Clerks wage increase and points system

Question

Good day to you all and please forget my ignorance, the clerks wage is up for a increase and will be discussed at the next parish council meeting, I’m trying to understand how this Nalc / Slcc points system works! Our clerk is saying she is between SPC 19 to 24? on the Nalc government pay system. How does she calculate herself to be on these figures? (I’m not saying she shouldn’t be) I just would like to understand how on earth this all works? What is LC1 to 4 and what do it mean and (1-63) (Below substantive range, substantive benchmark range, above substantive benchmark range etc) how does this all work so you come to the correct wage?
The clerk doesn’t have any CiLCA certificates or training (all she’s done is the basic course the roll of the clerk last year) she says she doesn’t want to do any training and has had the job since July 2015.

All I’m asking is if someone can please explain this all in Lehmans terms, So I can understand how it works
Kind Regards Simply Simon

Answer 1

This is too complicated for a simple response! The NALC and SLCC published a joint agreement in 2004, which is still used today to evaluate Clerk remuneration from a basic list of responsibilities. This places the role on a ladder of salary points, within a small grouping known as a substantive range, which is coverted to pounds, shillings and pence using the agreed payscales that are published annually. Incidentally, SCP19-24 isn't a substantive range on either the old or the new payscales.

As your Clerk appears to have done her homework, (probably using the documents I have referred to), perhaps you could ask her to provide everybody with a copy of these items to help you all to understand the decision you are about to make? I've sent you a private message.

Comments

Thank you, (I have reply to your private message) while we the council are discuss the clerks wages should she be present or not? We are members of Nalc but only the clerk has the passwords so councillors can’t access much on Nalc

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No, the Clerk should not be present. You should choose one member of the Council to keep notes of the discussions and to produce a simple minute to record your decision so that the Clerk may add it to the official record afterwards.

I note that you haven't mentioned an appraisal. This would normally precede the review of salary.

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Oh dear it seems I’ve opened a can of worms, as the clerk had quoted her pay grade numbers in her email I replied to it asking for an explanation on how she got to her figures and has she had an appraisal at any time and could she please provide this information, of course  it was sent to all councillors.

This morning It appears I’ve started world War three, ie “You shouldn’t even be asking for these”, “it’s nothing to do with the whole council just the personnel committee who will discuss wages and then bring their ideas to the whole council to vote on”etc, how am I or anyone else to make a decision on something they don’t understand?

Basically I’ve received some quite nasty emails verbally attacking me, my reply to all this was that council’s are supposed to be open and transparent so why am I being verbally attacked for asking a question about something I don’t understand, how am I and possible others supposed to make a decision on something we don’t full understand?

Looks like I’m going to be hauled over the coals for is (so to speak)

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If you have a personnel committee then their terms of reference and powers should be defined. In such a committee dealing with such a minefield as employment it should be expected that members of the committee would attain an expected level of competence in the matters dealt with by the committee including "recommended and agreed" pay scales. Remember that a council may pay whatever they like over the recommended scales with agreement of the employee. It should have been agreed at the point of employment what wages scales would be used and as Dave states appraisals made by the personnel committee should be carried out as defined in the clerk's employment contract.

There are several duties where councillors need to take specific training (chair, planning, employment, risk assessments etc) where they cannot rely on just "common sense" and training is a vital ingredient to not put the council at risk.

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Simon, you state that only the clerk has the passwords for access to NALC and presumably your local association members sections. As the council pay the subscription then ALL councillors should have access to the support and access to documents not just the Clerk

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Thanks for reply, for 18 months I’ve pursued the issue with Nalc and the passwords, even spoke to Nalc themselves about it and I’m just banging my head against a brick wall all the time Nalc just sits on the fence and done care, with regards the clerk you already know what I’m going to say, I’ve been through all this on here before and ended up in the same place.

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Well the clerk must obey their employer in handing over relevant passwords for access to a service paid for by the council and open to all councillors..

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As a test a fellow Councillor asked for the NALC password and the Clerk refused but when I checked with NALC the password is freely given out
This is yet  another example of the contempt some Clerks feel towards Councillors
I know one case where a Clerk on taking up their post reappraised their wages and asked and got for a 25% wage increase
I’ve always felt there’s a gap in the market for an independent person to review and set all Parish Council wages as they must be overpaying huge amounts because Councillors feel to embarrassed to challenge them
Anyone know of any other organisations where the staff set their own wages ?

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Well yes whats a good idea, ours is on £13:29 and hour and I seen a suggestion of that going up to £14.02 by a councillor who was the clerk and the present clerk took the job from.

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I am following this with interest our clerk has been in pst and seeking a doubling of their salary, we only have 200 villagers

Answer 2

Please see here for the SCP salary ranges https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/LGS%20Pay%202020-21.pdf

Answer 3

LC1 to LC4 is "Local Council" salary bands for Town and Parish Council employees which use the Local Government SCP's that I posted a link to.

LC1 covers SCP's 15 -25

LC2 covers SCP's 26 - 38

LC3 covers SCP's 39 - 51

LC3 covers SCP's 52 - 68

Comments

Thanks Graeme_r but still not quite sure how to calculate and arrive at a so called pay scale figure (SCP)