2025–27 FRS assessment
This page sets out information specific to the 2025–27 inspection cycle which will take place over a two year period, starting in June 2025. This is the fourth full assessment of fire and rescue services. You can find more general information about our FRS inspections on the how we inspect page.
Characteristics of good
In our 2025–27 inspections, we measure fire and rescue services (FRSs) against our characteristics of good performance. These characteristics describe the levels of performance FRSs need to achieve to be graded ‘good’. They help us to make consistent assessments across all FRSs, and also show FRSs what they are being graded against.
The characteristics are examples to help us determine appropriate judgments. They are not intended to set specific standards or to be a comprehensive list of how we expect FRSs to perform.
The characteristics take account of national standards, operational guidance and evidence from research, which we will keep under review. We aren’t limited to these and are entitled to establish our own measures of efficiency and effectiveness.
Themes for 2025–27 assessments
Effectiveness
Our assessment of effectiveness will continue to consider how well each FRS is performing its principal functions of preventing fires from happening, making sure the public is kept safe through the regulation of fire safety and responding to emergency incidents. We will continue to provide the public with clarity on how well FRSs are prepared to respond to major incidents with other FRSs and agencies. We will also assess how governance impacts the effectiveness of the FRS and examine how FRSs work with local communities to make them more resilient.
Efficiency
In our assessment of efficiency, we consider the way each FRS uses its resources to manage its current risks and how well it is planning to manage its risks affordably in the future. During previous inspection rounds, we examined these aspects separately. In 2025–27, we will combine these questions to reduce duplication and concentrate more on outcomes for communities and the workforce. We will also assess how each FRS is affected by its FRA’s governance, oversight and scrutiny arrangements.
People
Our assessment of how each FRS looks after its people will remain focused on leadership at all levels of the organisation and we also set out the most important findings in relation to the service’s leadership.
We will continue to look closely at training and there will be a particular emphasis on values, culture and diversity and how services are trying to overcome inequalities.
As part of our assessment of how each FRS is affected by its FRA’s governance, oversight and scrutiny arrangements we will also assess whether these arrangements create a positive culture and whether standards of conduct exist to support the health and well-being of the workforce.