People Strategy 2023-2026

PSED Objective 2 - We will improve our understanding of our workforce and create an environment where all can achieve

PSED Objective 3 - We will improve the representation of the workforce to reflect the community we serve; to provide the diversity of thought, skills, and experiences required to make everyone in Derbyshire safer

Service Priority 3 - Putting people first to maintain an outstanding culture of equality and inclusivity

Service Priority 5 - Continuous improvement through challenge and inspection

Promoting outstanding leadership and positive workplace culture:

Develop visionary and ambitious leaders who can perform in managerial, strategic, and political roles and work effectively with others.

We will undertake a review to identify areas of focus to promote and maintain a positive progressive and inclusive culture.

We will develop transformational leaders with a flexible blend of skills and experience.

We will create leaders who encourage agile working, creativity, and empowerment.

We will ensure leaders are visible, accessible, accountable and lead by example.

We will ensure coaching and mentoring skills are developed in both existing and future leaders.

We will create leaders who believe and demonstrate that collaboration achieves more.

By a continuation of the cultural journey.

By reviewing leadership programmes at supervisory, middle, and strategic levels and ensuring that they are aligned with National Fire Chiefs Council pathways and Leadership Fire Standards, including a review of The Institution of Fire Engineers’ requirements and papers.

By introducing a coaching and mentoring framework aligned with the National Fire Chiefs Council.

By delivering blended and continuous learning – for example, leadership continuing professional development (CPD).

By continuing to develop the cultural hub accessible for all employees.

By developing cultural action plans in response to HMICFRS and National Learning.

Success in this area will be a positive work environment, the creation of a cultural hub and a leadership programme that is accessible to all work groups with flexible delivery methods and timescales.

This will be measured through:

• people performance metrics;
• cultural survey outcomes;
• people profile review;
• employment casework;

• 360 feeback

• mentoring feedback and success rates;
• appraisal completion and assurance; and
• progress against cultural action plans.

PSED Objective 3 - We will improve the representation of the workforce to reflect the community we serve; to provide the diversity of thought, skills, and experiences required to make everyone in Derbyshire safer

PSED Objective 5 - We will identify opportunities to improve the quality and relevance of data used to inform our decisions

Service Priority 3 - Putting people first to maintain an outstanding culture of equality and inclusivity

Shaping our workforce:

Ensure that our workforce has the capacity, structure, and composition to meet current and future business needs.

We will attract and recruit people with the right attitudes, behaviours, and qualifications to meet our changing needs.

We will actively increase the diversity of our workforce.

We will develop a workforce that is flexible, agile, capable, and adaptable to change.

We will develop robust workforce plans with recruitment, succession, and development programmes to align our people resources closely with our strategic ambitions.

We will provide opportunities for people to acquire and extend their skills, knowledge, and experience.

By considering alternative recruitment and promotion initiatives.

By reviewing the exit process and undertaking analysis to make improvements.

By implementing recommendations from the external recruitment audit.

By undertaking positive action programmes to ensure we reflect the communities we serve.

By introducing modern working practices where appropriate.

By undertaking workforce Planning (WFP) – training needs analysis and skills mapping across all non-operational roles and non-operational requirements to understand essential and supplementary training needs.

By reviewing cost, frequency, and capacity of development initiatives.

By implementing career progression, appraisal and development workshops and consistent delivery of inductions.

By supporting the delivery of the workforce strategy and plans.

By continuing to invest in Women in the Fire Service development programmes and research other pathways.

Success in this area will be the development of a high potential scheme, which supports the development of our aspirational leaders.

There will also be the creation of talent pools and the implementation of effective succession and promotion planning.

This will be measured through:

• people performance  metrics;
• an external recruitment audit;
• a review of the exit process; and
• introduction and monitoring of new recruitment and promotion initiatives/processes.

PSED Objective 2 - We will improve our understanding of our workforce and create an environment where all can achieve

Service priority 2  - Having a well-equipped, trained, competent and safe workforce available for operational emergencies

Service Priority 5 - Continuous improvement through challenge and inspection

Developing and rewarding our people:

Ensure that our people effectively contribute to our SPs and are developed and rewarded appropriately.

We will provide our people with the equipment, skills and training they need to embrace new technology

We will ensure operational employees acquire, develop, and maintain the competencies that underpin firefighters’ safety, effective operations, and safer communities.

We will enhance management skills using our leadership development programmes.

We will support, mentor and coach our people to be their very best.

We will manage individual and team development to enhance performance.

We will make DFRS a great place to work and offer pay and rewards that attract and retain people.

We will introduce an apprenticeship programme.

By further developing our leadership programme to enhance management skills.

By reviewing and developing our appraisal process.

By introducing a coaching and mentoring framework aligned with the National Fire Chiefs Council.

By initiating a project to implement a new job evaluation scheme for Support employees.

By designing a grading structure which integrates the job evaluation scheme with National Joint Council pay spines.

By undertaking pay benchmarking to understand comparative pay levels with external public sector organisations.

By researching and developing apprenticeship programme options.

Success in this area will be that our people are developed in the skills and knowledge required to ensure all standards are met and that they are rewarded in a fair way that supports DFRS to attract and retain talent.

Our people are aware of what development is available and how to access it. There will be high levels of engagement, attendance and completion rates across all non-operational training and e-learning.

There will be an increase in the number of candidates applying for support vacancies and reduced turnover in support roles.

A new job evaluation scheme will be initiated and there will be a reduced number of specialist posts appointed requiring a market premium.

This will be measured through:

• people performance board metrics;
• Training Assurance Board
• monitoring turnover in support roles;
• monitoring the number of applicants for support roles;
• cultural survey feedback;
• appraisal completion and quality assurance;

and

• piloting and reviewing apprenticeship programme options.

PSED Objective 4 - We will identify opportunities to utilise digital technology to create a more inclusive and accessible environment

Service Priority 3 - Putting people first to maintain an outstanding culture of equality and inclusivity

Service Priority 5 - Continuous improvement through challenge and inspection

Engaging our people:

Achieve organisational improvement and performance through employee involvement, commitment, and contribution.

We will ensure our people are fully involved, listened to, and can influence matters affecting them.

We will engage with our employees to get feedback and ideas that continuously improve performance.

We will recognise and celebrate the contribution made by individuals and teams.

We will engage with colleagues at all levels to build trust and commitment to DFRS’s strategic aims and ambitions.

We will ensure that effective timelines, consultations, and communications are in place so that people know and understand what is happening.

By delivering the communication and engagement strategy.

This includes a listening approach to internal engagement and by the “you said, together, we did” approach to responding to feedback.

Introduce employee recognition process.

Success in this area will be higher levels of employee engagement.

This will be measured through:

• people performance metrics;
• cultural survey feedback;
• An internal staff ideas platform

PSED Objective 2 - We will improve our understanding of our workforce and create an environment where all can achieve

PSED Objective 3 - We will improve the representation of the workforce to reflect the community we serve; to provide the diversity of thought, skills, and experiences required to make everyone in Derbyshire safer

PSED Objective 4 - We will identify opportunities to utilise digital technology to create a more inclusive and accessible environment

Service Priority 3 - Putting people first to maintain an outstanding culture of equality and inclusivity

Service Priority 5 - Continuous improvement through challenge and inspection

Promoting even greater inclusivity:

Continue to develop a positive and inclusive culture aligned with our vision and values.

We will promote diversity and inclusion to develop a positive culture that values all contributions.

We will welcome challenge to support a positive working environment.

We will encourage diversity in recruitment, development and promotion and create inclusive teams.

We will embrace the Core Code of Ethics and treat people at all levels with dignity and respect.

We will produce an EDI action plan to complement this priority.

Through blended EDI learning, development, resource, and communication across the Service.

By embedding the Core Code of Ethics into all elements of the leadership programme.

By reviewing our EDI performance reporting.

By capturing and reporting a greater range of EDI data to inform our decisions.

By reviewing workforce representation to enhance inclusivity.

By enabling our employee support networks through increased representation and responsibility.

Success in this area will be that equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training is included in the annual training plan.

Our people will receive relevant training, which is accurately reported, and will be knowledgeable and confident in EDI.

Our people will also understand and demonstrate the values, ethics, and behaviours of DFRS and the fire sector.

This will be measured through:

• people performance  metrics;
• course completion data;
• casework data; and
• EDI data

PSED Objective 2 - We will improve our understanding of our workforce and create an environment where all can achieve

Service priority 3 - Putting people first to maintain an outstanding culture of equality and inclusivity

Championing the health and wellbeing of our people:

Provide a safe working environment that promotes health and wellbeing for all.

We will support the physical, mental, and financial health and wellbeing of our people.

We will implement attendance management strategies that support people to remain in and return to work.

We will provide access to training, information, and resources to support health and wellbeing.

We will assist work/life balance by considering new or alternative ways of working.

We will promote a culture where all health and wellbeing issues can be discussed openly.

We will strive to achieve the highest standard of health and safety.

By introducing a health and wellbeing policy and an action plan.

By undertaking a range of initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing at work.

By undertaking a quality assurance audit of annual fitness testing.

By providing access to training and information on topics such as mental health and the menopause.

By undertaking a review of agile working arrangements.

By promoting and supporting suicide prevention.

By increasing wellbeing support through critical incident facilitators, family contact officers, Blue Light champions, and menopause champions.

By supporting the safety and risk management strategy.

Success in this area will be focused health and wellbeing provision that is valued by employees and the Service.

This will be measured through:

• absence statistics;
• occupational health dashboards;
• cultural survey outcomes;
• HMICFRS report findings;
• training statistics;
• engagement with Critical Incident Wellbeing Support (CIWS); and
• achievements against the health and wellbeing action plan.