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Dear colleague,
As we approach the late summer bank holiday and the start of autumn, workforce teams across local government continue to respond tirelessly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which now includes managing either the implications of local lockdowns or restrictions easing. The news many of you will have been waiting for is the conclusion of the Local Government Services pay agreement – details of that and other on-going pay negotiations are included below. Local authorities and schools have been working hard to prepare for reopening as the autumn term begins. Our consultation on teachers’ pay for England & Wales is close to completion and NEOST expects to report early in September. The MoJ is consulting on raising the retirement age of judicial appointments – including coroners – the deadline for responses is 16 October.
Wellbeing remains a key workforce issue, be that Covid-19 related, seasonal flu, or around good mental health all of which are included below. We also report on pensions activity for various groups, and key LGA workforce events – many of which are offered free to councils and member organisations. So a busier August than might have been anticipated.
The gateway to all of the LGA workforce activities and news can be found at the workforce website homepage and don’t forget to follow us on twitter: @LGAWorkforce
Stories
Local government pay negotiations
Pay deals have been finalised for employees covered by the local government services National Joint Council ‘Green Book’; Chief Executives; and Chief Officers. Unfortunately, the two unions representing local authority Craftworkers (Unite and GMB) have rejected the National Employers’ final offer, so their pay deal remains unresolved at this time.
COVID-19: employer guidance
The National Employers for local government services have issued new guidance on the relaxation of shielding and return to work which looks in detail at what employers need to consider, in consultation with their employees, for any return to the workplace, with particular focus on employees in the clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable groups.
Consultation on Teachers’ Pay 2020
The Government accepted the STRB’s recommendations for a proposed 5.5% increase for teachers’ starting salary and 2.75% for all other teachers which they are now consulting on. The online survey achieved a 40% response rate from councils that will inform the NEOST (the national employers body) response back to Government.
MoJ consultation on raising mandatory retirement age for coroners
The MoJ are consulting on raising the mandatory retirement age for judicial office holders – which includes coroners. The LGA has contacted MoJ expressing serious concern that local authorities have not been formally included in this consultation given the direct crossover with local authority responsibilities under the Coroners & Justice Act 2009 and any potential cost implications. Coroners have been consulted. MoJ have confirmed that it will consider local authority responses therefore the LGA would urge you to respond to this consultation which ends on 16 October 2020. Please forward a copy of your response to coroner.queries@local.gov.uk .
Consultation on removing discrimination from the LGPS
MHCLG has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). It is proposed that the age discrimination identified in the McCloud judgment should be removed by extending underpin protection to younger scheme members. MHCLG also proposes regulation changes to clarify how the underpin affects survivor benefits and transfer values.
Health and social care worker flu vaccination campaign launched
Public Health England (PHE) has launched a campaign - “I’ve had my flu jab” - to encourage health and social care workers to get the flu vaccination to protect themselves and their families and patients. The PHE resources are available to download and can be adapted locally
Soulbury
The Soulbury Committee has agreed a pay increase of 2.75% for Soulbury Officers as of 1 September 2020. See here for further details of the agreement.
Publications
Of note this month is the publication of HMT's consultation on remedying age discrimination within the unfunded public service pension schemes. There are several other government updates relating to pensions, including their response on the £95k exit-cap consultation and a call for evidence in relation to pensions tax relief administration.
The Department for Education has produced a toolkit to support children and family social workers with attendance conversations. The toolkit includes a range of guidance and resources to help explain the benefits and importance of attending school, college, early years and childcare settings in September, where all can achieve and thrive.
LGPC Bulletin 200 updates administrators and employers on hot topics in the LGPS. This month, these include the MHCLG consultation on changes to the scheme to remove age discrimination, HM Treasury’s response to the consultation on restricting exit payments and the collection of employer data to implement the McCloud remedy.
Advisory Bulletin 682
Follow the link for the latest (and past) advisory bulletins.
Sharing ideas
A wellbeing approach to managing employee joint pain
Coronavirus changed how many people work, and this could affect the physical health of employees with existing or new health problems. We are working with NHS experts at the Health Innovation Network London on an offer to manage joint pain and musculoskeletal conditions. Find out more on the LGA workforce pages:
A way to avoid recruitment costs when hiring adult social workers
We are looking for councils to host short placements for adult social workers participating in the Return to Social Work programme. Councils can use this opportunity to explore employment opportunities with our candidates and avoid the costs associated with recruitment and agency fees. To sign up, please email our Returners team.
Hire children’s social workers without the cost of agency fees
With many councils experiencing rising demands for children’s social services, you may be interested in our Social Work Together campaign to help you hire experienced social workers without the cost of agency fees. This free campaign can help you find social workers living in your area. Find out more on our website.
Events
Colleagues may be interested in this webinar which will provide an opportunity to discuss inclusion and how we can gain the knowledge and tools to be confident and respectful of others.
Wednesday 23 September 2020, 2.00pm - 3.30pm | Webinar
Friday 2 October 2020, 2.00pm - 3.30pm | Webinar
first magazine
LGA's membership magazine 'first' is received as a hard copy by over 18,000 councillors and 400 chief executives. In a response to demand, we have made it easier to read online by creating a dedicated first magazine website.
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