Job Evaluation

10 June 2021

Jim Barton

Senior Responsible Officer, Probation Reform and Electronic Monitoring Programmes and Executive Director CRC Contract Management.

I want to update you on recent activity in relation to job evaluation.

When an existing job description changes or a new job description is created, the role is subject to job evaluation.  Job evaluation is an analytical process that enables jobs to be ranked fairly and without discrimination. To maintain the integrity of the JE scheme, the JES team review and evaluate roles before they can be added to the pay and grading structure and filled. This is to avoid any new job conflicting or overlapping with an existing job description.

In the NPS there are two Job Evaluation Schemes used:

• Probation Service Job Evaluation Scheme for NPS Bands up to Band 6;
• Hay Job Evaluation Scheme for ACO Bands;

The Probation Reform Programme has developed some new roles as part of its design work; this includes roles for the future Interventions structure.

Three roles have been evaluated recently:

• Unpaid Work Operational Manager / Band 4
• Programme Manager / Band 4
• Treatment Manager / Band 3

The job descriptions for the roles above were all written using the current CRC job descriptions and the future design models, to ensure the roles and responsibilities were identified correctly, and were ratified by senior managers and focus groups of staff currently employed in this role.

These roles have unfortunately been evaluated at a lower band that the Programme had planned for. We believe that the roles should be Band 5 (Unpaid Work and Programme Manager) and Band 4 (Treatment Manager) respectively. This reflects the accepted position not just in most CRCs but in the way the roles were performed in Probation Trusts prior to Transforming Rehabilitation. As such, we do not accept the outcome which we believe significantly understates the complexity of these roles. We are now progressing appeals against all three outcomes and we will update you on the outcome of the appeal when it is known. We anticipate that the appeals will conclude by early August 2021.

Transferring staff in these roles will be attached to these evaluated job descriptions upon transfer.  For CRC staff, covered by the National Agreement, who are subject to pay assimilation upon transfer; if this is a lower band than your existing band, pay protection will apply in line with the National Agreement.  To be clear, this does not reflect an acceptance on our part that the JES outcome is right, but equally it would be wrong for us as the employer to set a precedent that we are prepared to ignore the JES process. As such, we will pursue appeal and on conclusion retrospectively correct this position.

For Parent Organisation or Supply Chain staff who are not covered by the National Agreement, they will remain on their existing contractual terms, including pay; subject to any changes we have consulted on during the measures consultation.

Please speak to your line manager if you have any immediate questions or you can also submit a question via: Strengthening.Probation@justice.gov.uk

Thanks

Jim