Working Together to Develop the Leaders of Tomorrow

We’re proud of the long-standing relationships we’ve built with Fire & Rescue Services over the past 20+ years. Every service that we work with has unique people, challenges, and aspirations, and supporting them with thoughtful, psychologist-led assessment and development is at the heart of what we do.

Hereford & Worcester FRS logo

Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service

Leadership Assessments (CPG) | 2020–2025

Since 2020, VCA has supported Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service in delivering behavioural assessments across five leadership levels, from Crew Manager to Area Manager.

The service has required a consistent, transparent approach to leadership assessment that could be sustained over multiple years and assessment cycles.

VCA delivered CPG assessments across supervisory, middle, and strategic leadership levels. Initially using role-play exercises only, the service later adopted both case study and role play to provide a more rounded assessment. To support cost-effective delivery, VCA introduced CPG Lite, providing streamlined feedback while maintaining rigour.

More than 230 candidates were assessed between 2020 and 2025. Most recently, 2025 assessments achieved average combined scores of 62% for Watch Managers and 66% for Crew Managers, supporting a consistent leadership pipeline.

Using long-term behavioural assessments helped make promotion decisions fairer and more transparent. Over five years, we’ve been able to track performance trends, and the addition of the second exercise has provided extra insight into organisational and team strengths, as well as development needs. This has strengthened the service’s leadership pipeline and given managers a clear picture of where to focus growth.

North Wales fire and rescue service logo

North Wales Fire & Rescue Service

Leadership Assessments (CPG Lite) | 2023–2025

North Wales Fire & Rescue Service partnered with VCA to deliver behavioural assessments across multiple leadership levels using the CPG Lite approach.

The service sought a robust and consistent assessment process that balanced behavioural insight with efficiency and cost control.

VCA delivered CPG Lite case study and role-play assessments across multiple assessment cycles. Candidates were supported through pre-assessment briefings, and follow-up feedback sessions were offered to those who did not meet the required standard.

Sixty candidates were assessed between 2023 and 2025, with thirty-six candidates successfully passing. The process supported both promotional and developmental leadership pathways.

The CPG Lite approach gave North Wales Fire & Rescue Service a consistent, fair, and objective way to assess leaders while staying within budget. Candidate satisfaction remains high, with the average candidate satisfaction rating at 83% across exercises

For candidates who did not achieve a pass mark in one or both exercises, VCA provided follow-up feedback sessions focused on clear, practical areas for improvement. This development activity is strongly encouraged by NWFRS and gives candidates actionable insights to support future development, reinforcing the service’s commitment to continuous improvement and staff progression. 100% of candidates who resat an exercise following this development activity showed an increase in scores, highlighting the value of targeted feedback and support.

Explore our projects

To see how we’ve collaborated with Fire and Rescue services across the UK to create fair, meaningful and effective assessment solutions that help individuals grow and develop.

CPG projects
Workshops
Putting Values First
Leading the Service
Feedback Coaching
Other Work

If you’d like to learn more about how VCA can help your organisation assess, develop, and retain talent, get in touch:

+44 (0)1202 798272