Surrey Pay for Support Staff in Schools

Surrey Pay for Support Staff in Schools GUIDANCE Contents Click a heading below to skip to specific section 1. Application of Surrey Pay to Support Staff in Schools... 2 2. Surrey Pay Grading Structure... 2 3. Starting Salaries for New Staff... 2 4. Pay Progression... 2 5. Salaries on Promotion or Re-grading... 3 6. Salaries on Transfer to Another Post... 3 7. Pay Protection... 3 8. Acting Up Payments... 4 9. Recognition Award Scheme... 4 10. Additional Allowances... 5 11. Travelling Allowances... 5 12. Workbase Relocation Grant... 8 1

1. Application of Surrey Pay to Support Staff in Schools Surrey Pay applies by default to support staff in community schools and voluntary controlled schools in Surrey. This is because Surrey County Council is the employer of the staff in these schools. The governing bodies of other maintained schools (such as foundation schools), where Surrey County Council does not employ the staff, are free to determine whether to adopt Surrey Pay or to adopt other local pay and grading arrangements. Independent education establishments in Surrey, such as non-maintained special schools and academies, are of course able to determine their own pay arrangements although academies may have staff on Surrey Pay terms who transferred to the academy when it changed status and who therefore have protected rights under TUPE. Where Surrey Pay has been adopted, all employees to whom it applies must be remunerated in accordance with the established pay and grading structures and grading arrangements. This guidance is based on Surrey County Council s reward policy. Governing bodies should be mindful of this guidance when updating any elements of their pay policy which refer to support staff on Surrey Pay. Teachers have their own national terms and conditions of employment enhanced, in some places, by local collective agreements. These are not covered in this document. However, the arrangements for travelling allowances (section 11) and workplace relocation grants (section 12) are common to both staff groups and will therefore also apply to teachers in schools where Surrey Pay has been adopted. 2. Surrey Pay Grading Structure The vast majority of school-based staff will be paid on the Surrey Pay Main Grades which extend from Grade S1/2 to S12. The current salary ranges for these grades are available on the Babcock 4S website. An equitable basis for paying employees forms a fundamental part of Surrey County Council s reward strategy. The allocation of grades to individual jobs is by Hay job evaluation. In schools, grades are usually allocated to jobs in accordance with a career guide framework which is related to Hay evaluation. These frameworks are also available on the Babcock 4S website. 3. Starting Salaries for New Staff New starters should normally be appointed to the bottom of the pay grade for the job. Governing bodies do, however, have discretion to appoint on a higher salary than the minimum, having due regard to any relevant factors such as knowledge, skills and previous experience, and recognising for new appointees any particular need to attract the individual to work in Surrey. For reasons of equity, governing bodies should weigh up carefully and sensitively the need to make appropriate appointments with regard to fairness in relation to any existing staff doing similar work. They should also consider the total remuneration package and ensure that allowances and benefits are applied appropriately. 4. Pay Progression Normal pay progression arrangements for support staff on Surrey Pay have been deferred for some time as part of a strategy of pay restraint. The previous arrangements for determining pay progression were suspended for a total of six years from April 2010 to March 2016 with alternative provisions in place by way of salary increases during this period. The Council is now in the process of reviewing Surrey Pay, initially for non-schools staff with consideration of school-based staff commencing in 2016-17 onwards. 2

5. Salaries on Promotion or Re-grading Promotions A promotion is defined as appointment to a post with a higher (i.e. absolute maximum) salary. On promotion, employees must be placed on a salary within the new grade which is at least 2.5% higher than their previous salary position. Often this will be the minimum point of the new grade. Where an increase of 2.5% is not achieved through placement on the salary selected for the new job offer, the balance must be paid as a separate, pensionable allowance until progression within the higher grade occurs; at this point the allowance will cease. This provision does not prevent the individual being placed on a salary which provides for more than a 2.5% pay increase where this is warranted. Where employees are in receipt of an allowance which ceases on appointment to the promoted post, they should normally be appointed to a salary which, by consolidation of the allowance, provides the appropriate 2.5% increase. Re-gradings When a post is moved to a pay scale which has a higher scale maximum (i.e. is re-graded upwards), salaries are adjusted in the same way as for promotion. Where a post is moved to a pay scale which has a lower scale maximum, individuals in post will continue to receive payment at the level paid in the former grade, including annual salary increases, on a personal cash marked time protected basis in line with the council s pay protection policy (i.e. for 1 year, with no further progression within the grade). See also Pay Protection, section 7. 6. Salaries on Transfer to Another Post Employees who voluntarily apply for a transfer to a post which carries the same grade as their existing post should normally be appointed at (or below) their current salary, having regard to relevant factors including their current skills and experience. In cases of transfer where the employee has had little or no individual choice (e.g. alternative employment; staffing changes arising from reorganisation; transfer following disciplinary proceedings), employees should normally be appointed at their current salary. Existing progression arrangements must be continued. 7. Pay Protection On redeployment to a lower graded post, e.g. as an alternative to redundancy, the individual will normally be appointed to the maximum of the substantive scale for the redeployment post in order to minimise the extent of any loss of earnings. In some circumstances, because of the overlap between some of the pay ranges, the effect of this may be that some employees may receive a slight increase in salary. This can be regarded as some compensation for the loss of progression opportunities within the new substantive grade. If the salary in the redundant post (but excluding other emoluments peculiar to the job) exceeds that of the alternative job offered by not more than one grade (or 10% where no clear grade comparison can be made), the Council will make an additional payment to preserve on a cash marked time personal basis the earnings of the employee immediately prior to redeployment for a year, at the end of which the individual will revert to the substantive salary (normally the maximum of the pay scale) for that post and any salary protection allowance will cease. The individual s salary preserved on redeployment will be that which applied at the date from which the previous post ceased. If an individual accepts an alternative offer of a post at a lower substantive grade, where the basic salary is more than one grade below their previous post, the protection provision described above may be applied, but at no more than the equivalent of one grade (measured from scale maximum to 3

scale maximum). Again, where no clear grade comparison can be made, one grade should be taken as a 10% difference in salary. Salary protection may also be considered in cases where an employee is to be redeployed on health grounds and advice should be sought from Babcock 4S Education Personnel on individual cases. Example of Protection of Earnings Calculation: This calculation is based on an individual being redeployed from a job graded at S8 to a job graded at S7. Salaries are based on 2015/16 figures. Old job salary (S8) 28,500 New job salary (S7) placed on grade maximum 27,539 Protection of Earnings Allowance Protected salary paid over a one year period 961 i.e. difference between old and new salary 28,500 i.e. new salary + protection of earnings allowance 8. Acting Up Payments Acting up payments are intended to adjust salaries on a temporary basis for undertaking additional duties for a limited period. They are not intended to be used as a means of making a one-off bonus payment. The determination of the payment to be made depends on whether the additional responsibilities equate to taking on the full role or merely parts of it, as follows: Full Duties: Minimum Four Weeks ( Acting Up ) Employees who are undertaking the full duties and responsibilities of a higher graded post for a continuous period of between four weeks and six months should receive payment in accordance with the grade of the post temporarily occupied. Partial Duties: Minimum Four Weeks ( Honorarium ) Where an employee is undertaking some of the duties and responsibilities of a higher graded post for a continuous period of between four weeks and six months an honorarium payment may be made at the discretion of the governing body. The amount of the honorarium payment should be determined based on an assessment of the specific circumstances, having regard to the nature of the duties and responsibilities being undertaken and the potential cost to the school of alternative methods of ensuring the duties are undertaken. Full Duties: Less Than Four Weeks ( Honorarium ) Where an employee is undertaking the full duties and responsibilities of a higher graded post for a period of less than four weeks, an honorarium payment may be made in accordance with the arrangements outlined above for partial duties. Where changes to duties are, or become, permanent, the grade of the job must be reassessed by undertaking job evaluation or reviewing the current duties in accordance with the relevant career framework. 9. Recognition Award Scheme There are no provisions under Surrey Pay for employees to be awarded performance-related bonuses, however the Recognition Award Scheme provides a mechanism through which governing bodies can recognise exceptional achievement by an individual or team. Normally the expectation would be that an individual receiving an award had been in post for at least six months. Recognition awards can be used to reward: 4

excellent, exceptional achievement over a sustained or specified period, or throughout the year in which performance is being assessed. excellent, exceptional achievement for a particular task, project or service delivery. innovation that significantly enhances productivity or that notably contributes to organisational effectiveness or service delivery. Awards must be exceptional, consistently judged, relatively modest and avoid rewarding the same work twice. Recognition awards should not be given as a way of making additional payments for meeting targets as part of the routine expectations of the school. They should also not be awarded as bonus payments to staff on the top of their grade. Three levels of award are currently recommended, in light of financial restraints across the Council. a) Up to 100 b) Up to 250 c) Up to 500 The maximum amount of 500 should only be considered in circumstances where very significant financial savings, income generation or improvements in service delivery have been documented and realised. Awards of 500 are therefore expected to be in the minority. A monetary award is not the only means of recognition, or even always the most appropriate. Governing bodies may also consider alternatives under the scheme, such as a written thank you or approving a training or development opportunity, either instead of, or in combination with, a monetary award. Awards are met from the school s delegated budget and are made through the payroll system. They are subject to tax and other normal payroll deductions and are non-pensionable. 10. Additional Allowances First Aid An allowance is payable to qualified first-aiders who are appointed as nominated first-aiders within the school. This is paid pro-rata for part-time staff. The rate is subject to change and the current rate is available on the Babcock 4S website. Science Technicians: Qualifications Allowances Science Technicians possessing the City and Guilds Science Laboratory Technician's Certificate receive an allowance in addition to salary. Science Technicians possessing the City and Guilds Laboratory Technician's Advanced Certificate receive a further allowance. Current rates are available on the Babcock 4S website. 11. Travelling Allowances This section covers the reimbursement of expenses when members of staff are required to travel for their work. Who authorises business travel? Headteachers decide if business travel is a requirement for each post and, if it is, which mode of transport car or public transport is the most effective and economical. Using public or private transport Decisions about whether an employee uses their own transport (car, motorcycle, etc) or public transport are based on whether: 5

they have to visit places where public transport is inadequate or where using public transport would not be the best use of time; they need to carry equipment essential for the job; they regularly need to carry passengers. All official journeys to London should, as a general rule, be made by public transport unless the headteacher has given prior approval to the use of a car. Travel expenses Employees are responsible for paying for personal travel, e.g. between home and base, or between establishments/sites where the journey is not necessary to meet operational requirements. However, the school is responsible for reimbursing reasonable business travel expenses. Every employee should have a base from which to calculate eligibility for travelling expenses. Vehicle use Where the use of a vehicle is authorised, environmental impact and unnecessary mileage should be avoided by car sharing and planning of journeys. There are two types of business car user designated by Surrey County Council: contractual user and non-contractual user. Further details on these two types of user can be found below. Designation as a car user should not be the sole criteria for deciding how to travel. Effectiveness and economy should also be taken into account. The current rates of mileage allowance for contractual and non-contractual users are shown in the Mileage Allowances document on the Babcock 4S website. Public Transport Use Where it is practical and economical to do so, public transport should be used for business travel. Fares and associated charges reasonably incurred should be reimbursed. Employees should travel second class unless the headteacher has given permission to travel first class. Decisions to allow first class travel are based on the length and timing of the trip and the need to work during the journey. Employees cannot claim for travel that is already covered by their current home-to-office season ticket. Contractual and non-contractual users using public transport should claim the cost of the fares rather than the mileage allowance. Contractual car user or non-contractual car user Headteachers decide for each post in the school whether car use for business travel is a requirement of the job. Some posts are designated as either contractual user or non-contractual user depending upon the specific requirements of the job. The designation is reviewed annually and is reassessed if the job changes. Contractual User Contractual users are required to maintain a driving licence and provide a vehicle with the relevant insurance for business use, to carry out their job properly. This may be because they are regularly required to travel to a variety of locations which would be inefficient to do by public transport. This may also be because they need to transport other staff, members of the public and/or equipment. This designation will be included as a specific term and condition of employment in their contract. 6

Non-Contractual User Non-contractual users have jobs that do not require them to provide a vehicle but they may seek their manager s agreement to use their vehicle for official journeys when there is also a benefit to the school. The vehicle used must be insured for business purposes. Claiming Mileage Mileage rates for contractual and non-contractual users are outlined in the Mileage Allowances document available on the Babcock 4S website. The non-contractual user rate is also payable for attendance at approved training courses. Travel claims Authorised users should maintain an official log of journeys in their work diaries, showing full details of each trip, including the reason for it and whether any passengers were carried. Claims should be based on accurate mileages with reference to meter readings for each journey. Mileages should be rounded to the nearest whole mile. Employees should plan and follow the shortest route for their journey. A note of the reason should be made on the claim form if a route other than this has been taken. Where doubt exists as to the precise mileage for a particular journey, and if there is no suitable explanation, managers should authorise a reasonable figure based on a map measurement and the employee should be informed. Car journeys should be shared where possible. Insurance and Other Documentation If an employee uses their own car for business purposes, their insurance policy must cover business use and protect the school/council against third party claims. Once a year the employee should be required to provide proof that they have business use insurance and a valid, full driving licence. Employees must not use their vehicle on official business until confirmation has been received that the cover provided by their insurance policy is adequate for work purposes. Car Parking Parking fees will only be allowed on official journeys where a free parking space is not available. Mileage Rates Mileage rates are based on the principle that staff using their own vehicle for business purposes will also use it for other purposes so that business mileage rates of allowance reflect marginal running costs, and partial standing charges only. Passenger rate 5p per passenger per business mile is to be paid in addition to any non-contractual or contractual user rate claimed, to encourage car sharing and greener business travel. Passengers must be school or council employees and must also be travelling on school business. Calculating Mileage Rates The business mileage claimable is shown in the following examples: 7

Scenario Where the business journey both starts and finishes at an employee s school/official base. Where the journey starts and finishes at the employee s home. Where an official visit is made on a journey to work. Where an official visit is made on the journey home. What to Claim Claim for all the miles covered. Claim the actual miles travelled on business or the return journey from school/official base to places visited, whichever is the less. Claim the actual miles travelled, but deduct either the mileage from home to the first place visited or from home to base, whichever is less. Claim the actual miles travelled, but deduct either the mileage from the last place visited to home or from home to base, whichever is less. Taxation of Mileage Allowances In some circumstances certain travelling allowances are subject to tax. In particular, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regards journeys between home and work as an employee s responsibility and therefore any payment made in respect of such journeys is taxable. Employees who are contractually home based may be exempt from taxation but advice on individual cases should be sought from the school s payroll provider. Weekend and Public Holiday Travel Where an employee is required to undertake official travelling on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday when he/she would not normally be working, or after returning home on completion of normal work, all the mileage or public transport fares can be claimed without any deduction in respect of home to base travel. Payment for travelling to or from an additional evening duty will only be made when normal daily duties have been completed and it would not have been reasonable and convenient for the employee to spend the intervening time at his/her work base. Journeys falling within this category are taxable unless the journey was as a result of an emergency. 12. Workbase Relocation Grant Employees who are relocated, for example as a result of redeployment to another job, will receive a workbase relocation grant if the home-to-work return journey increases by two miles or more (i.e. the new place of work is at least one mile further from home than the previous place of work). This will apply to employees who are redeployed: To another school maintained by Surrey County Council To a post within Surrey County Council other than in a school. It may also apply to employees who are relocated to another site operated by the same school or governing body depending on what contractual provisions are in place. Advice on such circumstances should be sought from Babcock 4S Education Personnel. The grant compensates employees for the extra travel costs incurred and is payable for a maximum of three years from the date of relocation. The amount payable is calculated at the time of relocation, based on the non-contractual user mileage rate, and is paid in fixed monthly instalments during the period. Payments are made through the payroll and subject to tax and NI deductions. The elements involved in the calculation are: 8

The increase in the home-to-work journey arising from the relocation, rounded to the nearest whole mile and using the quickest practical route. The number of standard working days in the year, excluding annual leave, bank and public holidays for staff employed full year. The non-contractual user mileage rate current at the time of relocation. The total grant payable is therefore calculated by multiplying these elements together. Dividing this sum by 12 gives the monthly gross payment. Once the amount is fixed it is not affected by any change in annual leave entitlement, the noncontractual user mileage rate or moving home. If the job changes and this results in an increase or decrease in the number of days travelling to work (e.g. if the employee increases the number of weeks per year he/she is employed for) then the grant will be recalculated on a pro-rata basis. Employees who use the bus and/or train to travel to work with an annual season ticket will have the grant calculated from any increase in cost of the season ticket. This will not be recalculated if the season ticket subsequently increases, or the employee moves home, during the three year period. Employees without an annual season ticket will have the grant calculated using the noncontractual user mileage rate. This will not be recalculated if the employee changes mode of travel or moves home during the three year period. Payments will be suspended during periods of unpaid maternity leave and any periods of extended sick leave or unpaid leave of more than one month. Any period of suspension of payment will be added on to the grant period remaining upon return to work. Where an employee is relocated again during the three year period, the grant will be recalculated based on: The difference between the home-to-original-base and home-to-latest-base mileages for the remainder of the three year term, and then The difference between the home-to-second-base and home-to-latest-base mileages for the remainder of the three years from the date of the second move. 9