People, Culture, and Leadership Strategic Plan
for UK Fire and Rescue Services 2025 - 2028
Foreword
The Culture Action Plan was a turning point. It asked our sector to stop, reflect, and take stock of who we are and who we need to become. So as that first chapter draws to a close, it is important that I thank everyone for their willingness to listen and their courage to lead. The work was often difficult, but it was always necessary. And it laid the foundations for what comes next.
The People, Culture and Leadership Strategic Plan is not about reinventing our purpose or questioning our values – they give us our desire to serve and protect. It is about giving our sector the tools, evidence and confidence to act on what we already know matters most: how we lead, how we support our people, and how we shape the culture of our services. Built around four pillars and three enablers, the plan brings together national guidance, practical products and shared standards. It supports services to meet the demands of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow, and it puts people and leadership at the centre of that journey.
Throughout my career, I have seen how leadership, grounded in trust and authenticity, can change lives. I have also seen the consequences when cultures falter and poor behaviour is normalised. This plan is about supporting every fire and rescue service to strengthen its culture in ways that are meaningful, sustainable and rooted in real-life experience. It will help services to develop inclusive leadership, uphold the highest standards of behaviour, and create environments where every member of staff can feel safe, respected and able to thrive.
At the heart of this work is a shared understanding of what the fire and rescue service should be: inclusive, professional and trusted by the public. A place where everyone, regardless of background, can succeed. A service delivered with fairness, integrity and respect. These are not ambitions to aspire to, they are the expectations we should all be working to uphold. The PCL Strategic Plan is here to help us make that a consistent reality across the UK.
There is no single blueprint for culture, but there are clear principles we can all stand behind. This plan sets them out. Now we must bring them to life. That means taking ownership, listening with intent, and acting with purpose. It means leaders at every level stepping forward, setting the tone, and committing to real, visible progress.
It’s not about grand gestures, it’s about doing the small things well, and remembering that the standards that you walk past are the standards that you set.
I am proud to lead the NFCC at this crucial time. The work ahead will not be easy, but it is vital. Through this plan, and with collective resolve, we have the opportunity to shape a stronger, fairer and more inclusive fire and rescue service for everyone.
Introduction
The NFCC’s first Culture Action Plan was published in July 2023 and concluded in January 2025. A summary of progress and achievements delivered under this plan can be found here.
The new NFCC People Culture and Leadership Strategic Plan (hereon referred to as ‘the PCL Strategic Plan’) recognises the continued focus and priority we must give to the experience of everyone who works – and aspires to work – in the UK Fire and Rescue Service (UKFRS). It builds on the strengths of UKFRS culture, whilst addressing head-on the known challenges, gaps and inconsistencies which adversely impact on the experience and opportunities of people who choose to work in fire and rescue sector.
In mid-2024 NFCC established a dedicated People Culture and Leadership (PCL) Hub to support the UKFRS with its people priorities. The PCL Hub will work in partnership with other NFCC functions including Operational Response and Fire Control, Prevention, and Protection, to deliver the priorities laid out in the PCL Strategic Plan.
Purpose of the PCL Strategic Plan
The PCL Strategic Plan outlines priority areas of focus from June 2025 to December 2028.
NFCC aims to support UKFRS to make sustained and demonstrable progress in these priority areas by providing access to a range of high-quality products, services, guidelines, and standards, which can help services to:
- Build on strengths, embed progress already made, and address organisational culture issues which are problematic
- Achieve professional Fire Standards and ensure compliance with UK legislative requirements
- Become an ‘Employer of Choice’ for prospective applicants
- Better reflect the diversity of communities they serve
- Become a place where everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential in their FRS career, and have a great experience of work
Context
The PCL Strategic Plan contributes directly to the NFCC Vision:
To be the leading professional voice of fire and rescue services across the UK, using our national role, influence and expertise to support collaboration and drive improvements in fire and rescue services to help keep communities safe.
The PCL Strategic Plan also contributes towards the NFCC core Mission, as set out in our Charitable Objects, with specific reference to the following (bold added):
- To support fire and rescue services in transforming their role to meet changing demands and resources for the benefit of society
- To promote effective service delivery working with partner organisations, governments, and private sector bodies and the community
The previous Government’s Fire and Rescue Reform White Paper stated its ambition to drive change and improvement in People, Professionalism and Governance. This focus has continued under the current Government, with particular emphasis on organisational culture and exploring opportunities to establish a College of Fire and Rescue.
Fit for the Future (reviewed 2024) identifies the need for UKFRS to have:
“a positive, welcoming and inclusive culture, growing the diversity of our workforce and one that helps manage risk in local communities by:
- Embracing and embedding the Core Code of Ethics to create a positive and inclusive culture
- Improving recruitment, retention and progressions of employees from all backgrounds, including positive action to encourage women and people from minority ethnic groups to join and flourish in the fire service
- Listening to the voices of all employees, with particular focus on those with protected characteristics and wider staff networks to inform improvements
- Celebrating diversity and promoting equality in all its forms so all employees have a strong sense of belonging”
These factors, together with a range of internal and external drivers outlined below, have informed the direction and content of the PCL Strategic Plan.
Please click the driver to follow a link for more information, and note that some are external links.
External Drivers
Overarching outcomes
The PCL Strategic Plan continues delivery of three overarching outcomes which shaped the first Culture Action Plan, with the inclusion of one additional outcome:
- Improved public trust and confidence
- Improved trust and confidence of staff
- More diverse workforce that is inclusive of underrepresented groups, and people of diverse backgrounds and experiences
- Safe, well-prepared and well-supported staff who are capable and resilient to the demands of their role and responsibilities
These are articulated further with a high-level assessment of UKFRS at the point of this plan’s publication (June 2025), along with an outline of where we want to get to when this plan concludes in 2028. We have done the same for NFCC to demonstrate our intent for improving products and services offered to UKFRS.
Further information on how we will measure our progress year-on-year can be found in the ‘Measures of Success’ section of this plan.
Where we are and where we want to get to
UKFRS
Where we are
- We have made a positive start on our cultural improvement journey, as evidenced by delivery against the NFCC Culture Action Plan and HMICFRS inspections. There remains a lot more to do, with a commitment and willingness from across the sector to make sustained improvements
- There is variation across and within FRSs in terms of how culture is experienced, and how effectively issues are being addressed
- As identified by the Independent Challenge and Support Panel Closing Report, there are recognised patterns of institutional and systemic discrimination, which commonly manifest as misogyny, racism and homophobia
- There are multiple and complex factors impacting the speed of transformation of organisational culture
- Day-to-day operational demands – together with the additional resources needed to respond to large-scale incidents (such as Grenfell) and the sector-wide learning they generate – have challenged, and will likely continue to challenge, the focus and momentum behind some of this work
- We have yet to consistently translate the journey we are on into meaningful actions, which are felt and owned by everyone working in the sector
Where we want to get to by December 2028
- All UKFRS will have taken tangible, meaningful and measurable steps to build healthier and more inclusive cultures and are able to evidence progress
- We will have cultivated a consistent, national approach to UKFRS workforce data collection, collation, analysis and action planning
- We will have a centralised mechanism for measuring organisational climate and staff experience, which informs decision-making and action locally and nationally
- We are embedding robust and evidence-based approaches to promoting the highest professional standards in UKFRS and responding effectively to allegations of misconduct
- We are embedding evidence-based approaches to cultivating psychological safety in our services
- Leaders across the sector have clear pathways and opportunities for development which align with UKFRS priorities
- We have improved the fairness of selection and promotion processes used by the sector, and we are starting to see the impact of this in UKFRS workforce statistics, including the recruitment and retention of those with minority protected characteristics
- We have worked with our Lived Experience Advocacy Forums to crystalise the top five challenges employees with minority protected characteristics encounter when working in a predominantly homogenous workforce, and have taken concrete steps to address these
- We have published definitive guidance about interventions which are proven to improve EDI
- We are embedding a culture which prioritises the health and wellbeing of our people
- We have a range of tools for supporting and maintaining UKFRS physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and these are having positive impacts on key workforce metrics, including sickness absence and retention
NFCC
Where we are
- UKFRS have variable awareness and uptake of PCL products
- Some PCL products offered by NFCC are out-of-date, unwieldy, or lack practical application/utility
- NFCC has patchy communication and relationships with UKFRS and key stakeholders
- NFCC hasn’t always identified or prioritised PCL activity to address levels of risk in the sector
- NFCC has not invested resources to evaluate its products, and therefore does not reliably understand which products and services are working/having a positive impact
- NFCC is not always being led by research, evidence, or good/best practice; nor is NFCC generating this
Where we want to get to by December 2028
- NFCC will publish practical and user-friendly PCL products in timely fashion with clear links to professional Fire Standards and HMICFRS requirements
- NFCC will design PCL products which support the whole sector, whilst recognising the nuance of local FRS conditions and variable employment contract terms and conditions which may influence their adoption
- NFCC will regularly review and evaluate PCL products to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose and are having a positive impact on UKFRS
- NFCC will regularly collate, analyse and share learning from across UKFRS, using tools such as the Positive Practice Portal, to generate deeper understanding and evidence of effective approaches to PCL matters
- NFCC will host regular and effective networking opportunities for UKFRS to convene on PCL matters
PCL Strategic Plan
What is the PCL Strategic Plan?
The PCL Strategic Plan consists of four interconnected Pillars, supported by three Enablers.
The four interconnected Pillars represent the WHAT i.e., the products, tools, guidelines and services (hereon after referred to as ‘products’) NFCC will provide to the UKFRS over the duration of the PCL Strategic Plan.
The three Enablers represent the HOW i.e., the practises and ethos NFCC will cultivate to ensure products are the best they can be, are widely utilised, and have maximum impact.
Each Pillar and Enabler is underpinned by a set of priorities. These priorities will guide and inform the publication of a PCL annual delivery plan which shall outline the products NFCC will develop in each financial year.
This approach recognises the benefits of a flexible and responsive approach to the emerging needs of the sector and underpins our aspiration to improve how we are engaging with and responding to our members.
The interconnected nature of PCL activity means that every single priority has a direct or indirect link to more than one Pillar heading. Delivering the PCL Strategic Plan will draw on a blend of expertise and multiple perspectives to ensure all priorities are successfully achieved and embedded.
Furthermore, the safeguarding of vulnerable communities is a golden thread which runs through all UKFRS duties. Whilst safeguarding is not listed explicitly as a priority in the PCL Strategic Plan, NFCC recognises that safeguarding applies equally to UKFRS colleagues and therefore we shall incorporate this into all relevant PCL priorities.
Hover over the pillars to read an overview, and click on them to read more detail.
People
Priority 1: Professional standards and conduct
Priority 2: Data and digital
Priority 3: Policies, processes and systems
Leadership and Organisational Development
Priority 4. Respect and psychological safety
Priority 5. NFCC leadership development opportunities
Priority 6. Competence
Priority 7. Talent and accelerated development pathways
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Priority 8. Workforce Diversity
Priority 9. Lived Experience
Priority 10. Evidence-based EDI interventions
Priority 11. Accessibility
Health and Wellbeing
Priority 12. Implementing the NFCC Health and Wellbeing Framework
Priority 13. Physical Health
Priority 14. Mental and emotional wellbeing
Priority 15. Violence at work
Relevance and accessibility
- Easy to find, user-friendly and practical PCL products
- Linking PCL products to Fire Standards and HMICFRS requirements
- Clear review schedule of existing PCL products
Evaluating and learning
- Make best use of research, Organisational Learning and the NFCC Positive Practice Portal
- PCL products rooted in available evidence, good practice and relevant case studies
- Consistent approach to short and long-term evaluation of PCL products
Convening and connecting
- Regular spaces to share good practice, network and collaborate
- Strengthen PCL product marketing, promotion and implementation support
Pillar: People
Priority 1: Professional standards and conduct
Supporting UKFRS to embed the highest professional standards and respond effectively to allegations of misconduct.
Priority 2: Data and digital
Developing and embedding consistent approaches to workforce/PCL data collection and analysis; and providing guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging digital innovations which can support PCL activity.
Priority 3: Policies, processes and systems
Providing consistent, evidence-based approaches to attracting, selecting, managing and retaining the workforce.
Pillar: Leadership & Organisational Development
Priority 4: Respect and psychological safety
Providing evidence-based resources and support for creating and sustaining respectful and inclusive working environments where colleagues feel safe to raise concerns.
Priority 5: NFCC leadership development opportunities
Ongoing identification of learning and development needs for UKFRS leaders at every level, which informs the continuous improvement of NFCC leadership development offers.
Priority 6: Competence
Developing and embedding a consistent, sector-wide approach to competence in order to meet the long-term needs and challenges facing UKFRS.
Priority 7: Talent and accelerated development pathways
Developing good practice guidance for career progression and staff development opportunities.
Pillar: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Priority 8: Workforce diversity
Creating tools which support UKFRS to increase the pool of diverse job candidates and enable existing talent from diverse backgrounds to grow their careers.
Priority 9: Lived experience
Developing effective mechanisms and guidance for listening to the feedback from those with lived experience, recognising the impacts on individuals and communities, and taking appropriate and meaningful action.
Priority 10: Evidence-based EDI interventions
Supporting leaders with definitive guidance on interventions which are proven to improve EDI in organisations; including an analysis of cost vs. impact, where feasible.
Priority 11: Accessibility
Producing guidance and resources which support UKFRS to host physical and digital workplaces which are accessible, inclusive and provide dignity for everyone.
Pillar: Health and Wellbeing
Priority 12: Implementing the NFCC Health & Wellbeing framework
Embedding a culture in UKFRS which prioritises workforce health and wellbeing and brings the NFCC framework to life.
Priority 13: Physical health
Establishing consistent requirements and developing guidance on supporting colleagues’ physical health.
Priority 14: Mental and emotional wellbeing
Developing approaches for supporting colleagues around the emotional demands of UKFRS roles, including trauma and suicide.
Priority 15: Violence at work
Developing approaches for supporting colleagues who have experienced violence in the course of their work; and working in partnership with other NFCC functions to reduce and prevent violence from occurring in the future.
How we will measure the impact of the PCL Strategic Plan
In the first Culture Action Plan, NFCC identified six high-level measures of success. We are carrying forward four of these measures of success into the PCL Strategic Plan. We have made some minor amendments to ensure they remain current and to improve their measurability.
We have also developed three additional measures of success (nos. 5-7). These, together with the metrics and indicators we will use to monitor our progress, are presented below.
During the first year of the Strategic Plan, where possible we will identify baseline metrics for each measure of success.
1. Improvements in HMICFRS inspection judgements for FRSs in relation to people, culture and leadership
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- all priorities
- HMICFRS ratings for individual FRS which relate to People, Culture and Leadership, compared to the last inspection round
- Reference in HMICFRS reports of services using PCL products, and evidence of their associated impact
2. Improvement in FRS workforce diversity in relation to recruitment, retention and progression
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 2) Data and digital;
- 5) NFCC leadership development opportunities;
- 6) Competence;
- 7) Talent and accelerated development pathways;
- 8) Workforce diversity
- Fire statistics data tables produced by HM Government. Comparison against latest available local and national census data
- Uptake of NFCC leadership development programmes by protected characteristics
- Development of a sector-wide staff/climate survey. Evidence of relevant ongoing metrics associated with the insight and impact the survey generates
3. Consistent service reporting and benchmarking of cultural performance enabled through sharing of good practice and cross sector support including identification and sharing of exemplar cultural dashboards
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 2) Data and digital;
- 3) Policies, processes and systems;
- 10) Evidence-based EDI interventions
- services using a culture dashboard
- accessing NFCC Culture Dashboard methodology, and any new relevant PCL products which support this work
- Development of a sector-wide staff/climate survey. Evidence of ongoing metrics associated with the insight and impact the survey generates
4. Increased take-up - and evidence of the impact - of NFCC leadership development products
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 5) NFCC leadership development opportunities;
- 7) Talent and accelerated development pathways;
- 8) Workforce diversity
- Trend data showing uptake of NFCC leadership development products
- Engagement data for promoting PCL leadership development products to UKFRS
- Short and long-term evaluation of leadership development products
- Case studies showing the impact of leadership development products on individuals and organisations
5. Improvements in how UKFRS promote and sustain professional, inclusive and psychologically safe cultures, and respond to allegations of misconduct
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 1) Professional standards and conduct;
- 3) Policies, processes and systems;
- 4) Respect and psychological safety;
- 14) Mental and emotional wellbeing
- Evidence of Organisational Learning and case studies associated with misconduct investigations, including any relevant scenarios relating to leadership and teamworking
- Trend data showing uptake of relevant PCL products
- UKFRS compliance with relevant Fire standards
- Short and long-term evaluation of PCL products produced to support UKFRS in these areas
6. Improvements in the consistency of standards and the range of support for health and wellbeing in UKFRS
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 12) Implementing the NFCC health and wellbeing framework;
- 13) Physical health;
- 14) Mental and emotional wellbeing;
- 15) Violence at work
- Evidence of the utility and impact of refreshed physical health standards across UKFRS
- Trend data showing uptake of relevant PCL products
- Short and long-term evaluation of PCL products produced to support UKFRS in these areas
- Relevant workforce data in relation to sickness absence and retention
7. Improvements in how UKFRS listens to those with lived experience and acts meaningfully to address the challenges of working in a predominantly homogenous workforce
- Relevant priorities which contribute to this measure:
- 2) Data and digital;
- 7) Talent and accelerated development pathways;
- 9) Lived experience;
- 10) Evidence-based EDI interventions;
- 11) Accessibility
- Trend data showing uptake of relevant PCL products
- Short and long-term evaluation of PCL products produced to support UKFRS in these areas
Governance, monitoring and delivery of the PCL Strategic Plan
Governance: Under the direction of the PCL Committee and associated sub-Boards, the PCL Hub will lead the delivery of the PCL Strategic Plan, with support from – and in partnership with – other NFCC Hubs and teams. The PCL Committee will report into NFCC Council, through Steering Group.
Monitoring: The PCL Strategic Plan will be reviewed as part of setting and agreeing the annual PCL delivery plan. This will take account of emerging sector priorities and any other conditions e.g., the impact of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. When we publish the annual PCL delivery plan, we will also produce an annual progress report against each measure of success.