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P2-48

Verify training quality of Category 1 responders

Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government

Government responseUK Government: Accepted in part (Feb 2025)

DeliveryMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says in progress (Sep 2026)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

That a mechanism be introduced for independently verifying the frequency and quality of training provided by local authorities and other Category 1 responders. (113.71)

Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

In September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that it had begun testing proposals with the sector to establish a reporting process on training quality and frequency (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). The department stated in September 2026 that publication of updated resilience guidance for local authorities had been delayed to the fourth quarter of 2026 to align with wider devolution and standards work (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). HM Government had previously accepted the recommendation in principle in February 2025, proposing revised national occupational standards and reporting frameworks across Category 1 responders (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Feb 2025).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.

Government response

●UK Government · Accepted in part · 26 Feb 2025

Words of: HM Government, Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (CP 1248), presented to Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, 26 February 2025

The government accepts this recommendation made towards Category 1 responders in principle. There are a number of regulatory and inspectorate bodies across the range of responder organisations to support them to meet their responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act. We recognise there is more we should do to improve consistency of training and in setting clear expectations. We have therefore commissioned the independent Sector Skills Council to undertake a review of the National Occupational Standards. These new Standards will set out the knowledge and skills that people need to be competent in their resilience roles and will improve the quality and availability of training. The UK Resilience Academy (UKRA), to be launched in April 2025, will provide a training curriculum based on these standards. We will set the expectation on the type and frequency of training in the National Resilience Standards for local resilience forums mentioned in recommendation 47. As well as this, in respect of local authority Category 1 responders specifically, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will work with local partners to scope a process for local authorities to report on training and development.

Extract from: Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (HTML version)

Site note: This is the government's response to the Phase 2 report (CP 1248, published 26 February 2025). It prints each recommendation and then the response to it. Where the recommendation is addressed to a body outside government, the response prints that body's own acceptance (the Architects Registration Board and RIBA, HMICFRS, London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the British Standards Institution, the National Police Chiefs' Council), and the row is filed under that body.

Delivery

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says in progress · 10 Sep 2026

Timeline for delivery
2026
- Government will update the National Resilience Standards for local resilience forums. – (Q3, Jul to Sep)
- Government will scope a process for local authorities to report on the quality and frequency of training and development and test these with the sector. – (Q4, Oct to Dec)

From: Progress report September 2026: implementation timeline for Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report: September 2026)

Site note: This is the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's progress report of September 2026 on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, fire and rescue services, the British Standards Institution or the Cabinet Office, it is the Ministry's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry.

Earlier statements on delivery (0)

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · 10 Sep 2026

As part of the refresh of the National Resilience Standards for Local Resilience Forums, Cabinet Office has revised the training standard to set clearer expectations for multi-agency training. This includes setting expectations in relation to the use of National Occupational Standards for Resilience and Emergencies to inform the design of multi-agency training and LRF role profiles. This aligns the standards with the updated suite of Resilience and Emergencies National Occupational Standards.

MHCLG is working with the Local Government Association and UK Resilience Academy to reflect these clarified expectations in the refresh of the 2018 Local Authorities’ Chief Executive Resilience Guidance. This will include proportionate expectations for reporting on training and development. MHCLG has begun testing the proposals with the sector, including hosting the first in a series of Local Authority Sector co-design workshops, and will continue to involve partners in developing the guidance. The decision has been made to delay publication of the Local Authorities Guidance to Q4 (October to December) 2026 to align with the current Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution programmes; as well as plans to reflect updated National Resilience Standards in guidance, which are due to be published Q3 (July to September) 2026.

From: Progress report September 2026: response and recovery (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report: September 2026)

Site note: This is the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's progress report of September 2026 on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, fire and rescue services, the British Standards Institution or the Cabinet Office, it is the Ministry's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry.

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · 25 Feb 2026

MHCLG has been working on proposals to scope a process for local authorities to report on the quality and frequency of training and development.

From this work, MHCLG has identified existing arrangements that local government could use to report on the quality and frequency of training.

MHCLG will continue to work closely with the UK Resilience Academy and Local Government Association to fully scope a process and will test the proposals with the sector in 2026 before the process is rolled out later in the year.

From: Annual Report February 2026: response and recovery (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Annual Report: February 2026)

Site note: This is the annex of the government's Phase 2 annual report (CP 1512, published 25 February 2026) as GOV.UK publishes it, one page per theme: the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's account. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, the British Standards Institution, the Health and Safety Executive or the Cabinet Office, it is the report's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry. The status is what the passage says: completed only where it says the recommendation is complete or closed.

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.