DN 05/2019: Fire and Rescue Service Pay Policy Statement 2019-20

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire (Fire and Rescue Authority) Order 2018 approved that the corporation sole to be known as the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority (NYPFCC FRA) could be created.

This Order also set out, amongst other things, the arrangements for the exercise of the functions of the NYPFCC FRA, including those responsibilities which could be delegated from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) to others within the organisation and those decisions which MUST, by law, be made by the PFCC.

One of these decisions that, by law, MUST be made by the PFCC is the ‘The function of approving a pay policy statement prepared for the purposes of section 38 of the Localism Act 2011 (pay policy statements)(d)’

Background

Sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act 2011 require relevant authorities to prepare a pay policy statement for each financial year and requires them to set out its policies for the coming financial year relating to:

• The remuneration of its chief officers;
• The remuneration of its lowest paid employees; and
• The relationship between the remuneration of its chief officers and the remuneration of its employees who are not chief officers.

The statement must also include policies relating to:

• The level and elements of remuneration for each chief officer;
• Remuneration of chief officers on recruitment;
• Increases in addition to remuneration for each chief officer;
• The use of performance related pay for chief officers;
• The use of bonuses for chief officers;
• The approach to the payments of chief officers on their ceasing to hold office or to be employed by the Authorities; and
• The publication of and access to information relating to the remuneration of chief officers.

The responsibility to produce a Pay Policy is delegated to the Chief Fire Officer, who has produced the document attached. – See below: Pay Policy Statement 2019/20

Decision Record

The PFCC has therefore decided to approve the attached Pay Policy Statement for 2019/20 and requests that the Chief Fire Officer looks to develop this further, in line with the legislation, to aid transparency and improve the contents of the statement.

Julia Mulligan
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Statutory Officer Advice

Legal, Management and Equality Implications

The PFCC’s Monitoring Officer has advised that the arrangements set out in the governance framework meet the requirements of the relevant legislation and the needs of the organisation.

Financial and Commercial

The PFCC’s Chief Finance Officer and S151 Officer has advised that the Pay Policy Statement is as previously produced under the Former Fire Authority and work will be done to improve on the contents for 2020/21. The ratios between highest pay levels and lowest have reduced significantly given the PFCC’s decisions around the level of remuneration to the Interim Chief Fire Officer.

Pay Policy Statement 2019/20

The pay structure for employees conditioned to the Scheme of Conditions of Service for Local Authorities’ Fire and Rescue Services provides for a two point pay structure. Rates of pay are based on defined stages of development leading to demonstration of competence in the employee’s role. The lower pay point is paid whilst in the development phase of the role. After all the applicable functions have been assessed as having been achieved, competence is deemed to have been demonstrated and the ‘competent’ pay rate is applied.

The pay structure for members of Corporate Management Board is locally negotiated and agreed by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.  The pay awards are the same as employees conditioned to the National Joint Council (NJC) Scheme of Conditions of service for Local Authorities’ Fire and Rescue Services.

The pay structure for employees conditioned to the Local Government Services Pay and Conditions of Service provides pay levels on a spinal column point basis and the NJC job evaluation scheme is used to assess the grade for a post, with the spinal column points configured into groups of three to provide incremental pay points.  The NJC two year pay agreement for 2018 and 2019 included the introduction of a new pay spine on 1 April 2019.

The incremental rises occur on the 1st April, or 6 months after appointment, if the appointment is made within 6 months of the 1st April. The current pay and grading structure was agreed by the Authority in April 2004.

For both groups, pay awards applied to the salary scales are as agreed through the NJC and notified to Authorities. Definition of “lowest paid” employee: 

Grade 2, spinal column point 3 (from 1^st April 2019), is the lowest paid non-operational employee, this is the starting level on appointment, rising to spinal column point 5 in incremental stages on the 1st April or 6 months after appointment, if the appointment is within 6 months of the 1st April.

Firefighter (trainee) is the lowest paid operational employee, however the maximum period of time this pay rate is applicable is normally 12 weeks, that being the expected duration of a wholetime recruits course, after which the level is Firefighter (development)

Remuneration of Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive and members of Corporate Management Board. 

The Brigade Managers pay structure for Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Officer is a single point pay scale as agreed by the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner.  Locally negotiated salaries for Area Managers are aligned to the general pay structure of all uniformed employees to cover ‘development’ and ‘competent’ rates.  New starters are placed in development until competence in role has been demonstrated and assessed.  Non-operational members of Corporate Management Board also have a locally negotiated pay scale.

In addition to annual pay, the operational Brigade and Area Managers are required to provide a vehicle through the lease car scheme; the Authority pays for the lease up to a limited amount, any additional cost is borne by the individual.  Non-operational members of Corporate Management Board also receive an annual lease car allowance up a limited amount. This is lower than that of the operational Brigade and Area Managers’ allowances to reflect that this post is not conditioned to the continuous duty system.