COUNCILLORS have agreed how Cumberland Council's directors' and assistant directors' pay will be progressed.

Members of the authority's staffing committee met at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Tuesday (August 6) to consider a total of three options.

The matter was originally considered at an earlier meeting in June but members agreed to defer the decision so could they could be given more information.

According to the council report there are currently six directors and 23 assistant directors at the council and the current budget for their salaries totals £3,776,547.

The first option, which was the one that was recommended to councillors, was that directors' and assistant directors' salaries be moved to the 'mid-point' of the salary scale after being in post for a year, and moved to the top of the scale after being in post for two years which would cost an extra £432,046 over the two years.

The second - more expensive - option was to make the increases after a six-month and a one-year period, which would require an extra £540,057 over one year.

The third option was not to make the changes.

According to a council report, which was given to councillors, the increases were dependent on:

  • successful completion of a probationary period and/or;
  • successful completion of delivering against agreed objectives and;
  • no performance concerns.

Andrew Seekings, the council's chief executive, told members that during preparations for the new council, which began in April 2023, the rates of pay were set and they did not set out the progression which, in reality, it should have been done by last November or December. He added: "We didn't manage to get that done."

He said that it was dependent on the person reaching certain objectives, such as the director of children and family wellbeing reducing the number of young people in care, and the number of assistant directors had been reduced which represented a saving. He added: "[The increase] is in the budget for this year."

Councillor Roger Dobson (Corby and Hayton, Lib Dem) said that the directors had an initial "probationary period" and added: "I don't understand the reason to have a probationary period for chief officers?"

Mr Seekings compared the situation to previous councils where he had worked and said: "If you came from a local authority you didn't have a probationary period but at some you do."

However, he said they may not be able to change the need for probationary periods because of the council's position on national bargaining.

Councillor Mike Mitchelson (Brampton, Conservative) asked why, when the former councils had three tiers, had Cumberland Council originally had just two? He added: "Why was it not set in place before now?"

Mr Seekings said the process would take time but added: "It's important that we get it right."

It was proposed that they approve the recommended option, which would be delegated to Mr Seekings to implement the pay progression for chief officers following the outcome of a consultation, and the committee agreed.