![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
Two of the fire and rescue services in Wales have jointly appointed a contractor to carry out an independent review of culture and values as part of a commitment to showing how they are ‘progressing on their cultural journeys.’ This comes after the publication in January of a damning report into the culture of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Three months after the Welsh Government said that there would be a joint review, the fire services in Mid and West Wales and North Wales confirmed that Crest Advisory has been appointed to carry out the work. The firm is well known in the policing world and this will be its first report looking at cultural issues in fire and rescue services.
The work starts this month and is based on a terms of reference set out by the Welsh Deputy Minister. This includes benchmarking the services against the position set out in the South Wales report by Fenella Morris KC, as well as looking at work already done by the services to improve culture and how they have engaged with staff and others to identify areas of improvement.
The review will involve engagement with current and former staff using surveys, interviews and focus groups.
The Deputy Minister said in her statement to the Welsh Parliament in March that the work should be completed by autumn 2024 but the latest update from the two services says that the final report will be published in January 2025.
To read more about cultural issues in Wales, read Fire leaders in Wales urged to ‘reflect on their positions’ after scrutiny body reports its findings, published in June.