Watchdog acknowledges progress at fire and rescue authority but expresses concerns at funding

The intervention was launched in February 2024 amid concerns about the authority’s culture, performance and governance.

This followed a damning report by 39 Essex Chambers barrister Fenella Morris KC, which detailed a culture of sexism and misogyny in many places as well as failings in management, policies, procedures, and systems at the service.

Four commissioners were appointed to run the authority, replacing councillors nominated by councils.

Last month the Welsh Government revealed that its intervention will continue until after next year’s local elections, after commissioners concluded that, although progress had been made, their task was not finished.

For its latest report, Delivering change, measuring impact?, published this week (20 August), Audit Wales looked at the steps the authority has taken to secure continuous improvement since the intervention.

It concluded that the authority has developed a wide-ranging improvement programme and made progress in delivering it. “However, it has not established how it will meet the cost of delivering its transformation plans, which could cost up to £19.4 million. As this total would exceed the £17.6 million it held in unrestricted usable reserves at the end of 2024-25, it means its ambitions may not be possible to deliver.”

Audit Wales has recommended that the authority: 

• simplify its strategic priorities;
• clearly explain the benefits of its improvement activities for its communities; 
• identify how its improvement activity will be funded; and 
• strengthen how it measures progress in delivering its improvements and their value for money. 

Catherine Mealing-Jones, Auditor General for Wales, said: “I am encouraged by the action the Authority has taken to address concerns about its culture and performance, and I recognise the commitment of staff who continue to provide a vital service to communities across south Wales.

"The Authority has made a good start, but it must now demonstrate that its improvement programme is making a real difference for local people and delivering value for taxpayers' money. That means being clear about its priorities, understanding the costs involved and showing how change is improving outcomes.”

A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority said: "The Authority has worked closely with Audit Wales throughout the audit process, with officers from within the Service providing the information and evidence required to ensure that the audit was robust. External audit has been identified as an integral part of the Authority’s improvement journey – the Authority therefore welcomes the recently published audit and continues to appreciate the ongoing opportunity to work closely with Audit Wales.

"Following the publication of the report by Audit Wales, the formal audit process now requires the Authority to provide a management response that outlines how the recommendations will be addressed. This will be reviewed by Audit Wales to ensure it meets the requirements of the Code of Audit Practice. The final stage of the process will be that the audit, along with the Authority’s proposed plan to address the recommendations made, will be presented and discussed by Audit Wales and the Authority at the earliest possible meeting of the Governance and Audit Committee."