HM Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland: Chief Inspector's Plan 2022 to 2025

SFRS currently operates across 3 Service Delivery Areas (SDA). Each SDA (East, West and North) is managed by a Head of Service Delivery. These Heads of Service Delivery each has direct responsibility for a number of Local Senior Officers (LSO). LSOs in turn manage a team and oversee activities across Scotland's operational fire stations.

The LSOs have direct responsibility for engaging with local authority partners, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure SFRS plays an active role in the Community Planning process. Local authorities also have responsibility for scrutinising performance and holding LSOs to account through appropriate scrutiny arrangements.

It will therefore remain vitally important that we continue to consider the systems in place for ensuring this vital local connection is fit for purpose and that local authorities, and other partners, are satisfied with the service provided by LSOs and by SFRS.

Our new Inspection process will consider performance across the SDA, and across each LSO area within that SDA, against 4 key themes.

• Prevention and Protection
• Response
• People
• Partnership

We will measure performance under each theme against a range of indicators, and will aim to identify areas of good practice and areas for improvement across this much wider geographical area. We aim to do this without losing focus on the need for local engagement in the design of delivery systems.

The move from the LAI to the SDAI approach will mean that we can provide assurance that the SFRS is delivering an efficient and effective service across the entire country.

The move to a three year rolling programme of inspections will allow us to ensure that our assessment of suitability remains current and fit for purpose, as well as confirming that the Service is making best use of available resources.