The National Employers have made a revised final offer to the Officers’ Side for 2022 and 2023. This replaces the previous offer made on 11 September which has been withdrawn. It has been rejected by the Officers’ Side. The National Employers will be meeting shortly to consider next steps.
David Powell
Officers’ Side Secretary
Soulbury Committee
Hamilton House
Mabledon Place
London
WC1 9BD
27 September 2023
Dear David
Following our ongoing discussions, I set out below a revised final offer on behalf of the Employers’ Side in response to the Officers’ Side’s pay and conditions claim for 2022. In addition to this, we can confirm a final offer on pay for 2023, noting that we are already past the settlement date. This offer supersedes and replaces the offer made to you on 11 September.
This offer follows consideration of your interpretation of the proposed changes to the Soulbury pay spines, included as part of your 2022 pay claim. On reflection our view is that the impact of these changes, as you have outlined, would at the higher end of the pay spines and backdated be unaffordable in the current financial climate facing local authorities. We have received urgent representation to this effect, with particular focus on concerns of unbudgeted costs going back into a previous financial year. We can however agree to some of these changes and we hope that this combined with the offers of pay for last year and this year can lead to an agreement and will resolve the ongoing dispute between both Sides.
It is important to underline that the National Employers have made this amended offer to you with a commitment to continue exploring these issues. We understand that while pay and reward is just one part of any recruitment and retention challenge, our members wanted to emphasise the value and importance of the work that your members do (alongside so many roles within local government and school communities). However, local authorities are simply not in a financial position to go further at this stage. That said, the National Employers believe that the movement made during these negotiations, in addition to seeking to settle the 2023 year without further delay, is made in good faith to genuinely draw a line under these difficult negotiations.
Our final offer on pay is as follows:
- an increase of £1,925 on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2022
- an increase of 4.04 per cent on all allowances with effect from 1 September 2022
- an increase of 3.5 per cent on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2023
- an increase of 3.5 per cent on all allowances with effect from 1 September 2023.
In terms of the pay spine elements in your claim for 2022, we can agree to the following with effect from 1 September 2023.
1. In the spine for Education Improvement Professionals (EIPs), there should be two additional points after point 50.
2. In the scale for Trainee Educational Psychologists, point 1 should be eliminated, making point 2 the first point of the scale.
3. In the scale for Assistant Educational Psychologists, point 1 should be eliminated, making point 2 the first point of the scale.
4. In the scale A for Educational Psychologists, there should be three additional points after point 11.
5. In the scale for Senior and Principal Educational Psychologists, there should be three additional points after point 18.
Paragraph 4.6 of the Soulbury Report should be amended to state that main scale educational psychologists would be awarded an allowance equivalent to one additional incremental point on Scale A for the duration of supervising assistant educational psychologists as well as for supervising trainee educational psychologists.
In terms of the other elements of your claim:
7. All educational psychologists should be reimbursed the costs of their required two-yearly registration with the Health and Care Professions Council - the next renewal will be in April 2023 and will cost £196.24.
The Employers’ Side believes that it should be for individual authorities to have the discretion to decide whether to reimburse the costs of registration fees on behalf of employees. The Employers’ Side therefore rejects this element of your claim.
8. A review of SPA points - A joint survey of local authorities, a review of the joint Soulbury guidance on SPA points to ensure clarity and consistent application and consideration of a fourth SPA point.
9. The criteria for the third SPA point should be reviewed to ensure that officers are not unreasonably denied progression and the addition of a fourth SPA point should be considered.
The Employers’ Side can agree to a joint survey of local authorities and a review of SPA points on a without prejudice basis.
10. Discussions on the role of the Soulbury Officer.
The Employers’ Side can commit to these discussions, at Joint Secretarial level, on a without prejudice basis.
11. A review of London Area Payments.
The Employers’ Side can commit to these discussions, at Joint Secretarial level, on a without prejudice basis.
Finally, as we have previously agreed, as part of the NJC Local Government Services pay settlement last year, an increase in annual leave provision should also be applied for Soulbury Officers in accordance with paragraph 10.1 of the Soulbury National Agreement.
The Employers’ Side hopes that this final offer for both 2022 and 2023 can form the basis of an agreement between the two Sides of the Soulbury Committee, so that Soulbury Officers, who continue to provide such critical support to their communities, can receive a pay rise as soon as possible. We would hope that the Officers’ Side can recommend this offer to your members.
Yours sincerely
David Algie
Employers’ Side Secretariat