The Durham Police and Crime Panel are scheduled to meet to discuss the Durham Constabulary's implementation of the Right Care, Right Person scheme, and to review the Police and Crime Commissioner's performance and delivery report for the second quarter of 2025/26. The panel will also discuss the annual report from the Independent Custody Visitor scheme, and the National Association of Police, Fire and Crime Panels.

Quarterly Performance Report

The Police and Crime Panel are scheduled to receive the Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Quarter Two Performance and Delivery Report for 2025-26, covering 1 July to 30 September 2025.

The report highlights progress against the priorities in the Police, Crime and Justice Plan 2025-29, including:

• Supporting and Championing Victims
• Safer People Safer Places
• Safer Neighbourhoods
• Safer Countryside
• Safer Roads
• Criminal Justice
• Force Staffing Levels
• Engaging with Communities
• Decision Records

The report notes that a new Virtual Reality (VR) training resource has been created to help judiciary staff see the system through the eyes of victims, and a new virtual video has been launched to guide witnesses through the experience of attending court. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has also overseen the restructure of the Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS) and the Community Peer Mentors (CPM) service, bringing them together under one team.

According to the report, shoplifting offences are down 10.9% over the quarter, and the PCC is working with Northumbria University to gather insights from focus groups of young people. A new webinar has been produced to strengthen the case for Graduated Driver Licensing¹, and the PCC has joined colleagues in lobbying the government for the reinvestment of road safety fines locally.

The report identifies some challenges and risks, including a 7.4% rise in serious violence offences compared to Q2 in 2024/25, and a 6.2% increase in the number of recorded Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) offences. The report also notes that persistent anti-social behaviour (ASB) continues in some communities despite extra patrols.

Right Care, Right Person

The Panel will receive a presentation from Assistant Chief Constable Jon McAdam providing an overview of the force position and impact of Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) over the last 12 months.

The RCRP approach aims to ensure vulnerable people get the right support from the right services. It applies to calls for service regarding:

• Concern for the welfare of a person
• People who have walked out of a healthcare setting
• People who are absent without leave (AWOL) from mental health services
• Medical incidents
• Transportation

The presentation will cover the four phases of RCRP, which have been rolled out in stages since June 2024. It will also outline the aims identified for Durham Constabulary during the planning phase of the RCRP model, including:

• Following robust policies, procedures and toolkits when making decisions around deployments
• Communicating clearly what those decisions are in a timely manner
• Striving to achieve a consistent approach to decisions on deployments
• Having a clear policy and procedure for appeals and escalation
• Reassessing decisions on receipt of new or different information
• Dealing with incidents of crime
• Responding to incidents involving threat and risk to an individual and/or members of the public
• Operating within policies and legal boundaries regarding responsibility and duty of care
• Working with partner agencies to promote opportunities for feedback and continuous improvement

The presentation will also provide statistics on the impact of RCRP over the last 12 months, including a breakdown of RCRP categories and outcomes.

Independent Custody Visitor Report 2024/25

The Panel will consider the Police and Crime Commissioner's Independent Custody Visitor Annual Report 2024-25. The Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) scheme exists to provide assurance to local communities about the way the police treat people held in custody.

The report includes information about the scheme in Durham, custody visits and areas that were checked, training and events, and priorities for the forthcoming year. According to the report, Anne Gladstone, the ICV Scheme Co-ordinator, won an award for Volunteer of the Year at the Durham Difference Awards.

The report notes that in December 2024, Durham Constabulary moved into the Investigative Hub in Spennymoor, a state-of-the-art facility with 48 cells, each with a bed, toilet and handwash basin. The Hub provides 24/7 health care by qualified medical staff, and has improved office space and welfare facilities for ICVs.

National Association of Police, Fire and Crime Panels Annual Report 2024

The Panel will receive the annual report of the National Association of Police, Fire and Crime Panels (NAPFCP). The NAPFCP provides a forum for collaborative discussions on matters that impact Police and Crime Panels (PCPs), a mechanism for direct liaison between PCPs and the Home Office, and an opportunity for dialogue with relevant bodies. Councillor Robert Potts, Chair of Durham PCP, attended the NAPFCP annual general meeting (AGM) on 26 November 2025.

The report refers to a statement by Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, regarding the decision to change policing governance arrangements leading to the abolishment of Police and Crime Commissioners with no further elections after May 2028. The report notes that members at the AGM expressed concern at the timing of the statement, the lack of consultation, and the effect on staff working within Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Complaints Update

The Panel will receive a report from Helen Bradley, Clerk and Monitoring Officer to the Police and Crime Panel, providing an update on complaints relating to the PCC or the Deputy PCC. The last report the Panel received was at its meeting on 23 September 2025, when there were two complaints under consideration. One complaint was considered at a special meeting of the Panel on 9 October 2025, and the outcome has been published on the Durham County Council website. The Clerk is awaiting further information from the Complainant in relation to the second complaint. Since the last meeting, the Monitoring Officer has received two further complaints against the Police and Crime Commissioner, which are currently under consideration.

The outcome of the complaint considered on 9 October 2025 was that the Panel recommended that Joy Allen, Durham Police and Crime Commissioner, does not engage in political campaigning unless for her re-election, and that if she does engage in political campaigning, she makes a clearer distinction between her role as PCC when campaigning for candidates in local elections.

Police and Crime Panel Work Programme 2025/26

The Panel will consider a report from Helen Bradley, Clerk and Monitoring Officer to the Panel, on the Panel's Work Programme for 2025/26. The work programme enables the Panel to plan and focus on how it will effectively challenge the PCC and deliver its responsibilities. The work programme is flexible to accommodate additional items throughout the year, and members may need to consider prioritising items depending on capacity to support proposed work.