We are grateful for all the feedback we received through the working group and consulatation on the Organisational Learning Fire Standard, all of which has been considered. We have provided an explanation and rationale for the changes made to the final version of the Fire Standard in the table below.
Approved Standard
Take a look at the Fire Standard that was published following feedback.
Consultation
DESIRED OUTCOME
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| The intended outcome should focus on increasing safety. | We changed the wording from "ensures" to "will increase" to better reflect the role organisational learning plays in improving safety outcomes and recognising that learning should be evaluated for impact rather than assumed to always result in change. |
| Organisational learning should take a whole-system approach. | Throughout the desired outcome, we strengthened references to organisational learning as a holistic process that reaches every level of the organisation, connects functions, supports continuous improvement, informs risk management, and values learning from both positive practice and adverse events. |
| The term "systems" could be interpreted as IT systems only. | We updated the wording to reference "systems and processes" and added a glossary definition to clarify that this includes both digital and non-digital arrangements used to support organisational learning. |
| People are as important as processes and systems. | We maintained a strong focus on communities and employees throughout the desired outcome, recognising that effective organisational learning depends on the people operating within those systems and processes. |
| Learning should be informed by a wider range of sources and not remain within individual organisations. | We broadened the wording to include internal and external learning outcomes and added plans alongside strategies and policies. We also reinforced the importance of both sharing and receiving learning, recognising that effective organisational learning relies on collaboration with partners and learning from external evidence, research and wider sector insights. |
| The phrase "without prejudice" felt overly legalistic and unnecessary. | We removed the phrase to simplify the wording while retaining the emphasis on an inclusive, honest and transparent organisational learning culture. |
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO MEET THE FIRE STANDARD
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Organisational learning should come from all parts of the service, including every level of the organisation. | We strengthened the wording to ensure learning is drawn from all areas and levels of the service. |
| Organisational learning should be strategically aligned to organisational priorities. | We strengthened the focus on a strategic and consistent approach to organisational learning that supports Community Risk Management Planning and corporate risk management. |
| Building resilience is more important than creating a single point of contact. | We updated the governance requirements to focus on having a defined and accountable leadership structure in place, rather than creating a potential single point of failure. |
| Governance, accountability and scrutiny should be clearly defined. | We reinforced requirements relating to governance and leadership to support accountability throughout the learning process, from identifying lessons through to embedding and evaluating change. |
| The standard should focus on raising awareness and confidence in organisational learning. | We revised the wording to emphasise supporting employees to identify learning and feed it into the appropriate systems and processes. |
| Positive practice should be captured as well as lessons from incidents and issues. | We added a specific reference to positive practice within learning processes. |
| Organisational learning should be everyone's responsibility. | We strengthened the focus on creating an environment where all employees can contribute to organisational learning and feel safe in doing so. |
| "Information" is a more appropriate term than "data" in some areas of the standard. | We amended the wording and made additional changes throughout the standard to improve clarity and consistency of terminology. |
| Learning should identify underlying causes, not just immediate issues. | We reinforced the importance of robust analysis informed by data, insights and risk, supporting services to identify systemic and root causes where appropriate. |
| The standard should reference national guidance. | We added a requirement to use national guidance and best practice as a framework for improvement. |
| Assurance should have a stronger presence within organisational learning. | We strengthened the wording to emphasise the importance of both evaluation and assurance. |
| Some requirements duplicated content already covered elsewhere in the standard. | We removed one requirement that was considered repetitive to improve clarity and readability. |
| Learning should be embedded and its impact evaluated. | We strengthened requirements that focus on embedding learning, monitoring impact and ensuring improvements are sustained over time. |
| Emerging technologies could support organisational learning. | Following peer review feedback, a new optional "may" point was introduced to recognise the potential role of AI and other technologies in enhancing learning processes. |
EXPECTED BENEFITS OF ACHIEVEING THE FIRE STANDARD
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| The benefits section did not fully capture all of the intended outcomes. | We enhanced the benefits section to include improved decision-making, stronger evaluation and assurance, improved organisational preparedness and resilience, and greater confidence in alignment with national guidance and Fire Standards. |
| The wording around health, safety and wellbeing should be consistent. | We updated the wording to align with commonly used terminology and improve consistency across the standard. |
| Improved decision-making should be recognised as a key benefit. | We amended the wording to highlight improved decision making and evidence-based learning as key outcomes of effective organisational learning. |
| The resilience benefit could be clearer. | We updated the wording to reference improved organisational preparedness and resilience. |
| The evaluation and assurance benefit was unclear. | We replaced the original wording with clearer text that emphasises improved evaluation and assurance across all areas and levels of the organisation, increasing confidence in alignment with national guidance and standards. |
Legal Requirements and Mandatory Duties
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Some legislative references were duplicated elsewhere. | We removed the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations from this section because it is already covered within the legislation applicable to all Fire Standards. |
Linked Qualifications, Accreditations, or Fire Standards
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Links to related Fire Standards could be strengthened. | We added references to the Emergency Preparedness and Resilience and Internal Governance and Assurance Fire Standards to strengthen alignment across the Fire Standards framework. |
Guidance and Supporting Information
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Existing guidance from the Operational Learning Fire Standard remains appropriate. | We reviewed the current guidance and supporting information and agreed it remains relevant and applicable to the Organisational Learning Fire Standard. |
Glossary
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Key terminology would benefit from clearer definitions. | We added new glossary entries for Recommendations, Action, and Systems and Processes to support a consistent understanding of organisational learning terminology across the sector. |