To receive a new Career Grade Policy and Procedure to enable managers to implement career grade structures within their teams.
Minutes:
Amanda George, Head of Strategic HR, introduced the report and presented a new Career Grade Policy and Procedure to enable managers to implement career grade structures within their team.
Officers noted that the new policy aimed to create consistency across the Council while also supporting recruitment and retention of staff, effective service delivery, succession planning, and career development of employees by providing a defined career pathway within application service areas. However, it was clarified that although it was a new policy, it was formalising arrangements that were already in place.
It was explained that a career grade structure was a hierarchy of roles within the same professional area with increasing levels of job demands, responsibilities, knowledge, and skills. Those roles were then linked by a structured programme of development which would provide an opportunity for progression with a team and clear distinctions between the levels of work. As such, it would be expected to see at least one grade difference between a role and the next role within the structure. Furthermore, a career grade structure must be established either within or alongside the role descriptions and must set out all competencies and criteria required to progress to each level within the career grade. Therefore, managers would need to work alongside Finance and Strategic HR Business Partners to agree the scheme and funding before any career grade structure could be confirmed.
It was also highlighted that progression in a career grade structure was not automatically based solely on the achievement of a qualification and/or new skills or time served in a role; there must also be the need for the higher level of work within the team and a funded vacancy must be available. Thus, ensuring that the structure and progression within it reflected service delivery requirements and could be fully funded from within the existing establishment. Finally, it was explained that progression opportunities within a career grade structure would be ringfenced to employees who are part of the structure and must be via a successful competitive selection exercise.
During the discussion, points included:
At the conclusion of the discussion, it was then:
Resolved:
The Committee approved the introduction of a Career Grade Policy and Procedure.
Supporting documents: