Hannah recently joined The Firefighters Podcast to discuss a core focus of our work at VCA: how Fire and Rescue Services have been attracting, developing and promoting the leaders they need for the future.

In this episode, our Director and Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Hannah Vallance, spoke with host Pete about what it took to build a leadership culture that reflected modern service values and long‑term organisational needs. The discussion moved beyond process compliance and highlighted how services had been creating meaningful opportunities for growth and progression.

Key Themes

  • Values‑Based Recruitment:
    Ensuring recruitment reflected organisational purpose and supported the development of a trusted, credible workforce.

  • Feedback Culture:
    Embedding constructive, consistent feedback as a foundation for genuine development and improved performance.

  • Succession Planning:
    Identifying potential early and preparing individuals for future leadership roles through structured, transparent processes.

  • Fair & Consistent Promotion:
     Creating promotion systems that were trusted across the whole organisation, including the watch floor, where confidence in leadership was built through experience and consistency.

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Click the image below to listen to The Firefighters Podcast – Developing Future Fire Service Leaders