The Staffing Committee of Cumberland Council met to discuss the Senior Leader Pay Policy Statement, including the addition of a new senior leader post and the transparency of pay setting. The committee agreed to recommend the policy to the Full Council and decided that relevant Portfolio Holders should be informed of any honoraria being paid to senior leaders.

Senior Leader Pay Policy

The HR Lead and the Pay and Reward Manager presented the Senior Leader Pay Policy Statement, which is required under the Localism Act 2011 to ensure transparency in the council’s approach to pay setting. The policy includes a new senior leader post: Assistant Director of Early Intervention and Prevention, with a salary of £105,422.

Members raised several questions and comments regarding the policy. One member sought clarification on whether honoraria were a form of performance-related pay. The HR Lead explained that honoraria are paid when an employee temporarily takes on additional responsibilities, bridging the gap between their current grade and the grade of the role they are covering.

A proposal was made and agreed that relevant Portfolio Holders should be informed of any honoraria being paid to senior leaders in their departments.

Questions were also raised about the evaluation of pay, which was completed in late 2023 via a Leader’s Decision Notice. The Pay and Reward Manager explained that the council's pay structure includes 19 grades, covering all employees, with two levels (A and B) and no further progression within individual grades. The Senior Leadership pay structure has tiers with multiple levels for progression.

Concerns were raised about the consistency of pay within the same tier and level. The HR Lead clarified that an independent assessment determined the size of each role based on responsibilities and demands, benchmarking them against comparable local authorities. The committee discussed the potential for conducting such assessments in-house in the future.

The Chair inquired about the pay ratio between the Chief Executive and the lowest-paid staff compared to other authorities. The Pay and Reward Manager noted that the ratio had decreased compared to the previous year.

The Chair also asked for data on the gender split within the authority's tiers. The Pay and Reward Manager committed to providing this information in an annual report available in April, based on data from predecessor sovereign authorities. The Chair requested that this information be circulated to the committee.

The committee resolved to agree on the Senior Leader Pay Policy Statement and recommend it to the Full Council for adoption. They also resolved that relevant Portfolio Holders be informed of any honoraria being paid to senior leaders and that the Pay and Reward Manager circulate information regarding the gender split across the authority to the committee.