Winsor Review: Part One analysis

The review was published today; below is an initial examination of its main recommendations.

Pay
On top of the freeze in public sector pay announced last year, the Winsor Review has concluded that the system of pay within ranks, or job categories for police staff, is in need of fundamental reform. It recommends police officers and police staff remain on their present increments for the next two years commencing September 2011. After that, a new system of determining differential pay within a single rank, or job category, should be established.

This suspension of automatic annual progression will enable forces to keep officers and staff who might otherwise have had to leave, preserving employment as the private sector did over the past three years.

The second part of the review will make recommendations in connection with the possible introduction of entirely different, shorter pay scales, “with pay increments that can go down as well as up”.

Unsocial hours
The review concluded it is appropriate to recognise that officers working unsocial hours are doing something which is more onerous than those working normal office hours. It recommended that officers in all federated ranks who work unsocial hours receive a ten per cent supplement on their basic pay for hours between 8pm and 6am.

Skilled officers working unsocial shifts in response roles could receive up to £2,000 more in cash terms per year than at present, whereas those in middle – and back-office roles will not receive additional pay and may experience an allowance reduction of up to £3,000.

Deployment
The review recommends radical changes to overtime and payment in lieu of rest days and bank holidays. Time and a third pay for casual overtime should be replaced with plain time. The minimum hours for being recalled between duty should be abolished and instead paid at plain time for the hours worked, with travelling time.

The rate for routinely working a public holiday should be reduced to double time only for police staff.

Police staff should not receive additional shift premium for weekend day working as part of their normal contracted hours.

Variable shift arrangements – Police Regulations should be amended to require the chief officer to consult, rather than agree, with the local joint branch board and individual officers regarding the implementation of variable shift arrangements. Before deciding, the chief officer should be required to consult the affected officers and take full account of their individual circumstances.
Rest days – Double time pay and the notice period of five days for working on a rostered rest day should be amended to time and a half pay for working on a rostered rest day with fewer than 15 days’ notice.

Bank holidays – Should be paid at double time for December 25 and seven other days chosen by the officer before January 31 for the next financial year. Cancellation with fewer than 15 days’ notice needs ACC authority.

Competency payments

Performance-related pay reintroduced in 2003 came under significant scrutiny of the review. The service has not been successful in establishing and operating a sound, non-bureaucratic, objective and fair system of appraisal of the performance of individual officers, it concluded.

Approximately 98 per cent of constables who have applied for the CRTP – an annual payment of £1,212 – have been successful. This, said Tom Winsor, is likely to be a reflection of management timidity or neglect in the assessment of performance.

In the interests of economy, the review recommended that CRTPs be terminated from August 2011.

It also recommended the bonus scheme for chief officer and superintendents be suspended for a two-year period commencing September 2011 and the introduction of a team-based reward, including both officers and staff. A Team Recognition Award payment of £50 to £