Amendment to the determinations made under Police Regulations 2003, to implement the PAT award on a new constables pay scale, phasing out of Competence Related Threshold Payments, the introduction of an On-call Allowance, and the varying of the Regional Allowance.
Home Office circular 001/13 publicised the Home Secretary’s decision to accept the findings of the Police Arbitration Tribunal (PAT) in relation to the Part 2 Report of the Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions, led by Tom Winsor.
This circular publicises amendments to the Secretary of State’s determinations under the Police Regulations 2003 to implement that decision. The amendments are attached to this circular and cover the recommendations listed below. The effective date of these changes is 1 April 2013 unless otherwise stated.
Recommendation 54: Payscale for new entrant constables (PAT accepted the Official Side’s proposed payscale).
A new payscale will be introduced for constables from 1 April 2013 with a starting salary of between £19,000 and £22,000 depending on qualifications, experience and local recruitment needs. The new pay scale will be shorter than the existing one, so that officers will be able to reach the top point of £36,519 in seven years rather than ten.
The entry point for a member appointed in the rank of constable will be at point 0 which shall be between £19,000 and £21,999, or point 1 with a starting salary of £22,000. This shall be determined by the chief officer of police, in consultation with the local policing body based on local recruitment needs, policing qualifications or relevant experience.
A member will automatically start on pay point 1, with a starting salary of £22,000 if they:
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Possess a Policing Qualification as defined by the chief officer after consultation with the local policing body;
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Were, prior to appointment, serving as a Special Constable who has been assessed and has achieved ‘Safe and Lawful’ attainment to National Standards, or the equivalent as specified by the chief officer;
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Were, prior to appointment, serving as a Police Community Support Officer who has been signed off as competent to perform independent patrol and who have served a minimum of 18 months in the role.
The chief officer of police may decide, after consultation with the local policing body, that the pay scale set out under the heading ‘Constables’ pay with effect from 1 September 2010’ shall apply to a constable appointed in the period from 1 April 2013 to 31 August 2013.
Recommendation 74: Regional Allowances (as modified by the PAT)
Chief Constables and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police are to be given discretion to vary levels of regional allowance payment up to the maximum based on local retention needs. This will not be linked to performance and the same set amount will be used for all officers in a defined location.
Recommendation 83: Competency Related Threshold Payments (as modified by the PAT)
Competency Related Threshold Payments are to be phased out over three years from April 2013 to April 2016.
Officers in receipt of CRTP will receive the following reduced amounts:
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from 1 April 2013 £900 per annum
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from 1 April 2014 £600 per annum
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from 1 April 2015 £300 per annum
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from 1 April 2016 £0.00
Recommendation 112: On-call allowance (as modified by the PAT).
An on-call allowance of £15 for each daily occasion will be introduced for federated ranks officers. There will be no qualifying number of sessions before payments are made.
The introduction of the on-call allowance will not impact on how on-call is defined and managed in practice by forces.