Agenda item

Purpose: The Council is required, in accordance with section 38 of the Localism Act 2011, to publish an annual pay policy statement. This report seeks to secure compliance with that duty, by seeking approval of the Statutory Pay Policy Statement for publication.

Olympia Byrne (HR Services Manager) presented the Statutory Pay Policy. (Agenda Item 5.)

The following points were raised in the debate:

·       Members raised concerns regarding the completeness, transparency, and governance of the Statutory Pay Policy (SPP), and questioned the use of the term "chief officers", noting that the Localism Act provides a specific definition, whereas the council appeared to use the term more broadly to include service leads and managers. It was suggested that different terminology should be used to avoid confusion. Officers indicated that the terminology was largely prescribed but agreed to consider providing additional clarity in future reports.

·       It was requested that senior officer roles and their delegated powers be clearly published and defined, including in the management structure charts and glossary. It was highlighted that Part 12 of the Constitution was inconsistent with the SPP. Officers confirmed that the Scheme of Delegation was in the process of being reviewed and would come to Council for approval later in the year.

·       Members asked whether all officer roles with remuneration packages above £100,000 had been approved by Full Council. Officers explained that due to pay awards, some Service Leads’ salaries now exceeded the threshold. These would require Full Council approval from April onwards. Members requested confirmation from the Monitoring Officer as to whether the Council was constitutionally compliant regarding approval of these roles.

·       Members noted the impracticality of requiring Full Council approval every time a role crossed the £100,000 threshold due to pay inflation, particularly given the frequency of Council meetings.

·       Assurance was provided that when the SPP was considered by Council later in the year, officers would bring forward proposals for any new posts falling within the threshold, including those arising from ongoing restructures such as the Business Support Review.

·       Members requested that any significant changes to the SPP from previous years be clearly flagged in the introduction to assist Members. Officers confirmed that the main update was to pay grades, reflecting the pay award, and that any further material changes would be highlighted in future.

·       Members asked if the £10,000 Market Supplement Policy payment was a one-off or ongoing, and what the process was for awarding it. Officers explained that a separate market supplement procedure existed, and roles must have undergone through two failed recruitment rounds to be eligible. The payment was reviewable, dependent on the role, with details set out in the procedure.

·       Further details were sought on costs associated with new Chief Officer appointments, including recruitment and exit costs. Officers stated that such details were not typically included in the SPP due to its prescribed format. It was stated that the Committee's role was not to provide detailed financial breakdowns of personnel changes, and that such requests be directed to the relevant Executive Portfolio Holder or Finance Officers.

·       Members queried the £3,000 payment referenced in the recruitment and retention section, asking whether it applied to all staff after one year of service. Officers clarified that it applied only to certain hard-to-fill roles within Children and Family Services. 

Actions:

·       Publish details of senior officer roles and delegated powers, addressing any inconsistencies between the SPP, the Constitution and other documents.

·       Monitoring Officer to confirm whether the council is constitutionally compliant regarding the approval of roles with salaries over £100,000.

·       Monitoring Officer to provide reassurance on the process for Council approval of high-value roles at the next meeting.

RESOLVED to note the report.