Auditor adds new calls for action following Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service whatsapp misogyny row

Chief fire officer Simon Hardiman was given a written warning but allowed to return to work while his assistant Adam Matthews stepped down before an investigation had concluded last autumn.

Mr Hardiman and Mr Matthews were the subject of an investigation over what the service described as ‘inappropriate messages’.

The BBC reported at the time that WhatsApp conversations, reportedly leaked to ITV News, were alleged to have featured exchanges between the pair that described women with whom they worked as “lazy cow[s]” and “useless”.

Now a hard-hitting auditor’s report has reinforced inspectors’ calls for action. Shropshire & Wrekin Fire Authority has been called on to assess the cost of potential employment claims “as soon as possible” as it constituted a risk to one-off reserves.

Auditors at Grant Thornton also said that if the service had a social media policy it could not find it and they need to get one and train staff.

They said that a wide range of issues picked up by inspectors in 2021 had not been dealt with and this continued into 2024 when the service was judged to be ‘good’ in one area, adequate’ in three areas, ‘requires improvement’ in six areas and ‘inadequate’ in one area.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) had serious concerns about how Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority manages resources and risk.

Grant Thornton auditors revealed that the fire authority has been dealing with some “potential employment related claims” and has made a “significant contribution to the Pensions and Other Staff Issues Reserve”.

The report does not reveal whether any employment claims have been made against the authority, or who they consider might make a claim.

But the auditors have recommended that the fire authority should work to “estimate the potential financial impact of any possible claims and consider the likely impact on useable reserves and ensure this is reflected in the budget”

The auditors say the fire authority “followed its own processes and appropriately investigated these matters” in relation to the Whatsapp messages.

The auditors say the authority needs to do more to estimate the potential cost of employment claims against the fire authority because “reserves can only be used once.

“This places the fire authority at increased financial risk in the event of future claims – whether they are employment related or otherwise.”

They have been told to “robustly assess the potential impact of any claims ‘as soon as possible’.

Auditors say they are “not satisfied” that some of the “leadership demonstrated appropriate behaviours” during 2023/24.

They add: “We consider that this represents a significant weakness in the Fire Authority’s arrangement to ensure appropriate standards and behaviours and we have therefore raised a key recommendation.”

Auditors have recommended that the fire authority should “develop and implement an action plan for promoting the right values and culture.

“This needs to include ensuring that senor officers lead by example and act as role models.”

They should also review leadership and “tone from the top” and consider whether they need a wider review of the fire authority’s culture.

Auditors have told the fire authority in no uncertain terms that it needs to make progress on issues addressing governance and use of resources,

They have called for a ‘comprehensive action plan” to address “cause for concern and areas for improvement.”

The fire authority has been told that in “order to learn from this experience the fire authority needs to ensure that it has an appropriate policy for use of social media and that staff are aware of it and appropriately trained.”

It has also been recommended to have policies and procedures in place to investigate complaints and disciplinary matters.

If it has a social media policy the auditors ‘could not find it’.

“The fire authority needs to ensure that it avoids adverse impacts through inappropriate use of social media by officers.”

A spokesperson for the fire service and the fire authority said it “accepts the external auditors report and have submitted management actions to meet the recommendations in full.”

Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority’s Standards, Audit and Performance committee is due to consider the report at an extraordinary meeting at the Fire Service Headquarters, in St Michael’s Street, Shrewsbury, on Tuesday February 25.