviewed and are now enhancing our staff training on equality, diversity, and inclusion. In addition, we have begun developing a cultural dashboard to help measure and manage our performance in these areas more effectively. To deepen our understanding of the communities we serve, we also collaborated with Nottingham Trent University and In2People.

We have been graded as ‘Good’ for ‘promoting the right values and culture’ in our last two inspections by HMICFRS. The 2024 inspection recognised that “the service continues to have well-defined values which staff understand,” and highlighted “a positive working culture throughout the service, with most staff feeling empowered and willing to challenge poor behaviours.”

On 1 August 2024, HMICFRS published a report titled “Standards of Behaviour – The Handling of Misconduct in the Fire and Rescue Service” , which included 15 recommendations for all fire and rescue services to review and address. In response, we continue to take steps to strengthen conduct and professional behaviour across the organisation.

Staff Survey

During 2024 we conducted a staff survey which focused on aspects of the work environment that the organisation can influence and how staff feel. The survey was completed by 68% of our staff (a 5% increase on our last survey in 2022) and provided value insights including:

82.3% feel welcomed and included at work
81.4% find their work meaningful
85.5% staff feel like they have strong working relationships
The top four words to describe the culture of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service are: “performance-focused”, “respectful”, “inclusive”, and “welcoming”

Leadership development

We continued to invest in talent development across the organisation through a structured programme aimed at supporting both current and future leaders. The Organisational Development and Inclusion team actively engaged with individuals and teams, using diagnostic tools and coaching techniques to enhance leadership capability and personal development.

Workforce and recruitment

At the end of 2024/25 we had a workforce of 835 people, compared to 826 in 2023/24. This is made up of 662 staff in operational roles and 173 staff in support roles. A total of 63 people left the service during the year, of whom 22 were wholetime firefighters, 18 were on-call firefighters and 23 were support staff.

During 2024/25, we recruited to 76 roles: 25 wholetime firefighters, 22 on- call firefighters and 29 support staff roles.

Workforce diversity

Progress also continued towards our long-term objective of improving workforce diversity.

We commissioned research from In2People to explore the perceptions, barriers, accessibility and engagement with the Service amongst women and racially minoritised groups within Nottingham City. The insights provided by this work have supported the development of a robust plan to improve workforce representation.

As part of developing our next CRMP we have developed a new People and Culture Strategy, supported by an accompanying Workforce Plan and updated key performance indicators.

In 2024/25:

The number of female firefighters within the service was 57 compared to 55 in 2023/24
8.1% of our workforce were from racially minoritised groups, compared to 6.9% in 2023/24

Health and wellbeing

The Occupational Health & Fitness team is committed to promoting and delivering comprehensive employee health and wellbeing support. The team provides clinical support, fitness testing, and rehabilitation programmes, aiming to offer a holistic approach that addresses physical, psychological, and mental health needs.

Key services include an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a BUPA cashback scheme, targeted psychological therapy, and physiotherapy. Policies and procedures are currently under review to ensure safe, effective practice and to focus resources where they are most needed.

A new manager referral process has been introduced, alongside a relaunched Attendance Policy that reflects these updates. The Psychological and Mental Health Policy is also under review to improve access to specialist support, including therapy for complex mental health issues such as trauma.

The team is increasing its visibility through on-site engagement and the promotion of wellbeing initiatives. A more collaborative approach—working with senior leaders, managers, HR, the FBU, and employees—ensures transparency and strengthens the delivery of support across the organisation.

In 2024/25:

99.7% of our operational staff passed their annual fitness test
58 accidents were reported in the workplace, compared with 43 in 2023/24
76 near misses were reported, compared to 47 in 2023/24
Sickness absence accounted for the loss of 5.36% of working time for Wholetime operational staff, which is below the national sector average of 6.21%
Sickness absence within support roles equated to 4.39% of working time, which was higher than the national sector average of 3.69% but an improvement on 2023/24 where working time lost was 5.87%