Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service - Experts & Thought Leaders

Fire service leaders, medical experts, HR professionals and those affected by menopause gathered at The Rep (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), in central Birmingham last week for the NFCC’s first Menopause in Fire conference. The NFCC Menopause in Fire conference, which took place on Thursday, 21 September, 2023, offered a unique opportunity for colleagues within the fire and rescue sector to learn more about the menopause by hearing from medical experts, keynote speakers and those who shared their own experiences. NFCC Menopause in Fire conference Dr. Newson has appeared on numerous television and radio programs talking about the menopause National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) was delighted to welcome renowned menopause specialist, GP, Author and Podcaster, Dr. Louise Newson as the conference’s keynote speaker. Dr. Newson has appeared on numerous television and radio programs talking about the menopause and is a regular guest on ITV’s This Morning.  She spoke passionately about her work to support individuals who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause, focusing on the ‘debilitating’ symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as physical and mental illness. Importance of talking openly about menopause Dr. Newson also talked about having worked closely with organizations to help them better support employees who are impacted, and the importance of talking openly about menopause and, crucially, keeping the conversation going. Dr. Newson was joined by Dr. Rebecca Lewis, Co-Founder of Newson Health and an expert clinician in the treatment of menopause symptoms. Describing menopause as a ‘Cinderella’ subject that has not been addressed in the right way medically for many years, Dr. Lewis explained treatment options, their risks and benefits, and dispelled some of the myths around Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Key objectives of the conference To share good practice Other speakers included Government Menopause Employment Champion - Helen Tomlinson, Jules King from Women in the Fire Service, Neil Taylor from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Dr. Emily Watkins, from Roehampton University, who spoke about fitness and well-being, and AJ Whittaker, who explained some of the support available for those affected by menopause from The Fire Fighters Charity.  One of the key objectives of the conference was to share good practice and case studies were shared by Cambridgeshire and Kent Fire and Rescue Services about some of the things they had achieved within their services, while two women spoke about their own experiences with honesty, openness and a huge amount of support from colleagues in the room. Featuring interactive sessions An interactive session asked delegates to think about what more could be done to raise awareness In the afternoon, an interactive session asked delegates to think about what more could be done to raise awareness and understanding of the menopause, and its impact within fire and rescue services, and how NFCC could support services to do that. The idea for a national conference on menopause in the fire and rescue service came from a network of fire service menopause champions, who wanted to raise awareness of the menopause and how it is supported more widely across the sector. Platform to learn, network and share experiences Hayley Douglas, the Head of Media and Communications and a Menopause Champion at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, was the driving force behind the conference. She said: “When the network of menopause champions first spoke about a national conference, we had no idea it would be such a huge success.” She adds, “We are grateful to NFCC for hosting the event, and delighted to have had the time and support of Dr. Louise Newson and her team at Newson Health, along with colleagues in fire and rescue services across the country to be able to come together, learn, network and share experiences about menopause.” Menopause is a key topic that impacts in many different ways Hayley Douglas continues, “Menopause is such an important topic and it impacts people in many different ways, physically, mentally and emotionally, and this cannot be simply switched off while at work. Menopause shouldn’t be a taboo subject, and anyone going through the menopause should feel supported at work by their employer, their manager and their colleagues.” She further said, “The conference in Birmingham was enlightening, inspirational and empowering for all who attended, and we are looking forward to keeping the conversation going and building on that momentum for the benefit of all our fire and rescue service colleagues.” Conference Offers a Great opportunity for networking The conference provided a fantastic opportunity for networking, and to hear from the amazing speakers" Kathryn Billing, the Chief Fire Officer at Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and NFCC’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead said: “The conference provided a fantastic opportunity for networking, and to hear from the amazing speakers, who shared their experiences, passion, professionalism, learning and knowledge – and for that I’d like to a say a huge thank you.” She adds, “The event was also about looking at what the fire sector and the National Fire Chiefs Council need to do now, and in the future, to make sure we are supporting anyone who is going through or is impacted by the menopause.” Interactive session offers useful ideas and insights Kathryn Billing continues, “The interactive session gave us some really useful ideas and insights, and we know that in order to implement change we now need to build on the momentum, get allies on board and work together.” Feedback and learning from the conference will now be fed back into NFCC to agree next steps, with the aim of producing a national menopause toolkit for fire and rescue services.

Following the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Culture and Inclusion Conference on 27 and 28 March 2023 and the spotlight report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) entitled ‘Values and culture in fire and rescue services’, released on 30 March 2023, the NFCC has developed a Culture Action Plan to address culture and inclusion within the fire and rescue sector. NFCC’s fire and rescue services protect the public and save lives. The people in them are at the heart of this duty, and they know that the public trust them to do their jobs well. To create, maintain and build on this trust, fire and rescue services must be inclusive, safe places to work; places where people are valued and supported. Need for fire services to be inclusive, safe places NFCC believes that everyone deserves to work in safe environments that are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, abuse and harm, where they feel supported, welcome and able to thrive.  This, in turn, enables them to support fire and rescue services, in order to provide the best possible service to the public – services that are inclusive, professional and inspire confidence and trust. Adhering to core Code of Ethics The NFCC Culture Plan is their commitment to work with fire and rescue services NFCC knows from national reports and from people sharing their lived experiences, that fire and rescue services are not consistently displaying the standards and behaviors set out in their core Code of Ethics. They need to change.  The NFCC Culture Plan is their commitment to work with fire and rescue services, UK Government and wider fire partners to deliver sustainable improvements and establish an inclusive, safe culture. The plan will do this by continuing to support services in developing effective leadership and behaviors, embedding equality, diversity and inclusion, finding and nurturing diverse talent, and supporting the health and wellbeing of people in fire and rescue services. NFCC Culture Action Plan The NFCC consulted UK Fire and Rescue Services and wider national partners on the draft action plan and received extensive feedback, both written and through focus group discussions, which has informed the development of this Plan. This NFCC Culture Action Plan is a renewed call to action to improve culture and address all forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment across UK fire and rescue services. Working with partners, the NFCC will monitor and review progress, drawing on feedback and learning to continue to develop and implement the Plan. Embedding a positive organizational culture The Action Plan also provides all leaders and staff across fire and rescue services with details of how the NFCC will support them to develop and embed a positive organizational culture in their services. I have seen initiatives and plans come and go, but this time it is different" Cornwall Chief Fire Officer, Kathryn Billing, NFCC Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead, said: “NFCC's Culture Action Plan comes at a time when many have felt disillusioned by the slow pace of equality, diversity and inclusion progress across our sector. Serving in the fire service for more than 20 years, I have seen initiatives and plans come and go, but this time it is different.” She adds, “There is strength of leadership, togetherness and the collective commitment for change and the momentum for progress has shifted from the minority to the majority. I am proud to be moving forward alongside colleagues across our fire services, NFCC, and from so many affiliated organizations to drive our culture transformation. The time for action is now to ensure our sector is fit for the future." Culture and inclusion are a priority at NFCC Mark Hardingham, NFCC Chair, said: “As Chair of the NFCC, culture and inclusion is my number one priority. This action plan is an important step forward in working to build an inclusive culture across every UK fire and rescue service. In the plan, NFCC has brought together and will further develop a suite of programs, guidance, standards, and frameworks to support services as they work to embed the values of inclusion and equality.” He adds, “We can only deliver it by working together, across our services and with all our partners, to ensure that we deliver the step change needed. We will continue to listen to the voices of those with lived experience to ensure that the plan delivers on its commitments. We know that change doesn’t happen overnight, but we will work quickly, and invest the leadership, time and resource needed to realize the aims of the plan.” Challenge and Support Panel An independent Challenge and Support Panel has also been established to provide external scrutiny An independent Challenge and Support Panel has also been established to provide external scrutiny, challenge and advice to the NFCC in its work around culture and inclusion, including delivery against the action plan. This new panel presents an important step forward in bringing external expertise and insights to inform work around culture, diversity and inclusion, with 7 panel members bringing expertise and experience from wider sectors. The Chair of the Panel is Anthea Sully, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, a charity working to end violence against women. Other panel members are:   Sal Naseem: Former Regional Director IOPC; strategic advisor DEI. Sue Fish OBE: - Former Chief Constable; consultant - transformational change, leadership and equality. Prof Katrin Hohl: Academic, University of London - Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Alex Johnson: Former Chief Fire Officer; vice chair of Women in the Fire Service. Eimear Meredith-Jones: Deloitte partner - culture and transformation Baljit Ubhey – Director of Strategy and Policy CPS The panel had their first meeting this week and will meet regularly to provide independent challenge and advice to NFCC senior leaders. The NFCC will work with partners and the new panel to monitor progress against the plan and will publish regular updates on progress.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) will be joining fire services across the United Kingdom (UK) to celebrate and recognize the incredible work women across fire and rescue services carry out every day. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity, promoting a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. NFCC supports fire services to be inclusive The National Fire Chiefs Council want to see more women and people from diverse backgrounds join the fire service in the wide range of roles available. NFCC is supporting fire services to be inclusive and welcoming places to work NFCC is supporting fire services to be inclusive and welcoming places to work, ensuring that every woman in the fire service is able to realize their full potential and become future fire service leaders. Latest UK Home Office statistics show that overall 18.6% of fire services employees are women, but only 8.2% (2,862) of firefighters are women. While this has risen from 7.5% (2,644) in the previous year, it is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that women are better represented across the workforce, improving the recruitment, development, retention and support of women in the fire service. Diversity and inclusion at the core National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair, Mark Hardingham, said: “A great fire and rescue service has diversity and inclusion at its core. Fire leaders across the country are driving forward changes to policies, practices, systems and traditions to ensure they are open and inclusive and that women are supported to succeed. But there is still so much more to do. We are committed to delivering the step change needed to ensure our culture is inclusive.” He adds, “International Women’s Day is an important day in the national calendar - it provides a platform to open up conversations and help create working environments that are diverse and inclusive; where difference in genders is valued; where we celebrate the important and valuable contribution that women make." UK Fire and Rescue services support equality for women Mark Hardingham continues, “The public rightly expect inclusivity. This means that equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of every UK fire and rescue service, as is a commitment to openness and transparency. UK Fire and Rescue services are committed to working with staff, the public, communities, government, and more widely in supporting equality for women.” On International Women’s Day we aim of course to celebrate the achievements of women" Kathryn Billing, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Executive Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said: “On International Women’s Day we aim of course to celebrate the achievements of women. It is also a time to highlight the harassment and discrimination, which many women face; sadly this is more relevant today in our sector than it has ever been.” Kathryn Billing adds, “NFCC is clear that change must happen and will embrace equity as this year’s theme, the time for change and ensuring equity for women is most definitely now.” NFCC Culture Conference 2023 Following the publication of the Independent Culture Review into London Fire Brigade, and wider learning about the cultures across UK fire and rescue services, NFCC is hosting and leading a multi-stakeholder conference on Inclusion and Culture in the Fire and Rescue Service - NFCC Culture Conference 2023, on 27 & 28 March 2023.