Fire and Rescue Service Pay Policy Statement

1.0 Introduction

1.1 In accordance with sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act this document represents North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority’s Pay Policy Statement for 2024/2025 (to be referred as the Authority from hereafter). It sets out the Authority’s policies in relation to the remuneration of its staff including the following:
• Remuneration of its Chief Officers,
• Remuneration of its lowest paid employees,
• The relationship between the remuneration of its Chief Officers and the remuneration of those employees who are not Chief Officers.

1.2 The Pay Policy Statement is subject to annual review and must be approved by the Authority for each financial year.

1.3 The Pay Policy Statement will be published on the Authority’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after approval or amendment.

2.0 Pay Structures

2.1 The pay structure for employees conditioned to the scheme of conditions of service for Local Authorities’ Fire and Rescue Services is established through national negotiating committees of the National Joint Council (NJC). Rates of pay are based on defined stages of development leading to demonstration of competence in the employee’s role. The lower pay point, following training, is paid whilst in the development phase of the role. Once all the role requirements have been assessed as having been achieved, competence is deemed to have been demonstrated and the ‘competent’ pay rate is applied.

2.2 The pay structure for employees conditioned to the scheme of conditions of service for Local Government Services is established locally following the application of either the NJC or Hay Job Evaluation Scheme which informs the locally determined Pay and Grading Structure. This arrangement allows for incremental progression in pay for the wider workforce, based on national spinal column points and linked to service in post. This approach towards pay for the wider workforce, and the use of established job evaluation schemes, ensures a planned approach towards pay policy that is accountable, transparent and fair.

2.3 All pay awards applied to the salary scales are as agreed through the NJC and notified to Authorities. Employees conditioned to the scheme of conditions of service for local government services who are paid above the maximum of the pay spine but graded below Deputy Chief Officer are within the scope of the NJC. The pay levels for such posts are determined locally as outlined in paragraph 2.2, but once fixed are increased in line with agreements reached by the NJC.

2.4 The Government’s National Living Wage (NLW), sets a minimum wage for all workers aged 23 and over. The NLW hourly rate effective from 1st April 2024 is £11.44, an increase of 9.8% from 2023. The Authority’s lowest paid employees are paid at Grade 2, which has an hourly rate of £11.79and is therefore above this level. The NJC has agreed to enter into discussions on examining all options for ensuring the sector – and the NJC pay spine – can meet the challenge of the Government’s target for the National Living Wage in the coming years.

2.5 The NJC pay agreement for 2023/24 for Green Book employees was agreed at a flat rate payment of £1,925 on each scale point up to SCP 43. From SCP 44 and above a percentage increase of 3.88% was applied. Both were with effect from 1 April 2023. No agreement has yet been reached for 2024/25, but any award will be effective from 1 April 2024.

2.6 The NJC agreed a 7% pay increase backdated to July 2022, plus an additional 5% from July 2023 for Grey Book staff.

3.0 Definitions

3.1 Senior Officers (substantive) in North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are defined as being the:
• Chief Fire Officer
• Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Service Delivery
• Area Manager Director of Assurance
• Area Manager Director of Community Risk and Resilience
• Area Manager Director of Emergency Response and Training
• Director of Service Design and Delivery

3.2 Lowest Paid Employees:
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 recruit course, after which the level of pay is Firefighter (development).

Grade 2, spinal column point 3, reflects the lowest level of pay to a non-operational employee. Spinal column point 3 is the level of pay on appointment to a grade 2 role, 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.

4.0 Remuneration of and Payments to Chief Officers

4.1 Remuneration

a) Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Officer

The terms and conditions of service of Brigade Managers e.g., the Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Officer are in accordance with the NJC for Brigade Managers of the Fire and Rescue Services Scheme of Conditions of Service (“the Gold Book”) as varied locally under the ‘twin track approach’. Under the twin track approach, the NJC publishes, annually, recommended minimum levels of salary applicable to Chief Fire Officers. The NJC reviews the level of pay increase, considering affordability and the rate of inflation. This increase is communicated to fire authorities by circular and fire authorities are able to determine locally all other decisions about the level of pay and remuneration.

It should be noted that the exception to Gold Book conditions is the alignment of pay awards for senior managers to mirror the standard annual pay award for Grey Book staff based on a Fire Authority decision taken in 2013.

As at 1 July 2023, the Chief Fire Officer post has a basic annual salary which falls within a range of four incremental points between £133,828 and £142,371, as agreed by the Authority. The Deputy Chief Fire Officer also has an annual salary which falls within a range of four incremental points. The current range being £107,063 to £113,897. Both postholders are full time employees on a permanent employment contract.

Pay for both posts reflects a base salary, which is role specific, and in addition, an operational allowance is paid to reflect the requirement to work the continuous duty system. The operational allowance is a flat rate applied to all pay points for both posts, set at 10% of the lowest pay point in the Deputy Chief Fire Officer’s basic pay scale. As at 1 July 2023, current operational allowance is £10,706.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer’s basic salary (minus operational allowance) is set as 80% of the Chief Fire Officer’s basic salary.
The levels of pay are established with consideration of comparative information and any substantial local factors.

b) Directors (Area Manager)

The pay structure for an Area Manager is based on the NJC determined flexible duty Area Manager salary rates (development and competent) together with the equivalent operational allowance to that of the Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Officer for operating under the continuous duty system. The current annual salary range is £86,501 to £93,854. All postholders are full time employees on a permanent employment contract.

c) Statutory Management Functions
The Authority’s Treasurer and the Monitoring Officer are not direct employees of the Authority. The individuals who fulfil these roles are employed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire respectively and are therefore not included in this Pay Policy Statement.

4.2 Increases and Additions to Remuneration

The Chief Fire Officer has an annual review with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner which follows the Service’s Personal Development and Performance Review (PDPR) process and is used to determine level of progression up the pay scale. This could range from no movement to a shift at an accelerated rate (maximum 2 points) based on assessment of expected progress against objectives and outcomes.

The same process applies to the Deputy Chief Fire Officer who has a joint PDPR with the Chief Fire Officer and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to assess progress against their individual objectives and outcomes.

Area Managers are placed in development phase and are expected to complete a development folder. Once all their role requirements have been assessed as having been achieved, competence is deemed to have been demonstrated.

4.3 Bonuses

There is no bonus scheme in operation for any role across the Service. This ensures that there is the appropriate accountability and transparency of salaries and, in particular, the salaries of senior staff.

4.4 Performance Related Pay

It is expected that Chief Officers will perform to the highest level and therefore performance related pay will not form part of current remuneration arrangements. This position will be reviewed if legislation and/or guidance relating to senior posts is changed.

4.5 Performance Review

As stated in paragraph 4.2, Brigade Managers are expected to deliver specified objectives, and each has an annual performance review with the CFO. The CFO’s performance is monitored and reviewed by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
The DCFO’s performance is reviewed jointly by the CFO and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

4.6 Other Payments

In addition to annual pay, the operational Brigade and Area Managers are provided with a Service vehicle for the purposes of providing continuous duty and for which they can make an election for private use.

4.7 Future Position

The starting position on the pay scale for the selected appointments would reflect the level of experience upon appointment to the role.

5.0 Payment to Chief Officers Upon Termination of their Employment

5.1 Chief Officers who cease to hold office or be employed by the Authority will receive payments calculated using the same principles as any other member of staff, based on entitlement within their contracts of employment, their general terms and conditions and existing policies.

5.2 In the case of termination of employment by way of early retirement, redundancy (voluntary or otherwise) or on the grounds of efficiency of the service, the Brigade’s Early Retirement and Redundancy Policy sets out provisions which apply to all staff regardless of their level of seniority.

5.3 The Authority’s Early Retirement and Discretions policies also set out the applicable provisions in respect of awarding additional pension entitlement by way of augmentation or otherwise.

6.0 Retirement, Re-Engagement and Abatement

7.0 Remuneration of Lowest Paid Employees

7.1 The lowest paid operational employee at the statement date is Firefighter (Development). The lowest paid non-operational employee is Grade 2.

7.2 The remuneration of these employees is:

• Fire-fighter (Development) £27,178

• Non-operational employees (Grade 2, Spinal Column point 3) £22,737

8.0 Relationship between Remuneration of Chief Officer and Non Chief Officer Remuneration

The ratio between the highest paid salary and the median average salary of the whole of the Authority’s workforce is known as the pay multiple.

The median average salary of a North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service employee includes all non-operational posts, operational posts and Control but excludes retained firefighters whose earnings vary considerably based on work activity. The current pay multiple is 4.1.

8.2 The following table shows the relationship between the Brigade Managers and the lowest paid employees expressed as a ratio.

9.0 Publication and Access to Information relating to Remuneration of Chief Officers

9.1 Key documents in relation to pay are this Pay Policy Statement and the Authority’s Annual Statement of Accounts. Both of these documents and other information will be published on the Authority’s website in line with the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency.

10.0 Equal Pay

10.1  Part-time workers receive the same pay and remuneration as full-time workers undertaking the same job role on a pro-rata basis.

10.2 This Authority is committed to:

• Seeking to ensure that all staff are valued and receive proper recognition for their work and contribution to the Service.
• Working within available resources and financial constraints.
• Recognising the importance of pay in recruiting, retaining, motivating and rewarding staff.
• Ensuring the application of open, objective, fair and consistent criteria in all decisions on staff pay.
• Ensuring that pay and staffing decisions are in line with the Authority’s duties and legal obligations under all relevant employment legislation including the Equality Act 2010.