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Awards
- ON Awards 2012
- ON Awards 2011
- ON Awards 2010
  - 2009 Case Studies
    - Advancing Women in Public Service Award
      - Birmingham City Council
      - Leicestershire Constabulary
      - London Fire Brigade
- RfO Awards 2012
- RfO Awards 2011

London Fire Brigade

What

This case study is about London Fire Brigade’s graduate entry scheme for accelerated progression within operational roles. While the use of graduate recruitment is common in many industries the fire service has traditionally only had one point of entry. The London Fire Brigade is the first fire service in the country to look to this method as a way of increasing the number of talented women in leadership positions. Not only will this initiative create greater diversity of leadership it is also a way of enhancing the service’s managerial and leadership capacity. The London Fire Brigade piloted the new scheme with a group of 14 entrants. It signals a move away from purely attracting people with the skills to carry out the day to day job and instead works to identify leaders at entry level.

Why

The programme provides a framework for identifying and developing talented individuals and so ensuring a high calibre of leaders across the organisation. It was instigated as a way of improving the quality of staff and in particular the number of BME and women at managerial level. It involves the recruitment of high potential staff who are then fast tracked through supervisory managerial roles so that they can reach middle management in a much shorter time period.

How

The scheme was developed by creating a working group from Human Resources, Training and the Service Delivery departments. It was then agreed by the LFB Board and by the full Authority, (elected politicians who oversee the running of the Brigade), in consultation with trade unions.

London Fire Brigade showcased the scheme at a number of graduate fairs and developed marketing material to attract applicants .Care was taken to prepare individuals for the selection process, for example detailed guidance and practical testing of fitness levels was given. All of the selected graduates attended an intensive induction prior to commencing initial training. There was clear internal communication about the scheme, with particular focus on those stations taking graduate trainees. A spread of station-based managers is responsible for the on-going monitoring, assessment and guidance of the graduate participants whilst they become fully competent firefighters.

Individuals were also assigned senior managers as mentors. The scheme has now been rolled out beyond the initial pilot and is fully integrated into existing development processes.

London Fire BrigadeGraduate Entry Scheme
Contact: Dawne Stephenson, Positive Action Manager
Email: dawne.stephenson@london-fi re.gov.uk

42% of the graduate entrants are women.
There has been a cultural shift within the organisation to accept accelerated development.
The initiative is a pilot for the whole fire brigade and will help inform how other fire brigades across the country can utilise graduate recruitment. The Board and Members have acknowledged the value of the scheme and have agreed to run a second programme in 2009.
London staff are now instrumental in developing Government backed national high potential development schemes for the Fire and Rescue Service. Approximately 15 Fire Services across the country have already expressed an interest in taking part in these schemes which will be launched in 2009.