The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington met on 19 September 2025 to discuss correspondence, the statement of assurance, and an update from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The authority approved the 2024-25 Statement of Assurance.

HMICFRS Inspection Update

The HMICFRS inspection of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS), completed on 4 April 2025, resulted in generally positive grades.

The categories of graded judgements are:

• Outstanding
• Good
• Adequate
• Requires improvement
• Inadequate

The inspection assessed how effectively and efficiently CDDFRS:

• Prevents fires and other emergencies
• Protects the public
• Responds to fires and other emergencies
• Looks after its staff

The grades awarded to CDDFRS were:

• Effectiveness
  • Understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies - Good
  • Preventing fires and other risks - Good
  • Protecting the public through fire regulation - Outstanding
  • Responding to fires and other emergencies - Good
  • Responding to major and multi-agency incidents - Good
• Efficiency
  • Making the best use of resources - Good
  • Making the FRS affordable now and in the future - Good
• People
  • Promoting the right values and culture - Good
  • Getting the right people with the right skills - Good
  • Ensuring fairness and promoting diversity - Adequate
  • Managing performance and developing leaders - Good

The report noted that CDDFRS is one of the best-performing fire and rescue services in the country.

However, the inspection also identified areas for improvement, particularly regarding fairness, equality, diversity and inclusion. The HMICFRS recommended that CDDFRS:

• Ensure it has robust processes in place to carry out equality impact assessments and review any actions agreed as a result.
• Ensure all staff understand the benefits of equality, diversity and inclusion and their role in promoting these values.

An action plan is being developed to address these areas.

The report also noted upcoming changes to HMICFRS inspections in 2025-27, which will incorporate aspects of performance that HMICFRS haven't previously evaluated in as much depth, including:

• The impact of Fire and Rescue Authorities' (FRAs) governance, oversight and scrutiny of their FRSs;
• Leadership at all levels in FRSs; and
• FRSs' work to improve community resilience

Statement of Assurance 2024-25

The Combined Fire Authority approved the Statement of Assurance 2024-25 (SoA). The SoA confirms the adequacy of the arrangements of CDDFRS in managing its financial, governance and operational obligations for the year 2024/2025 and evaluates the adherence of the Service to the Fire and Rescue National Framework 2018.

The SoA covers:

• Financial Assurance
• Governance Assurance
• Operational Assurance
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Performance during 2024/25
• Future plans
• Community engagement

The SoA includes performance data for 2024/25, including statistics on deaths arising from accidental fires, primary fires, accidental dwelling fires, hospitalisations, secondary fires, response times, home fire safety visits, false alarms, fire safety audits and accidents to personnel.

Current Correspondence

The Current Correspondence report included the following items:

• Circular EMP/3/25 This guidance from the National Employers provides advice to employers on supporting employees experiencing online abuse and harassment, particularly those in high-profile roles. The guidance outlines steps employers can take to counter online intimidation and abuse and support employees experiencing online harassment. It also promotes civility in public life. The guidance recognises that employees in the public sector, including Chief Fire Officers, can be subject to online abuse and harassment, particularly through social media platforms. The Local Government Association (LGA) hosts the employer guidance on its website.
• Local Government Services Pay Agreement 2025 This agreement covers pay rates applicable from 1 April 2025, with a 3.20% increase per annum. It also notes that Spinal Column Point (SCP) 2 will be permanently deleted from the NJC pay spine from 1 April 2026. The agreement includes new rates for allowances, also uprated by 3.20%.
• Fair Funding Letters were sent to the Fire Minister and local MPs expressing concerns about the level of funding available to fire and rescue services in the North-East of England and the perceived injustice of the assumptions contained within the Fair Funding Review 2.0. The letters highlight that the proposed funding model would lead to further cuts in services.
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 20025 Guidance Note No 1 A letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government noted the publication of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 20025 Guidance Note No 1.
• Fair Funding Review A letter was sent to Local Government Finance regarding the Fair Funding Review 2.0 Consultation Response and the response to the Fair Funding Review Questions.