Government calls for competence-based pay within policing

POLICING must move towards competence-based remuneration – ending the link between pay and time served – the Home Office has said.

The Government has called for a reform of police officer pay that encourages better professional development across their career.

The Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body 2021/22 pay round has supported the NPCC-proposed “pay progression standard”, due to be introduced by March next year.

The standard will see pay rises awarded when a Professional Development Review (PDR) has been completed that confirms the officer remains operationally competent, confirms statutory and/or mandatory training has been completed and for supervisors, ensures they have completed PDRs and made pay progression standard decisions on behalf of those they manage.

Police constables currently earn £18,912 starting salary, which increases to a maximum of £41,130 after seven years.

The Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body 2021/22 pay round said: “The Government is clear that progress must be made to reform police officer pay. The current pay structure is still grounded in a system of annual incremental progression and over half of all officers are at the top of their pay scale. It is right that officers have better access to professional development throughout their career with a pay structure that supports this.”

Police officers will not receive a pay rise this year after increases were temporarily paused across the public sector as the Government assesses the impact of the Covid crisis. But incremental pay rises for officers will continue.

The Police Federation of England and Wales had asked for a 3% pay rise and a special award in thanks for their hard work policing the pandemic.

The request forms part of PFEW’s annual submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), the independent body which advises the Government on police pay.

In conjunction with the Superintendents’ Association, this year’s submission calls for officers to be awarded a 3 per cent pay increase and receive a special payment which recognises the risks they have taken to protect the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

PFEW National Secretary, Alex Duncan, said: “We know that calling for an increase in officer pay when the Chancellor has already announced that there should be a public sector pay freeze may seem fruitless.

“However, police officers have been at the forefront of this pandemic and continue to put themselves and their families at risk, working long hours every day to keep the public safe during these unprecedented times.”

Further details are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960610/Home_Office_evidence_to_the_PRRB_2021_22.pdf