Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has appointed consultants in a bid to rid the service of bullying and harassment which a review earlier this year found were ‘widespread’.

An Independent Cultural Review into Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) in February found “a large majority of staff and former staff described MAWWFRS as an 'operational boys club,' where personal connections with senior leaders fostered favouritism and nepotism” and that “high levels of bullying and harassment, a fear of retaliation and ostracisation hampering confidence in reporting, and a lack of confidence in action from senior leaders, reflect a bullying culture at MAWWFRS.”

The review found that bullying and harassment are “widespread in MAWWFRS”, with nearly half (47 per cent) of survey respondents reporting personal experiences since June 2021, and more than half (54 per cent) having witnessed such behaviours.

One in five survey respondents had experienced discrimination, and 10 per cent of female survey respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment

At the time, Mid and West Wales Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM, accepting the findings and recommendations of the review, “apologised unreservedly to any of my colleagues who have been subject to bullying, harassment or discrimination in any form”, and said the review provided the service “clear recommendations to guide future improvements in our culture and diversity.”

Now the service has appointed Senseia - an independent cultural change consultancy – “as part of its commitment to enhancing organisational culture and operational effectiveness.”

MAWWFRS said Senseia had been appointed after a robust procurement exercise in response to the review findings and has “been retained to guide the service on its cultural journey.”

Mr Thomas, who said the findings of the review carried out by Crest Advisory were ‘wholly unacceptable and do not align with the values and behaviours that we espouse or endorse as a service’, said he welcomed the appointments of outside consultants.

“The appointment of Senseia comes at an important time within our culture improvement journey and we look forward to welcoming Senseia into our organisation,” Mr Thomas said.

“We are committed to ensuring that our workplace is not only safe and resilient but also one in which our staff can thrive.

“The insights provided by the Crest Advisory report will play an integral role in our transformation and we are confident that with the expertise of Senseia, we will be able to foster a supportive and dynamic working culture for all our personnel.”

Jason Langley, Co-founder of Senseia, said: “We are honoured to be entrusted with the opportunity to support Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service on this vital cultural journey.

“Our aim is to help the Service make the most of its own resources in fresh and creative ways.

“We want to help build a team where everyone feels proud and responsible for providing a service the community needs and expects.

“Our goal is to leave the organisation stronger, with everyone motivated to keep finding better ways to improve.”