About His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
In summer 2017, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) was asked by the Home Secretary to also inspect the effectiveness and efficiency of England’s fire & rescue services. The first fire inspection took place in Spring 2018. To reflect this new role, the Inspectorate’s name changed to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
In preparing its reports, the Inspectorate asks the questions that citizens would ask, and publishes the answers in an accessible form, using its expertise to interpret the evidence and make recommendations for improvement.
The Inspectorate provides authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their police force and fire & rescue service against others. The evidence gathered is used to drive improvements in the services they provide to the public.
“HMICFRS plays a vital role in holding police forces and fire & rescue services to account - ultimately preventing crime, protecting the public, and securing public trust. His Majesty’s Inspectors are central to this approach. If you are motivated to play a key role in helping HMICFRS achieve its mission, then please get in touch”
Jaee Samant CBE
Director General – Public Safety Group, Home Office
Independence
HMICFRS is independent of government, the police and fire & rescue authorities:
• HM Inspectors are appointed by the Crown. They are not employees of the police service, fire & rescue authorities or the Government.
• In the dual role of HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Fire & Rescue Inspector for England, the Chief Inspector reports to the Home Secretary and Parliament on the efficiency and effectiveness of police services in England and Wales, and on the efficiency and effectiveness of fire & rescue authorities in England.
• HM Inspectors may be called to give evidence before committees of Parliament, and must also account for their actions to the public through the media. As is the case with all public bodies, HM Inspectors are also susceptible to judicial review.
• Although HMICFRS’ budget is set by the Government, and the inspection programmes require the Home Secretary’s approval, no Minister, chief constable, police and crime commissioner, mayor or fire and rescue authority can interfere with the contents of an HMICFRS report or the judgment of HM Inspectors.
Public interest
Police inspections
HMICFRS’ annual inspection programme for police forces in England and Wales is subject to the approval of the Home Secretary under the Police Act 1996.
The Home Secretary may also require HMICFRS to carry out further inspections of police forces, beyond the terms of the annual inspection programme. Police and crime commissioners may also commission HMICFRS to do inspections in their force areas, although HMICFRS is not required to accept any such commission.
HMICFRS may also carry out inspections of police forces on its own initiative if it considers that the performance or circumstances of a force merit it.
In devising its policing inspection programme for the Home Secretary’s approval, HMICFRS considers the risks to the public, service quality, public concerns, the operating environment, the effect which inspection may have on a force, and the benefits to the public of improvements which may follow inspection.
Fire & rescue authority inspections
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Inspectorate to inspect and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of fire & rescue authorities in England. This is principally focused on the fire and rescue service that the authority oversees.
The programme is subject to the approval of the Home Secretary who may also require HMICFRS, at any time, to carry out further inspections of any or all fire & rescues authorities in England. A recent example of this was the vital January 2021 inspection into how fire and rescue authorities responded to the COVID-19 outbreak and the numerous challenges it presents.
Powers
HMICFRS is an inspectorate, not a regulator. Regulators have powers of intervention, direction and enforcement. Inspectorates have powers to secure information, but no powers to give orders for change. Recommendations are not orders.
It is for chief constables (whose operational independence is a cornerstone of British policing), police and crime commissioners and fire & rescue authorities (both with powers to set local priorities and budgets) and, in extreme cases, the Home Secretary (who has ultimate democratic responsibility for policing and fire & rescue) to take action as a result of HMICFRS’ recommendations.
Police and crime commissioners are required to publish their comments on each HMICFRS report within 56 days of its publication, and must include an explanation of the steps to be taken in response to each HMICFRS recommendation or an explanation of why no action has been or is to be taken in that respect. Similarly, the revised Fire & Rescue National Framework for England requires fire and rescue authorities to give due regard to reports and recommendations made by HMICFRS and – if needed – prepare, update and regularly publish an action plan detailing how the recommendations are being actioned.
For more information on the work of the Inspectorate please visit the
HMICFRS websiteLevelling Up
In May 2021, the Home Office announced plans to further improve Civil Service representation in communities by moving roles from London and the South East, to offices and towns across the UK, including Stoke-on-Trent, Darlington, Peterborough, Salford and Solihull. Having more people in regional areas will improve our collective understanding of regional priorities and challenges and will better support policy development, bringing a greater variety of voices and experiences into the Civil Service. For this reason, HMICFRS will be moving to a regional structure, with offices in Salford and Birmingham, as well as a small residual presence in London. This role will not be London based.
Foreword from HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Fire & Rescue Inspector for England, Andy Cooke QPM DL
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in being appointed one of His Majesty’s Inspectors in respect of policing and fire & rescue services.
It’s a great job and could be the pinnacle of your already distinguished career.
We make a real difference. Just look at our reports on child protection and child sexual exploitation, violence against women and girls, culture & values, the policing of protests, fraud, disproportionality, leadership and so many others, as well of course as our wide-ranging inspections of all 43 police forces in England & Wales and of all 44 FRS in England. What we say gets changes made, and they're changes for the better. No-one can count how many victims receive better treatment and justice as a result of what we do; nor can we count the people who don't become victims at all. But it's certain there are many of them. And that's why we come to work.
In 2017, HMICFRS grew much bigger. To our long-standing responsibilities to inspect and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of the police in England and Wales have been added the job of doing the same for the fire and rescue services in England. We are now inspecting fire and rescue services to the same high standard as we apply to all we do in policing.
As well as the core job of inspecting and reporting on efficiency and effectiveness, there’s the policy, and relations with other pieces of government. The Home Office looms largest, but we work with four other central government departments as well as other policing, fire and criminal justice institutions (such as the College of Policing, the IOPC, the NPCC, the NFCC, the Local Government Association, the APCC and others, as well as the inspectorates for prosecution, prisons and probation).
Each HMI is a member of the HMICFRS Board; it’s a major part of the job. It's stimulating, hugely professionally satisfying and hard work. The inspectorate staff are people of diverse professional backgrounds with high skills and an unmatchable commitment to public service in these, the most essential, safety-critical monopoly public services of all.
It is essential that the collective experience of the HMIs covers the breadth of the work of the Inspectorate. Given the current composition of the board, applications for this vacancy are particularly welcomed from candidates with experience of the wider Criminal Justice sector, or more broadly in governance or assurance roles.
I urge you to read our recent reports, including the annual State of Policing and annual State of Fire and Rescue reports, and see in detail what we do. If they don't raise your heart rate, don't apply. If they do, I shall warmly welcome your application.
Andy Cooke QPM DL
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Inspector for England
Job Title: His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMI) Inspector of Fire & Rescue Authorities in England (IFRAE)
Commitment: Full time public appointment
Remuneration: £193,964 per annum
Appointment: This is a fixed term appointment for a period of up to five years.
Location: This is a national role within England & Wales, so location is flexible.
Reporting to: Andy Cooke QPM DL, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary / Chief Fire & Rescue Inspector for England.
Purpose:
HMI and IFRAE are simultaneous appointments made by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Home Secretary.
Their purpose is to inspect police forces and fire & rescue authorities, and report publicly on their efficiency and effectiveness.
Key Responsibilities:
• Inspect a number of the police forces in England and Wales, and fire & rescue authorities in England, as determined by the Chief Inspector. This will include:
o Monitoring inspected organisations’ performance;
o Forming a professional assessment of inspected organisations’ performance;
o Identifying problems and challenging inspected organisations and their governing bodies so that the public are not exposed to avoidable risk or harm and can be assured that fire & rescue services are effective and efficient;
o Preparing inspection reports to high corporate standards and presenting findings to the public; and
o Promoting good practice to promote and facilitate improvement in fire and rescue and police services, and wider public safety.
• The Chief Inspector may also require post holders to inspect other organisations, as necessary.
• Lead one or more of HMICFRS’s thematic programmes.
• Lead – if required – any additional HMICFRS inspections not included in the inspection programme.
• When called upon, participate in chief officer misconduct meetings and hearings and chief officer appeal panels.
• Operate in the public interest and demonstrate the highest levels of personal integrity at all times.
• Along with other HMICFRS Board members, contribute to the corporate leadership of the organisation.
• Build and lead high-performing inspection teams.
• Develop strong relations with the senior leadership teams of inspected organisations and their governing bodies.
