SWFRS the first to introduce Crimestoppers ‘FRS Speak Up’
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has become the first fire and rescue service in the UK to introduce the new Crimestoppers FRS Speak Up advice line and website.
Launching today (Thursday 6 April) the service will allow any SWFRS staff concerned by inappropriate behaviours or practices to raise their concerns with Crimestoppers directly, confidentially and anonymously.
This new service will provide a safe space for SWFRS staff to speak up about things that aren’t right, including discrimination and harassment, misogyny and violence against women and girls, fraud and corruption and health and safety breaches.
Assistant Chief Officer for People Services, Alison Reed, said:
“As a Service, we are committed to making SWFRS a safe place for everyone to work.
“Although we have a number of existing ways for staff to raise concerns, we know that speaking up, especially about your employer or colleagues, can be difficult.
“Police forces in the UK have been using their own adaptation of the service and we’re hopeful that the anonymous reporting will empower staff across our organisation to report anything inappropriate they observe or experience.
“Staff can raise concerns through their line manager, the reporting concerns e-mail account or via our whistleblowing procedure. This service will provide an additional tool for staff to speak up and is completely separate to the existing mechanisms available to them.”
Ruth McNee, Head of Business Development at the charity Crimestoppers, said:
“As an independent charity, Crimestoppers is at the forefront of anonymous and confidential reporting for many organisations across the UK.
“We are delighted to be working with SWFRS who are the first fire service nationally to sign up to the FRS Speak Up reporting service.
“FRS Speak Up enables everyone within SWFRS to report their concerns either 100% anonymously or confidentially, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”