DMFD247 Strategic Leadership Programme

1.1 Report LFC-24-083 to the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) explains that since 2017 LFB has needed to respond to unprecedented challenges both operationally and culturally. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the independent Culture Review and a number of reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) identified the need for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to develop leadership that could be trusted, both by the public it serves and the staff who work for it. The LFB Staff Survey results reinforced the need to improve leadership and the way senior staff behave and lead LFB.
1.2 Until 2022 there had been limited leadership learning and development within LFB. The priority had been operational training. In 2022, LFB launched three leadership programmes aimed at junior, middle and senior leaders. The courses are being delivered by Babcock Training Limited, LFB’s training provider, and LFB’s Leadership Academy with some specialist support for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion modules. These are currently being delivered with evaluation showing positive impact.
1.3 In early 2023, LFB commissioned leadership consultants to work with the Commissioner, Directors and members of the Top Management Group (TMG) to assess the future requirements for the most senior leaders of LFB. They conducted six half day workshops and one-to-one meetings and coaching sessions with the Commissioner and all Directors. In addition, they held two full day workshops with members of the TMG exploring themes around cultural leadership and their future needs and requirements. Between the two TMG sessions, those who attended the workshops spoke to all of their TMG colleagues to gather feedback on existing and future development needs and how best to bring about culture transformation. The consultants also reviewed existing materials, resources and the programmes to support the leadership development of Directors and TMG.
1.4 The assessment concluded that although there were some generic leadership programmes, there was little development activity targeted at Directors or TMG. Those consulted expressed the current leadership development provision at this level was disjointed, provided on an ad-hoc basis and with little evidence of positive impact at team or organisational level. The review found it was vital for greater clarity about the composition of TMG, finding the current number of approximately 70 members to be too large. They proposed changing the name to Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) and reducing the size. They found leaders needed greater understanding of their collective and wider organisational responsibilities beyond their specific remit or job role. There was a need to establish three different leadership communities (Commissioner, Directors and TMG/SLT) to learn and lead together. The current provision emphasised individual leadership and whilst this is useful, further development provision should be focused on cultivating a collective leadership approach with leaders collaborating to lead LFB.
1.5 Following this work LFB established a Working Group consisting of 12 TMG members from operational, control and non-operational staff (known as fire and rescue staff (FRS)) groups and colleagues from the Culture Transformation programme team and the Leadership Academy. The group developed the specification of the proposed development programme and supporting business case. This sets out two options for delivering a Strategic Leadership Programme, as well as a third option of ‘do nothing’. Directors have reviewed the options in relation to the composition of a newly formed SLT and propose reducing the number to approximately 40 members.
1.6 TMG will remain an important leadership group. The current monthly briefings and leadership development opportunities will continue. TMG members will continue to be invited to the keynote speaker sessions introduced in 2023 and will be able to access the coaching and mentoring support available from both LFB and other organisations such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, Greater London Authority and Westminster Industry Group. In addition, the learning and development
provision through the Windsor Leadership programme is open to all TMG members. Investment is being made in the provision of management training and bespoke learning and development aimed at FRS staff which all TMG FRS staff will be able to access.
1.7 The LFC’s preferred option is to procure an external provider to design and deliver the programme. LFB do not have the skills and resources to design and deliver this type of training, and should an in-house option be required then significant investment would be needed in year one to develop this capability. The management of the delivery of an external sourced provision would be undertaken by the Leadership Academy and be overseen through the Leadership Model of Trust project which sits in the Culture Transformation programme. Funding has been allocated in the 2024/25 budget and authorisation is sought for the LFC to commit revenue expenditure in order to proceed to tender via an approved framework of suppliers.

2.1    The Senior Leadership Programme aims to:
•    Strengthen relationships within the SLT, driving active collaboration and cooperation.
•    Build strong and accountable leadership communities across LFB.
•    Build leadership skills and explore and understand how they are different to management skills.
•    Actively consider and support succession planning.
•    Help resolve complex problems and evolve working cultures, together.

2.2    The objectives are:
•    To embed constructive disagreement, negotiation and informed decision-making into collective leadership practice across LFB.
•    To strengthen relationships within the SLT, empowering groups to collaborate more effectively, demonstrate consistency in behaviours, values and vision as a means of driving organisational effectiveness.
•    To work collaboratively to build a better understanding of, and shared confidence in the multiple leadership roles and responsibilities across the LFB.
•    To develop sustainable mechanisms, such as evaluation processes, workshop storyboards, governance processes and clear objectives, for building skills, knowledge and experience of collective leadership in a complex organisation in a constantly changing environment.
•    For future staff surveys to measure positive change in leadership and management and in understanding and being motivated by the senior leader’s communication of their vision for LFB.
•    To build a collective and collaborative strategic leadership group with a consistent style of behaviours that demonstrate the LFB Values leading to increased psychological safety and resultant improvement in wellbeing and performance.
•    Personalised development, specific training needs (including support for those that are neurodiverse), objective setting, and peer to peer learning.
2.3    The expected outcomes will be:
•    A strengthened collective leadership function with a clear sense of shared purpose as to their roles and responsibility as a SLT.
•    A new set of relationships based on mutual trust and respect where individuals feel a strong sense of belonging and where diverse perspectives are encouraged.
•    A leadership culture which creates the right conditions for healthy challenge, appropriate risk-taking and collaboration.
•    A culture of on-going learning, where the leadership community take responsibility for empowering others across LFB. A clear sense of succession planning opportunities within LFB.
•    Increased creativity and innovation across the leadership community, driving effectiveness.
 

3.1 The LFC and the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service Fire are required to have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010) when taking decisions. This, in broad terms, involves understanding the potential impact of policy and decisions on different people. Taking this into account and then evidencing how decisions were reached.
3.2 It is important to note that consideration of the Public Sector Equality Duty is not a one-off task. The duty must be fulfilled before taking a decision, at the time of taking a decision, and after the decision has been taken.
3.3 The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of the requirements to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination), race (ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, and sexual orientation.
3.4 The Public Sector Equality Duty requires decision-takers in the exercise of all their functions, to have due regard to the need to:
• eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct.
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
• foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
3.5 Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:
• Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic where those disadvantages are connected to that characteristic.
• Take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it.
• Encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
3.6 The steps involved in meeting the needs of disabled persons that are different from the needs of persons who are not disabled include, in particular, steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities.
3.7 Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:
• tackle prejudice
• promote understanding.
3.8 An Equality Impact Assessment has been conducted for the current TMG development programme. This is contained within appendix 1 (the Business Case) to report LFC-24-083. It found that the activity is notable for its comprehensive consideration of diverse colleagues, reflecting a strong commitment to operational effectiveness. It greatly promotes compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and demonstrates due regard for the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

Workforce comments
4.1 Prospect (the trade union which represents senior staff) have been engaged and are supportive of investment in senior staff leadership development and the need to reduce the size of a future SLT. They have requested information on the composition and rationale for inclusion.
Sustainability comments
4.2 A sustainability impact assessment was undertaken (Appendix 3 of report LFC-24-083) and it was found that this proposal would have a low impact.
Procurement comments
4.3 LFB’s Procurement team have been engaged in developing the business case and advising on potential supply routes. Following research, they propose that the procurement should be via a Public Contracts Regulation 2015 compliant framework run by YPO (who are a central purchasing body). This will give LFB a wide range of suppliers to review submissions from (approximately 17). This ensures a fair comparison in regard to capability/commerciality and taking into consideration LFB’s commitment for responsible procurement, including sustainability, corporate social responsibility and social value.
4.4 A procurement panel will be established to help inform the process and assess submissions. The assessment criteria will be agreed with Procurement to ensure appropriate weighting is given to the quality of the product and cost considerations.
Conflicts of interest
4.5 There are no conflicts of interest to declare from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision.

5.1 This report seeks approval to commit revenue expenditure to deliver the Strategic Leadership Programme, funded from investment growth approved as part of the 2024/25 budget. Further information on costs and funding is provided in Part Two of the report.
5.2 There are no direct financial implications for the GLA.

6.1 This report seeks approval to commit revenue expenditure on goods and services set out in more detail in Part 2 of the report to deliver the Senior Leadership Programme.
6.2 Under section 9 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the LFC is established as a corporation sole with the Mayor appointing the occupant of that office. Under section 327D of the GLA Act 1999, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the Mayor may issue to the Commissioner specific or general directions as to the manner in which the holder of that office is to exercise his or her functions.
6.3 By direction dated 1 April 2018, the Mayor set out those matters, for which the LFC would require the prior approval of either the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service (the "Deputy Mayor"). Paragraph (b) of Part 2 of that direction requires the LFC to seek the prior approval of the Deputy Mayor before “[a] commitment to expenditure (capital or revenue) of £150,000 or above as identified in accordance with normal accounting practices…”. Accordingly, the revenue expenditure set out in more detail in Part 2, requires prior approval.
6.4 The statutory basis for the actions proposed in this report is provided by sections 7 and 5A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (“FRSA 2004”). Under Section 7 (2)(a) FRSA 2004 the Commissioner has the power to secure the provision of personnel, services and equipment necessary to efficiently meet all normal requirements for firefighting and section 5A allows the Commissioner to procure personnel, services and equipment they consider appropriate for purposes incidental or indirectly incidental to their functional purposes.
6.5 LFC’s General Counsel advises that all proposed tenders (together with any modifications to any existing contracts) required to deliver the Senior Leadership Programme must be carried out in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”), together with the London Fire Commissioner’s Scheme of Governance (Part 3 Standing Orders Relating To Procurement).
6.6 Delivery of the Senior Leadership Programme will enable LFB to make continuous improvements, enable it to operate efficiently and effectively, and build trust and confidence.
6.7 These comments have been adopted from those provided by the LFC’s General Counsel Department in report LFC-24-083 to the LFC.

Appendix 1 – Part one of report LFC-24-083 (including Appendices 1.2, 1.2, 1.3).