The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Human Resources Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss sickness absence, health and safety, standards of behaviour, and staff survey outcomes. The committee will also discuss employee relations and flexible retirement in a session that will not be open to the public.

Staff Survey Outcomes

The committee will be provided with the findings of the staff survey conducted by People Insight in April 2025. According to the report pack, the survey had a 53% response rate, with 290 responses received. The report pack states that the survey is a tool to help understand how staff feel about their roles, leadership, communication, wellbeing and overall working environment.

The report pack states that the survey outcomes will inform the People Strategy, which is due for review in 2026.

The report pack highlights the HMICFRS ¹ spotlight report Values and Culture in Fire and Rescue Services and the August 2024 report, Standards of Behaviour: The Handling of Misconduct in Fire and Rescue Services , stating that they:

underscore the urgent need for cultural reform and stronger accountability in fire and rescue services. These insights underline the critical role of the employee survey in capturing the workforce's experiences and perceptions at CDDFRS.

The report pack states that the survey results show a positive overall trend, with an average score of 75.1%, up from 70.7% in 2023. It notes that the most significant gains were seen in leadership, autonomy, and purpose, but that there were slight declines in enablement and governance.

The five most improved scoring areas that are scheduled to be discussed are:

• The senior leadership team provide a clear vision of the overall direction of the service
• Respondents feeling comfortable to speak up and challenge how things are done
• Respondents feeling comfortable getting in touch with the senior leadership team
• Whether County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has become a better place to work over the last 12 months
• Whether the senior leadership team are open and transparent

The five least improved areas that are scheduled to be discussed are:

• Whether the organisation is taking positive steps to tackle inappropriate behaviour in the workplace
• Whether respondents can comfortably cope with their workload
• Whether line managers take time to support and develop skills
• Whether respondents find their work interesting and challenging
• Whether help and support is available from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service when respondents have a problem

The report pack states that staff consistently described what they value most about working at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, painting a positive and unified picture, with the most frequently mentioned highlight being the people.

The report pack also states that when asked what they would change, staff offered a range of constructive suggestions, including the need for enhanced operational training, concerns about the pressure to meet performance targets, and concerns about uncompetitive salaries.

Sickness Absence Performance

The committee will be presented with an update on sickness absence performance for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025.

The report pack notes that effective absence management is a critical performance factor for any organisation, particularly in the context of constrained financial and staffing resources, and that ensuring robust processes are in place helps maintain service delivery and operational resilience.

The report pack states that all three key performance indicators (KPIs) ² for sickness absence are currently above target, but that all KPIs show improvement compared to the same quarter last year.

The report pack states that the Wholetime (WT) Rider category has experienced a 14% increase in shifts lost due to sickness absence compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, and that the leading cause of absence is musculoskeletal (MSK) issues, accounting for 57% of all sickness in this group.

The report pack also states that the Flexible Duty Officer (FDO) category has shown a significant improvement, with a 48% reduction in sickness absence compared to the same quarter last year.

The report pack provides a breakdown of the costs of sickness absence by staff group, with the total cost for the period being £541,369.

The report pack also includes national sickness absence data for the fire and rescue sector, sourced from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Analysis of the data indicates that our Service's sickness absence performance varies across key indicators and staff groups. While some categories demonstrate strong performance relative to national averages, other groups show higher levels of absence, suggesting areas for targeted improvement.

Health and Safety Performance

The committee will receive a summary of the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service's health and safety performance at the end of quarter two of the 2025/26 reporting period.

The report pack states that the Health and Safety team's performance is measured through four performance indicators:

• PI 69 number of accidents to personnel
• PI 72 number of CDDFRS-contributory vehicle accidents
• PI 73 number of local H&S investigations incomplete after 28 working days
• PI 74 number of H&S investigation actions overdue their specified completion date

The report pack notes that seven accidents to personnel have been reported during the second quarter, which is five above the service target. Four of the accidents required reporting to the HSE ³ under RIDDOR ⁴, as over 7-day lost time injuries.

The report pack also notes that seven service-contributory vehicle accidents have been reported during the second quarter, which is six above target.

The report pack states that the Health and Safety team are continuing to work closely with the Driver Training Team and Rep Bodies to assess and identify any practical solutions to vehicle incidents and in particular slow speed manoeuvring.

The report pack also notes that there were two near miss incidents reported in this quarter, relating to a traffic cone being struck by a passing vehicle and a workshop technician being potentially exposed to pressurised hydraulic fluid release.

The report pack states that there were four cause for concern incidents reported in this quarter, relating to problems with a District Manager's mobile phone functionality, Trauma Support Team unavailability, a blade of the dedicated Holmatro cutter failing during an RTC training session, and a Delta Attack delivery hose branch being found to be defective at a compound fire incident.

The report pack also notes that there were six reported incidents of violence towards service personnel in this quarter.

Standards of Behaviour

The committee will receive an update on the progress made towards the recommendations made in His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Standards of behaviour: The Handling of Misconduct in Fire and Rescue Services report.

The report pack includes a gap analysis which outlines the service position within these areas which have been RAG rated ⁵ to help prioritise actions.

The report pack states that the plan is complete and ready for sign off.

Other Matters

The committee will also discuss the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 February 2025.