The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Human Resources Committee convened to discuss sickness absence, health and safety, standards of behaviour, and staff survey outcomes. The committee also planned to discuss employee relations and flexible retirement in a session closed to the public.

Sickness Absence Performance

The committee was scheduled to review a report on sickness absence performance from April to September 2025. The report compared current sickness levels against annual targets and the previous year's performance.

According to the report, all three key performance indicators (KPIs) for sickness absence were above target, though showed improvement compared to the same quarter last year.

Of the three key performance indicators (KPIs) for sickness absence, all are currently above target. Notably, all KPI's show improvement compared to the same quarter last year.

The report broke down sickness absence by staff group, noting mixed trends compared to the previous year. Flexible Duty Officers (FDO/DD), Control, and Retained Duty System (RDS) staff recorded a decrease in absence, while Wholetime (WT) Riders and non-uniformed staff experienced an increase. Long-term sickness accounted for almost 77% of all absence across all staff groups.

The report also included data from the National Occupational Health (OH) Performance Report, compiled by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) comparing the service's sickness absence performance to other Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) in the UK.

The report noted that the Wholetime (WT) Rider category experienced a 14% increase in shifts lost due to sickness absence compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, with musculoskeletal (MSK) issues being the leading cause of absence. Mental health-related absence accounted for 21% of total sickness in this staff group.

The report stated that the financial cost of sickness absence was calculated based solely on salary costs associated with shifts or days lost, and did not include any additional costs incurred by the Service, such as overtime payments, temporary cover arrangements, or operational disruption. The total cost of sickness absence was estimated at £541,369.

The report detailed actions taken to monitor sickness absence, including regular analysis to identify trends and patterns, application of attendance management triggers, and follow-up on absences without a recorded reason. The Item 3. Sickness Absence Performance Quarter 2 April September 2025 report recommended that members note and comment on the report's contents.

Health and Safety Performance

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report summarising the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service's (CDDFRS) health and safety performance for the second quarter of 2025/26. The Health and Safety team's performance is measured through four performance indicators: number of accidents to personnel; number of CDDFRS-contributory vehicle accidents; number of local H&S investigations incomplete after 28 working days; and number of H&S investigation actions overdue their specified completion date.

Seven accidents to personnel were reported during the second quarter, five above the Service target. Four of these accidents required reporting to the HSE¹ under RIDDOR². Seven Service-contributory accidents were reported, six above target. Three of these accidents resulted in contact with or damage to third-party vehicles. The report stated that the H&S team are working with the Driver Training Team and Rep Bodies to assess and identify any practical solutions to vehicle incidents and in particular slow speed manoeuvring.

There were two near miss incidents reported, including a traffic cone being struck by a passing vehicle in Darlington. There were also four cause for concern incidents reported, including a blade of the dedicated Holmatro cutter failing during an RTC³ training session at STC⁴. Six incidents of violence towards service personnel were reported, including two incidents in relation to a verbally abusive male at Bishop Auckland cemetery.

The Item 4. Health and Safety Performance Q2 July - September 2025 report recommended that members note the contents of the report.

Standards of Behaviour

The committee was scheduled to 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 Item 5. Standards of Behaviour report included a gap analysis outlining the Service's position, which has been RAG rated⁵ to help prioritise actions. According to the report, a regional MOU⁶ has been drafted for support across all North East services, which will be discussed and progressed at the February meeting. The report stated that a short animation and written document had been developed to outline the difference in processes which can be used to ensure all staff are aware of how to raise concern and the most appropriate method.

The Item 5. Standards of Behaviour report recommended that members note and comment on the content of the report.

Staff Survey Outcomes

The committee was scheduled to discuss the findings of the staff survey conducted by People Insight in April 2025. The survey was conducted throughout April 2025, with 290 responses received, representing 53% of the workforce.

The Item 6. Staff Survey Outcomes report noted that the 2025 CDDFRS staff survey results show a positive overall trend, with an average score of 75.1%, up from 70.7% in 2023. The most significant gains were seen in Leadership (+13%), Autonomy (+8%), and Purpose (+5%). Engagement, Management, and My Manager scored particularly high in 2025, each at or above 87%. However, there were slight declines in Enablement (-2%) and Governance (-5%).

The five most improved scoring areas were:

• The SLT provide a clear vision of the overall direction of the Service
• I am comfortable to speak up and challenge how things are done
• If I wanted to, I would feel comfortable getting in touch with the SLT
• Over the last 12 months CDDFRS has become a better place to work than before
• The SLT are open and transparent

The five least improved areas were:

• The organisation is taking positive steps to tackle inappropriate behaviour in the workplace
• I can comfortably cope with my workload
• My line manager takes time to support me and develop my skills
• I find my work interesting and challenging
• Help and support is available from CDDFRS when I have a problem

The Item 6. Staff Survey Outcomes report recommended that members note and comment on the content of the report.