The Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel met on Monday 17 November 2025 to discuss the future of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners, the medium-term financial strategies for both the police and fire services, and updates on fire safety. The panel also agreed to a revised approach for handling complaints against the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Future of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners

The Commissioner, Ben Adams, addressed the panel regarding the government's announcement that Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs) would not continue beyond the current term ending in May 2028. He expressed disappointment at the lack of time given to brief staff and highlighted concerns about the proposed transition to mayors in some areas and police, crime and fire boards in others. Mr Adams stated that he would continue in his role with full commitment for the next two and a half years, focusing on maintaining service levels and investments. He also noted that this announcement would signal the end of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel itself.

Police Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) Update

Sarah, the S151 officer, presented the updated Medium-Term Financial Strategy for the police. The budget-setting process continues to be challenging, with a significant savings challenge of £10.9 million. A key pressure identified was a pay award increase of 4.2% for officers, PCSOs, and staff, which added £3.5 million to the budget, with no future government cover for this uplift. The overall gap in the MTFS has increased to £16.9 million by 2028. The Commissioner expressed satisfaction with the current forecast of an underspend of £750,000 for the year and noted that 85% of the planned savings for the current year had already been identified. He also raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the neighbourhood policing guarantee for 2026-27, making future planning difficult.

Councillor Gill Heesom raised concerns about potential impacts on community policing roles due to savings from civilian and PCSO roles, which appeared to contradict the government's commitment to PCSO growth. The Deputy Commissioner explained that there would be no reduction in the number of PCSOs or their hours, but a focus on when they work to maximise their value in communities. There will be a move towards PCSOs being more visible during peak community engagement times, with a potential reduction in late-night working. A new, more straightforward contract for PCSOs is also being introduced.

Fire Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) Update

David Evans presented the MTFS update for the fire service, noting that the current year's financial position was on track despite a forecast overspend of £400,000 on pay, driven by a 22% increase in operational incidents. This increase was attributed to climatic events, with secondary fires significantly reducing in September as weather conditions normalised. However, the Fair Funding Review is projected to reduce government grant funding for fire and rescue authorities by over 4% over the next three years, equating to a loss of over £100 million nationally. For Staffordshire, this modelling suggests a reduction in settlement funding of around £3.5 million over the next three years.

The Commissioner highlighted that to mitigate this reduction, an increase in the council tax precept of £5 per year (approximately 5 pence per week) is assumed for the next three years. He expressed disappointment that this increase is solely to fund national shortfalls in funding and inflation, rather than direct investment in services. The Commissioner also raised concerns about the Emergency Services Network (ESN), a national project to switch from radio to digital communication, which has faced significant delays and cost overruns. He noted that the fire authority would incur costs to transition to the new network, and there is currently no national capital funding stream for this.

Councillor Charlotte Atkins raised concerns about the pay overspend due to increased demand from climatic events and asked what measures were being taken to prevent this in the future. The Commissioner stated that while some of the overspend might be recovered, the increased demand was a reality. He also noted that the riding in threes initiative for on-call firefighters, while initially a saving measure, had proven to be more effective and had increased their operational capacity. Regarding the council tax, he warned that if it were restricted to a 1.99% increase, the gap over the next three years would be £3.88 million, potentially leading to service reductions, including station or firefighter losses.

Fire Safety Plan and Statement of Assurance

The Commissioner presented an update on the fire and rescue service's delivery against the local fire and rescue plan, noting that much of the detail was covered in the Statement of Assurance. He highlighted the service's progress in addressing areas for improvement identified in the HMI inspection, with many previously red or amber areas now showing improvement. The Statement of Assurance detailed investments in new equipment, including hybrid and electric vehicles, and welcomed the recruitment of new firefighters.

The Commissioner also discussed the importance of addressing vulnerabilities in communities, noting that risk is not solely determined by population numbers but by factors such as age, mobility, and health conditions. He expressed frustration with the fairer funding formula, which he believes does not adequately account for these vulnerabilities. The service is also focusing on preventing fires through initiatives like safe and well visits and raising public awareness, including supporting a ban on disposable barbecues. The Commissioner also highlighted the growing concern around contaminants affecting firefighters' health and the need for investment in facilities and equipment to manage this.

Complaints Procedure Review

Kate Larder presented a report on the complaints procedure for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The panel discussed three options: maintaining the current process where complaints are delegated to the monitoring officer, involving the chair and vice-chair, or establishing a complaints subcommittee. The Chair and Vice-Chair expressed a preference for greater panel involvement, moving away from the current delegated approach. Following discussion, the panel voted to adopt Option B, involving the chair and vice-chair in the complaints process.

Work Programme and Other Business

The panel discussed items for their work programme, with Councillor Charlotte Atkins ensuring that the issue of stalking would be brought back for discussion. The panel also agreed to schedule a further two-hour working group meeting to continue discussions on the panel's terms of reference and procedures.

In response to a question from Councillor Anthony Screen regarding the impact of the PFCC's future uncertainty on staff wellbeing and operational effectiveness, the Commissioner stated that it was business as usual for the next couple of years. He committed to communicating further with staff as more information became available and asked panel members to report any concerns about a governance vacuum.

The Commissioner also provided his view on the issue of counterfeit vapes and other goods being sold in communities, acknowledging the partnership efforts to address this and noting that organised crime is involved in some of these activities. He stated that concerns are being taken seriously and that covert surveillance is often employed.

The meeting concluded with thanks to Adrian Bowen, a co-opted independent member who was resigning from the panel, for his contributions. The panel also noted the upcoming recruitment process to replace him.