Here's a summary of the scheduled discussions for the Staff and Appointments Committee meeting. The committee was expected to review senior manager pay progression and other standard agenda items. The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Morpeth.

Senior Manager Incremental Progression and Appraisal

The committee was scheduled to receive an annual report on senior manager incremental awards and confirm appraisal rates of the senior management cohort (Bands 14+). Incremental pay progression for senior managers at Bands 14-17 was approved by the Staff and Appointments Committee on 22 February 2024.

The process for awarding increments is as follows:

• Staff on Bands 14-17 who wish to apply for incremental progression and have satisfactorily fulfilled their appraisal objectives for two years in succession, can submit an application.
• Submissions are made during a designated timeframe in April and are assessed by Executive Directors, with support from People and Culture, during May.
• If awarded, increments are paid from April of the same year of the application (backdated to 1 April of that year).
• New submissions can only be made following a 2-year appraisal objective period.
• A summary report detailing awarded increments is submitted to this committee on an annual basis.

The report noted that appraisal completion across the senior management population exceeded the target rate of 85% in 2023/24 and 2024/25.

The senior managers outlined below were awarded an increment following assessment of their application:

• From April 2024 (eligible to apply again in 2026)
  • Head of Adult Social Care, Occupational Therapy, Equipment & Adaptations
  • Head of Service Front of House & Hospital Discharge
  • Head of Commissioning (Adults)
  • Head of Service Systems, Performance and Finance
  • Head of Skills & Employability
  • Head of School Organisation & Resources
  • Director of Children, Young People & Families (previous postholder)
  • Director of Digital & IT
  • Director of Strategic Change and Service Improvement (now left)
  • Director of Housing and Planning
• From April 2025 (eligible to apply again in 2027)
  • Assistant Chief Executive
  • Director of People and Culture
  • Head of Customer Experience
  • Head of Planning
  • Head of Social Care (Safeguarding)

The report also noted that all appraisals for the Chief Executive and Executive Directors were fully up to date and all objectives had been satisfactorily achieved, although these roles are not paid incrementally.

The report recommended that the committee note the annual update per the requirements of the Pay Policy Statement 2025/26¹.

Membership and Terms of Reference

The committee membership consists of 9 members: 3 Con, 3 Ref, 1 Lab, 1 Ind Gp, 1 Min Gp. The quorum is 3. Councillor Hugh Glen Howard Sanderson is the Chair, and Councillor Richard Watson Wearmouth is the Vice Chair.

Other Business

The agenda included standard items such as:

• Apologies for absence.
• Confirmation of the minutes from the meeting held on 16 April 2025.
• Disclosure of members' interests.
• Consideration of any urgent business.
• Confirmation of the date of the next meeting.