Operational Training and Development in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

398. The SFRS has strong strategic intent but delivery is strained. The organisation has a clear TVS, a structured TFF, a desire to be a LO and committed and knowledgeable staff. However, execution is being held back by structural and capacity limitations across almost every major component of OTD. It is understood that OT and TD are part of two separate directorates, but there remains the question as to whether this structure is still appropriate, given the limited capacity of both aspects and clear link between the two disciplines. There is a need to understand whether improvement in efficiency and effectiveness could be made with closer alignment.

399. OT is under significant pressure with capacity being the biggest risk. Instructor vacancies and organisational ambition mean that many teams operate well above capacity and sustainable levels. The consequences are that staff sometimes struggle to take annual leave, time off in lieu or CPD time, there is short notice course cancellations, there is an overreliance on goodwill, limited time for quality improvement, limited time for course preparation and increased risk of skill currency lapses, with difficulty delivering the TVS as intended.

400. Systems are fragmented and inefficient and the three major platforms of LCMS, pdrPro and iTrent do not integrate particularly well. This causes a heavier administrative burden, manual data management, missed or delayed currency alerts and difficulties in workforce planning. A new training system is being procured, but integration with the new people system is essential.

401. Training quality assurance is not functioning as effectively as it could. The Service has ISO 9001 certification, non-conformance reporting, TC inspections, customer feedback loops and internal audit procedures that could all provide high-quality continuous improvement. In practice, several issues undermine confidence which are; that customer satisfaction scores are unrealistically high, non-conformance is significantly underreported, standardisation varies between instructors, venue and SDA audits are rarely conducted in many areas and any OA learning is not feeding fully back into training. The result is a system that measures quantity well but struggles to measure or improve quality. Its pleasing to note that the Service has invested capacity it the OA team to start to drive improvement in this area.

402. The training delivery model has strengths, but key weaknesses persist. Things that work well are; acquisition courses are generally viewed positively, updated TfOC content is perceived as an improvement, KATA sessions show strong potential, innovative On Call solutions are being piloted, innovative recruitment for hard to fill posts and the BA recovery plan delivered at scale. Persistent problems include: TfOC still seen as a tick box exercise, On Call duty systems limit ability to complete modules, unrealistic training content persist for remote rural stations, inconsistent instructor support to On Call stations, strategic reserve is harder to access across SDAs and training at station is often hindered by information and communication technology, space or building condition.

403. DT is perceived as the most serious operational risk area. The report flags DT as under extreme pressure, due to high instructor vacancy rates, very few ADI qualified instructors, a long linear training pathway, new Section 19 requirements increasing demand, an ongoing reported shortfall of circa. 700 drivers nationally, some FDOs being unable to respond under blue lights and a cultural reluctance to undertake driver training from many station-based staff. This cocktail was described as one of the greatest threats to operational resilience by many SD staff.

404. IC training is competent but overly process driven. There was a good structure and alignment to national standards, new CPD and virtual reality initiatives were generally welcomed. However, assessments are often seen as ‘memory tests’, too compliance focused with not enough developmental value. Capacity constraints limit improvement and TfOC attainment levels remain low for IC modules. There is a risk that command competence may be maintained procedurally, but not behaviourally.

405. Assets, facilities and equipment require major investment. There is an approximate £31m property backlog, an £11m fleet backlog as well as issues with equipment, classrooms, towers, welfare and BA facilities. Many temporary ConC set ups are now treated as permanent. There is an old training fleet with a large percentage of main appliances beyond recommended age. Various examples of positive progress are the new CFBT installations, PPE investment, major capital investment in Perth and Dundee as well as the cycle-based appliance replacement model emerging. There is a view that a further training facility in the ESDA is needed to enhance training due to travel restrictions. The TSAMP is a particularly good document and provides a roadmap for dealing with many of these issues. Overall, the estate condition is limiting training realism, capacity and safety.

406. The OC training team has been subject to a strategic alteration in recent times with a significant reduction in the size but with closer alignment to the training function. Whilst the closer association is a positive innovation, OC training remains a significant organisational gap. OC suffers from: no OC-specific training policy or framework, limited training team capacity, outdated or incomplete materials, limited performance monitoring, negative impact from the NMS roll-out and recruitment as well as a training staff ratio significantly higher than that of station-based counter parts. This represents a risk, especially with high turnover and technology change.

407. TD is critically under-resourced and there is sympathy for staff attempting to deliver the current products being offered with extremely limited capacity. The Service aspires to be a LO, but there is no published people strategy, no established leadership or development framework in place, limited budget with limited staff having had any development in the past five years or longer. There is a challenge getting staff released to be developed due to strain on the TOM. There is heavy reliance on informal mentoring despite declining experience. Local areas are filling gaps independently which should be commended but is resulting in inconsistency and potential unfairness. The appraisal system is widely viewed as ineffective and the LNA process is dominated by compliance training, not development. There is limited use of wider processes and systems that would make up a holistic talent management system. TD is considered the weakest part of the wider OTD system, but it is hoped that the new people Strategy as well as the LMDT and consequent LMDF will significantly improve performance in this area. Despite all these issues, TD staff continue to deliver development which is well received and receives positive feedback, for which they should be commended.

408. MA/SVQ processes have improved significantly. There has been a strong recovery after Qualifications Scotland issues, better assessor and verifier training, improved processes and technology, greater confidence from Qualifications Scotland auditors and better resourcing and governance. This area is now viewed as performing well and is considered a real success story, following Service investment.

409. The report surfaces several pervasive cultural factors: a positive ‘can do’ mentality masking systemic issues, underreporting of problems, a lean towards compliance over competence, drain of experienced staff from function, pervasive overcentralisation concerns, siloed functions of training versus people and the perception of prioritisation of other tasks over training. These cultural issues link directly to many operational and developmental challenges.

410. The SFRS has a clear vision and committed people, but its training and development systems are overstretched, overly compliance-driven, and constrained by limited capacity, ageing assets, fragmented systems, and underinvestment, particularly in driver and personal development. Instructor shortages, uneven training quality, and operational pressures further restrict access to learning. In short, the ambition and commitment are strong, but the infrastructure, capacity, and systems require significant investment and reform.