South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority intervention

An independent SWFRS Culture Review Report was published by Fenella Morris KC on 3 January 2024.

As a result, the then Deputy Minister for Social Partnership made an oral statement on 9 January 2024. On 6 February 2024, the Deputy Minister made a further oral statement and issued Directions to the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). The Directions conferred all of the functions of the FRA to 4 Commissioners.

On 13 July 2026, the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning made a written statement setting out that the intervention would continue until after the local government elections in 2027. Amending Directions were issued to the FRA.

• From 1 August 2026, the four Commissioners are: The Baroness Wilcox of Newport, former leader of Newport City Council and the Welsh Local Government Authority (WLGA)
• Kirsty Williams, former Member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnor
• Vij Randeniya, former Chief Fire Officer of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
• Claire Parmenter, former Chief Constable and Deputy Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police

• The Commissioners original terms of reference were to: Implement of all the recommendations of the review of SWFRS culture and values within deadlines stipulated in it.
• Establish and oversee a new senior management team and related processes that are untainted by the failings identified in the report. As a first step, they will appoint a Chief Fire Officer and, as necessary, other senior staff necessary to contribute fully and effectively to the FRA’s recovery.
• Establish and implement a process to identify grievance cases arising during the period covered by the report which may have been improperly and/or unfairly dealt with. They will also ensure those cases are reopened and re-examined, leading to a fair and just outcome.
• Implement all of the recommendations made in the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser’s thematic reviews on:
  • learning from Grenfell Tower Inquiry 
  • fire and rescue service capacity
  • fire and rescue service operational training
• Make arrangements for a significant and sustained reduction in SWFRS’s attendance at false alarms.
• Develop proposals for the future governance of FRA to minimise the risk of further such failings.
• Discharge other functions of the FRA and its members as set out in statute and the FRA’s standing orders.
• Advise the Welsh Government on progress with the above, and on the potential for ending intervention.
• Undertake all their work in the full spirit of social partnership, and through continual and effective engagement with SWFRS staff and representative bodies.

These have been updated to reflect progress to date and the latest position. From 1 August 2026, the Commissioners have been asked to:

• Continue with the implementation of the recommendations arising from the review of SWFRS culture and values, and from independent inspection reports including recommendations from the CFRAI’s thematic reviews.
• Oversee the development of the new senior management team, embedding clear and effective lines of direction-setting, reporting and accountability. 
• Work with the senior management team to ensure that internal structures support continuous improvement, innovation and a risk-based approach to service delivery. 
• Oversee the development of new and effective long-term governance arrangements, and transition support for new FRA members.
• Embed an effective Performance Management Framework to provide clear performance assurance to the future FRA and external partners. 
• Develop a comprehensive Medium-Term Financial Strategy, which demonstrates appropriate, cost-effective and resilient funding levels for ongoing improvement of the service.
• Oversee development of a strategic approach to managing risk in communities, including the delivery of a Fire Cover Review and medium-term Community Risk Management Plan. 
• Discharge other functions of the FRA and its members as set out in statute and the FRA’s standing orders. 
• Support and assess the organisation’s progress in developing the capability and sustainability required to enable a safe, effective and smooth transition to local control, and advise the Welsh Government on this. 
• undertake all their work in the full spirit of social partnership, and through continual and effective engagement with SWFRS staff and their trade unions and other representative bodies. 

Follow the progress on the work of the Commissioners on the SWFRA website.