Issue - meetings

To receive and approve the Councils Pay Policy Statement, as recommended by the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee (19 January 2022) (Minute 16 refers). The minutes and Pay Policy Statement are attached.

The Leader of the Council MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the recommendations of the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee be approved and that the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23 (and consequential changes to the Council’s Constitution) as set out at Minute 16 of that Committee be endorsed and the Constitution amended accordingly.

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Council considered the recommendations of the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee held on 19 January 2022 relating to the adoption by the County Council of the proposed Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23.

The Leader of the Council MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the recommendations of the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee be approved and that the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23 (and consequential changes to the Council’s Constitution) as set out at Minute 16 of that Committee be endorsed and the Constitution amended accordingly.

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

Report of the County Solicitor, Chief Officer for Legal and Head of Human Resources containing and outlining the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/2023 for recommendation to Council, attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that the proposed amendments to the Pay Policy Statement be endorsed and the revised Statement for 2022/23 be commended to the Council;

(b) that the change to leadership roles and salary rates, which may be impacted by any national pay award, be noted; and

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council to make amendments to the Pay Policy Statement resultant from consequential changes to role descriptions following the consultation process as well as forthcoming Leadership appointments.

The Committee considered the Joint Report of the County Solicitor (Head of Legal (Intrim)) and Head of Human Resources outlining the proposed and revised Pay Policy Statement for 2022/2023 and consequential amendments to the Chief Officer Employment Procedure Rules and Disciplinary Policy, for ratification by the County Council.

The Pay Policy Statement, required under the Localism Act 2011, formed part of the Constitution of the Council. It was a statutory requirement of the Pay Policy Statement that the Statement should be reviewed at least annually. The Pay Policy Statement specified that salaries for Chief Officers and Heads of Service on Leadership Grades were fixed for the duration of the Policy and would be reviewed annually by the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee.

The draft Pay Policy Statement continued to reflect a potential future review of terms and conditions and the Authority’s wider reward strategy, particularly the pay and grading implications of the National Living Wage, and other issues such as recruitment and retention and the changing nature of work and roles within the Authority. A review of NJC and Chief Officer Annual Leave Entitlement was conducted in 2021 and full implementation would be completed in April 2022.

Appendix 2 set out the current senior management roles and salary levels. This appendix, alongside the Pay Policy Statement, reflected the current senior management structure and as and when changes took effect, the Policy would be updated to reflect these, for example, decisions made regarding the replacement of the County Solicitor.

The trade unions and the national employers were continuing to discuss the pay award for 2021/22 and of course any national pay awards, and the change to the Authority’s wider reward strategy would have a financial impact, but the exact details were not known at this stage.

Members discussed and asked questions on the current position with pay negotiations, the role of national pay bargaining, the use of more Council policies to attract workers and working with Team Devon to look at salary competitiveness across the region.

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the proposed amendments to the Pay Policy Statement be endorsed and the revised Statement for 2022/23 be commended to the Council;

(b) that the change to leadership roles and salary rates, which may be impacted by any national pay award, be noted; and

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council to make amendments to the Pay Policy Statement resultant from consequential changes to role descriptions following the consultation process as well as forthcoming Leadership appointments.