SOUTH Wales Fire and Rescue Service has reflected on a year of changes since an Independent Culture Review by Fenella Morris KC.

In December 2022, Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway QFSM chose to commission an Independent Culture Review into the service, amidst reports of abusive behaviour from current and ex-colleagues, with Fenella Morris KC appointed to lead the review in February 2023, which was published in February 2024.

As part of several changes throughout the year, Fin Monahan was announced as the new Chief Fire Officer (CFO) for South Wales in July 2024. He officially joined in November with a different approach to leadership.

Chief Fire Officer Fin Monahan said: “Every organisation faces challenges, and ours has historical issues, as outlined in the Fenella Morris report. My approach is to listen first. Only by understanding the concerns of our people can we implement meaningful change. My goal, particularly within this transformation programme, is to ensure every member of the organisation can perform at their best, so that we can protect the people of South Wales effectively.

“Following the Fenella Morris report, I introduced a confidential email system, allowing staff to report concerns about bullying, harassment, or any discomfort. This has been invaluable, enabling me to connect with individuals, understand their challenges, and take meaningful action. While not all issues have been resolved, we have made significant progress, simply by fostering open communication and ensuring that people feel heard. When staff see their chief listening and taking action, it makes a real difference.”

In February 2024, four Commissioners joined the service to work with senior leaders for a new approach, decision-making process, improvements for mitigating risk, and increased transparency.

The Commissioners’ focus is for the service to be a healthy, efficient, and effective fire and rescue service, delivering an excellent service and to retain the confidence of the communities.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service also welcomed Dominic Mika, the new Director of Strategic Change and Transformation, whose purpose is to address the recommendations from the review into the service’s culture.

Amidst the report, the service continued working for the community, and noted some key incidents, including the shop fire in Abergavenny, extreme flooding around Pontypridd, 37,000 calls for assistance, over 3,700 deliberate fires, 687 dwelling fires, and 870 road traffic collisions.

The service also worked on prevention and provided advice, with community and business fire safety teams giving nearly 37,000 safety talks, and over 15,000 home safety checks.

The service also saw big crowds on open days and large events over the summer. These included station open days, Bryn Bach Park and Cardiff Bay 999 days, Pride Cymru, the Fire Cadets Challenge, the first Women in the Fire Service Cymru event, and the national Eisteddfod.

The service now looks to follow its strategic plan to drive cultural change, whilst also providing the best possible service to the community.

You can read the full report from 2024 online, and last month’s culture statement, which outlines its expectations going forward.