Fin Monahan has commanded the Purple Arrows, fought most cancers and extra. Now he’s in control of checking out considered one of Wales’ greatest employers
Fin Monahan knew the job he needed when he left the army: a job at Nato. However when he was on a mandated coaching course he was instructed to jot down a CV and canopy letter and discover a job that he matched his expertise.
As he searched on-line, he got here throughout one – chief fireplace officer at South Wales Hearth and Rescue Service. It not solely match the invoice, nevertheless it him.
Throughout the advert was a short point out to the requirement to ship “cultural change”. It did not take Google lengthy to throw up any of the numerous tales detailing the state the service was in.
In January 2024, an impartial evaluation had discovered repeated examples of bullying, homophobia, racism and sexism. Sexual harassment and home abuse had been tolerated, in addition to incidents of bodily aggression exterior of labor.
“Inappropriate behaviours exist…from the highest down,” it learn. The-then chief introduced his retirement on the identical day. Our protection of the primary evaluation will be learn right here.
Stunning is an overused phrase, however the 185-page report actually was. Web page after web page listed increasingly more issues of nepotism, abuse of energy, and grievances gone unresolved.
Quick ahead a yr and he’s at Aberbargoed fireplace station. He’s being requested about shift patterns and the structure of management rooms in a stuffy room filled with native crews.
As he approaches six months in workplace, he says he is met 97% of the 1200 and one thing workers that work for the service.
John Finbar Monahan, Fin, is a former Air Vice-Marshal, former Royal Air Power officer, pilot, Purple Arrow commander who has lived in India, New Zealand and Belgium for 3 years, he was additionally based mostly with American troops in Stuttgart
He began his education in Maentwrog, now Gwynedd, and studied for (considered one of) his levels in France and fought within the Balkan wars, three excursions of Afghanistan, he commanded operational unit in north Africa.
For his Welsh mum, the most important change was when he returned from his 24 weeks of officer coaching and will hold a clear bed room.
His final huge position earlier than leaving was as one of many administrators of all of Nato’s air belongings from the Arctic to the Black Sea instantly after the invasion of Ukraine, working the plane of 32 nations creating a hoop of metal round all of the NATO nations of Europe, but in addition shifting satellites and other people on the bottom.
It wasn’t his first involvement with Ukraine. In 2015, he arrange what would later grow to be the coaching programme for Ukrainian troopers, which has gone on to coach 50,000 folks.
In his phrases: “I am used to being in harmful environments”.
He holds masters levels from each College of Nottingham and College of Madras, and awarded a Doctorate PhD from College of Birmingham on organisational tradition. He’s additionally a most cancers survivor and has had two bone marrow transplants.
In 2009 the again ache he was struggling was identified as most cancers, on the time he was embedded with the Indian army. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been adopted by a stem cell transplant, and he managed to return to the RAF.
In 2015, a scan revealed minute traces that the most cancers in his bone marrow. Eight months after a second transplant, he grew to become commandant of the Central Flying Faculty, a job which incorporates coaching, organising and flying with the world’s most well-known aerobatic workforce, the Purple Arrows.
He’s a patron of two most cancers teams and in his free time you will discover him crusing or possibly skiiing, probably even in his campervan, and he is been to 5 Glastonbury Festivals.
His present problem is South Wales Hearth and Rescue Service. He says there have been a number of issues that him in regards to the job when he learn the advert. Firstly, he’d performed some firefighting coaching in his army profession, and cherished it. After which there was some “strain” from his spouse, given his profession had been internationally-based.
He was considered one of 5 shortlisted candidates, and had 5 days of workout routines, panels, and interviews earlier than being appointed. When requested in his interview what he considered the evaluation by Fenella Morris, he instructed the panel it was “stunning, completely stunning”.
“There are terrible issues which have taken place right here they usually clearly have to be sorted out. There may be, for my part, a management downside and we have to kind that out,” he instructed them.
In these first six months since taking on, he has made some extent of visiting station after station, crew after crew. His did his first station visits “right away” and says he detected a sense from the troops that “we are saying stuff however nothing will get performed”.
He makes some extent of telling workers he’s an outsider. That is essential as a result of a few of these folks he has met are victims, and a few are these did flawed, and the previous particularly must know there was a change and the gradual means of rebuilding belief can then start. He begins by telling these folks that “rather a lot” of the previous management has gone.
“I do nonetheless get folks saying ‘they have been a part of it’ as a result of they have been someplace in that management construction. Clearly you are not going to do away with everybody after which begin once more so it is a huge problem,” he stated.
However considered one of his purple traces – “For those who slip, you may be sacked,” he stated.
“The egregious excursions from norms, behaviours and disciplinary requirements are gone, okay?” he says, making precision eye contact throughout the lecture room desk we sit at.
Requested if meaning he can say racism, homophobia and sexism are utterly gone from the store ground, he replies: “I feel you possibly can go to any organisation in Britain and you will see that people who find themselves sexist, racist and homophobic.
“My line to folks is ‘if you’re a sexist, racist, homophobe or you don’t respect folks, this isn’t the place for you’ I am laborious on that.
“I’m very, very clear that you might want to both very quickly change the best way you behave and the best way you suppose, or there’s not a spot for you on this service,” he stated.
Rebuilding the belief of these impacted instantly, and even not directly will take time, he says, however it’s underway.
He has arrange a “CFO Confidential” e-mail the place folks can ship considerations anonymously, seen solely by him and his chief of workers, additionally introduced in from exterior the service. “We have now no affiliation with anybody else and what that enables folks to do is to ship considerations in,” he stated.
There have been 35 circumstances raised by means of that, some extra severe than others, round 12 have, he says, been handled through a “actually good decision” and others proceed to be checked out.
“I am going spherical, nose to nose, I look folks within the eye and I say, ‘a few of you on this room, you will not admit it to different folks within the room, however you might need considerations both about your self or about different folks’.” He then tells them to go to him instantly.
“Having very clear requirements is essentially essential,” he stated. “For those who put on the uniform then you’re chargeable for your behaviour, not simply while you’re at work, it is truly in the whole lot you do. So while you exit to a pub, should you do one thing flawed, they’ll discuss with you as a firefighter X so that you let down the service .
“There have been issues exterior the service which have truly impacted us as a service and there’s no room for that. Really we now have greater requirements and we have to preserve them.
He won’t draw back from sacking folks if behaviour falls under his expectations. “We’re fairly ready to go to that time for egregious departures from behavioural norms and requirements, however that has to take a seat throughout the legislation and it needs to be truthful,” he stated.
However he says he is had circumstances raised with him the place the priority is “justice hasn’t been performed”. In that scenario, he’ll meet them and ask their expectations. “They get direct entry to the chief, to somebody from the skin who they’ll belief,” he stated.
Folks had seen those that they’d made complaints about again at work, with no seen sanction or clarification, that led to resentment. “Except they see a discount in rank, they may be there taking a look at somebody, considering, ‘nicely, why are they nonetheless within the service? They’ve had a serious affect on my life.'”
They’ve additionally been visited by his former colleagues within the Purple Arrows – one thing which can increase an eyebrow given the truth that in 2023, the world-renowned show workforce is in “particular measures” after a report discovered predatory behaviour in direction of ladies was “widespread and normalised”.
An investigation described a “poisonous tradition” the place ladies suffered sexual harassment and bullying. There was undesirable bodily contact, sexual texts, invites to interact in sexual exercise, and girls being seen as “property”.
Behaviour went unchallenged till, in 2021, three ladies went to the then-head of the RAF about complaints they’d made which had not been addressed by their chain of command going again to 2017.
“When, for instance, the Purple Arrows incident occurred that was ‘it is the Purple Arrows how may it probably…’
“You will have organisations there held in excessive regard, after they slip, it is worse from a reputational harm level of perspective,” he stated.
“Take a look at what occurred however have a look at how they responded. “There was unacceptable behaviour. Two pilots ejected – sacked – from the Purple Arrows and from the army. I feel there have been one other 5 individuals who had disciplinary circumstances towards them, however actually laborious motion and apparent motion,” he stated.
For the next two to a few years, the “diamond 9” of the Purple Arrows was seven, as a result of they’d misplaced members.
“It was public penance. Within the circles I transfer in, that was very public, there was a sure humility to all of it.”
He stated what was mentioned on the go to was “how did that occur?” and what the basis causes have been.
“I used to be the commander of the Purple Arrows about three or 4 years earlier than and it was a tremendous place”. I had people who find themselves brazenly homosexual, we tried to do delight smoke. It was very, very proactive strategy, a extremely snug good place to be and we had we had a transgender lady on the squadron who simply transitioned and the assist there was was palpable and excellence being delivered on a regular basis.
“To see then the organisation slip, I used to be very clear ‘you’re to get on the entrance web page of the newspaper not for the flawed causes’
He has now labored in three areas the place there have been high-profile studies of discrimination, or sexually deviant behaviour.
Requested why that occurred within the army, the Purple Arrows, and the hearth service, whether or not it was energy or ego, he stated: “For those who’re in a public service you’re held to the next commonplace by folks, you are very apparent and so if one thing bubbles up, then it is truly extra essential that it is handled than in different organisations.”
At South Wales Hearth and Rescue Service he noticed an absence of leaders intervening to resolve points.
“There was no mediation package deal within the service in any respect. Leaders did not wish to get their finger within the mangle as a result of they don’t seem to be skilled to do this.
“So small issues would explode right into a grievance that then festers as a result of there are such a lot of grievances they usually’re sitting there ready for one thing to occur.
“The grievance system additionally, with a purpose to shield sure folks, will droop them however then rumours go spherical what is definitely a comparatively small organisation.” he stated. For our free day by day briefing on the most important points dealing with the nation, signal as much as the Wales Issues publication right here
He stated he may clearly see workers knew how you can do run incidents on the bottom, however elsewhere management is missing.
He has arrange a management academy, sending fireplace service workers to the Central Flying Faculty to do the flying teacher’s course, and introduced in a few of his former colleagues – recovering from their very own scandal – to share their experience. There are actually skilled mediators to take care of disputes and extra being skilled.
A part of the rationale for that lack of management, he stated, is that it was once that fireplace crew commanders, now managers, can be despatched to the hearth coaching school at Moreton-in-Marsh for a six week course however the school was privatised and focuses on sensible, technical coaching, not the administration programs.
“The army has one thing referred to as Mission Command that is frequent to 32 nations in NATO, it[s described this is the way to do leadership and it’s delegation to the lowest level absolutely possible, empowerment to the lowest level possible, challenging up the chain of command to make sure that the commander makes informed decisions rather than makes their own decisions,” he said.
“When I say to a crew manager, so what training have had to deal with difficult situations. They say, none. They say they can do incident command. There it’s pretty direct, it’s noisy. You have to be directive and it’s absolutely right that you are directive in that situation. But the people skills element isn’t being taught now.”
He has a two-track approach, of short term changes, but building a proper strategy. In the management world that is usually talked about in terms of 10 to 15 years.
In her report, Fenella Morris says that in their interviews with staff, there were numerous references to the ‘chain of command’.” But he told the panel that wasn’t the problem in itself. A chain of command, in roles like the military or emergency services is imperative, but a lack of leadership is different and the two had been conflated.
“When I came here, early on I was going around saying, ‘right, what is your leadership philosophy or leadership style that you have in South Wales Fire and Rescue Service?’
“No one could articulate it,” he said.
He also saw an “us and them” attitude about operational staff and those at say headquarters. When that language is used in his sessions, he tells a story about how all but one of the service’s payroll HR department was taken down by norovirus except one, who had just graduated.
“That person worked day and night to do all of the pay run for the whole of the service. Nailed it and we all got paid,” he said. “I say to them, ‘Let’s just think about that, that’s us’. It’s not those people down in headquarters,” he said.
He urged the crews there on this day to take up the option to go to the control room to see what they’re doing.
His aims are relatively simple. To keep people safe but secondly, he wants the organisation to get three “outstanding” ratings from His Majesty’s Inspectorate and Fire Rescue Services. ]
He accepts they’ve a protracted approach to go for that particularly given a latest evaluation of companies discovered there have been “severe considerations” about whether or not the service can hold folks secure.
“What’s my primary precedence? It is truly defending 1.6 million folks. Day and evening, one year of the yr, our base operational excellence. That is my primary precedence.
“My quantity two precedence is tradition. My PhD is in organisational tradition in uniform companies so I’ve received all kinds of instruments to carry to the social gathering to ensure that our tradition improves as a result of until your tradition improves, you possibly can by no means be glorious,” he stated.
“On the tradition aspect of issues, taking a look at being a folks organisation? That begins now, not in 5 years time. That begins instantly.”
His tutorial background and sensible data tells him a ten to fifteen yr plan is affordable. He is given himself eight however he does not nonetheless suppose he must be in position for the top of that.
“I don’t suppose that I must be right here for eight years. It is too lengthy. What I wish to do is to ensure that we’re constructing strategic leaders within the service. It’s kind of stunning actually, is not it, there was no-one able to step in and simply take over.”
He believes it’s making a distinction already however they’re burned by what has gone on, and protection of the report, and the concern that one brush was used to tar all.
“These folks that you simply simply noticed in that room downstairs, they’re there able to danger their lives and exit and shield folks, save folks.
“We simply had a a home fireplace about 4 or 5 weeks in the past wherein two of my firefighters, with respiration equipment on, went in and fought a fireplace to get to the staircase, fought it on the staircase, cleared 5 rooms and dragged somebody out and really saved seven folks in complete.
“It was a well-alight constructing, all three storeys, that may be a severe fireplace. And so they’re doing it with utmost dedication. You will notice folks proper the best way throughout the organisation who will unflinchingly go and do that stuff.
“As a army individual has been shot at fairly a bit and gone into fight out of the utmost admiration. There’s a huge quantity of bodily braveness that individuals train on daily basis,” he stated.
“Watching how they take care of most people is phenomenal, very respectful, very compassionate, very skilled and that’s the overwhelming majority of individuals in my organisation are, up there within the 98% of individuals.
“Clearly, you’ll have some individuals who who usually are not not respectful, nicely, they do not have a spot in my organisation and that is clear. However there’s I’ll get lots of people you simply described. ‘We’re not all like this.’ and absolute horror on the approach they’ve been represented.
“These are folks risked their lives after which they see themselves on the information or in newspapers and painted as being horrible folks after they know they don’t seem to be.
“They know that they are respectful they usually’re coping with unimaginable issues and at moments of their lives the place they’re on the lowest that they will ever be, coping with people who find themselves, who’re going to commit suicide or set fireplace to themselves or or doing bariatric rescues. The compassion is simply phenomenal.”
However he accepts that to all those that say it wasn’t them, they’ll have doubtlessly witnessed inappropriate behaviour, or identified it has gone on, not referred to as it out or reported it.
“That is why I am speaking a few management college and an induction course of. If you have not taught folks a framework of behaviour, stated ‘These are our requirements and that is what what what we espouse, if you do not have a management cadre and say ‘these are the values that we now have on this service’ and embody braveness, which is bodily braveness of going into buildings however the more durable model of braveness, which is ethical braveness then…”
That ethical braveness is, he accepts, laborious however what has been missing.
“Simply the opposite day I used to be on a fireplace station and somebody used an inappropriate phrase and I used to be in that place the place I used to be about to intervene., however the person stated, ‘I should not have stated that’ after which the crew intervened to say ‘No, that was an inappropriate use of language’.
“That was them coming collectively as a workforce. Relatively than being type of indignant and ‘you should not have performed that’ and it going to grievance, it was the workforce all agreeing that wasn’t an acceptable phrase to make use of.
“I believed, I am actually pleased with you, that you simply have been capable of step again from that’. Among the discussions that we’re having which are breaking by means of.”
Altering the entire organisation is a big ask, however adversity and defying the chances is one thing else he is aware of about. “After I received identified [with cancer], I did a PhD, I received my yacht grasp offshore qualification. I received again to flying, which nobody thought I might, commanded operations once more.
“There may be life past a analysis of an incurable most cancers. I am now in approaching yr 17, when initially I used to be instructed most likely a few years, possibly 5, however, it wasn’t nice. I had actually profitable remedy and I’m now browsing the wave of medical know-how,” he says, producing the lunchbox containing remedy he takes day by day.
He was, he admits, into extremes earlier than his analysis.
“I am a fighter pilot, I’ve flown low stage, gone on fight operations. Joined the Air Power at 18. after I was at college. I am actually into the outside. I am actually into exploration.
“I really like journey, I really like life. I’ve at all times thought the life would not be lengthy sufficient. I really like the whole lot. I am truly a extremely comfortable individual.
“I really like folks, I actually like folks. I feel most individuals are good and I additionally suppose that if folks aren’t good is lots you are able to do to simply shift mindsets and issues. However I am actually decided, actually decided. A few of that’s instilled by being within the army.
“I am not afraid of demise. I’ve confronted it a number of instances. however I am not afraid of it in any respect. And I simply love dwelling. It is nice. Life is nice and if I will help people who find themselves not within the lucky place that I am in, then I’ll.
“I am a patron of a small most cancers charity and I am additionally a patron of Army versus Most cancers as nicely, that is this neighborhood of the army household so if anybody
“I am busy, however I used to be an air Vice-Marshal within the Air Power, that may be a two star job is a really, very, very busy job. So I simply hold going.”
After I ask if he’s shocked that he has ended up right here in south Wales, and never at Nato, he appears disbelieving I may think about them completely different. “It would look as if this can be a very, very native job, it is not.
“We’re chargeable for issues that really are international right here. So local weather change is only one. Terrorism, that is one other one. We’re chargeable for essential nationwide infrastructure of the UK.
“After we begin getting flooded we have to put excessive quantity pumps in place. In any other case, the essential nationwide infrastructure breaks down.
“If Britain will get attacked militarily, under the edge of warfare, and we have simply seen fireplace used as a device of of sabotage with Keir Starmer [properties linked to the Prime Minister were allegedly set on fire].
“I must ensure that my fireplace service is prepared for a cyber assault as a result of if adversaries select to assault us under the edge of precise battle, that is how they are going to get us.
“For those who can take the entire fireplace service down, then persons are not secure. It suits into the large international image,” he says.
It’s also political, within the broadest sense, coping with funding, staffing, resilience, staffing…the record goes on.”
With that, the interview he selected, off the cuff, to double in size, actually has to finish. However then he insists he desires to go once more, reeling off the abstract of the three pages of notes he simply took at assembly with firefighters.
“Seven minutes later, he truly stops however simply momentarily, and he continues speaking till we attain the entrance door, when he completely does should go.
