Policy Scope:

This policy applies to police officers of federated ranks.

Policy Aims and Objectives:

The purpose of this policy is to provide details of the Competence Related Threshold Payment scheme, the eligibility criteria, application process and guidance to supervisors and managers.
Also included are details of the review and monitoring procedures for officers in receipt of Competence Related Threshold Payment.

Associated Procedural Instructions:

This policy is supported by the following procedural instructions and is set out in the following sections:

Section 1 Background

Section 2 Eligibility

Section 3 Application Form

Section 4 Payment

Section 5 Assessment of Applications

Section 6 Appeals Process

Section 7 Monitoring and Validation of Assessment Process

Section 8 Monitoring and Review

1. Background

In September 2002 the Police Negotiating Board, Federated Ranks Committee finalised the Competence Related Threshold Payment (CRTP) Scheme. The PNB Guidance can be found on the Corporate HR intranet site.

Corporate HR are responsible for the implementation of all pay-related aspects of Police Reforms. Reviews and amendments to the policies are initiated by Corporate HR following consultation with relevant parties.

2. Eligibility

Following assessment against the criteria outlined below, officers of federated ranks who have served a complete year at the top of their payscale may qualify for a Competence Related Threshold Payment. The amount payable is reviewed annually and published on the Corporate HR Intranet site.

Officers must show ‘high professional competence’ by meeting all four national criteria, which are:

• professional competence and results; and
• commitment to the job; and
• relations with the public and colleagues; and
• willingness to learn and adjust to new circumstances.

Guidance to explain each criterion is provided with application forms, which are available from local Human Resources Managers.

Where an officer in receipt of CRTP is temporarily promoted to a higher rank, the CRTP payment will be discontinued from the date of temporary promotion, subject to a ‘no detriment’ provision in order that an officer will not suffer a reduction in pensionable pay. CRTP will be reinstated when the officer reverts to his/her substantive rank.

3. The Application Form

The officer becomes eligible to apply for CRTP on the first anniversary of reaching the top of their pay scale. Eligible officers need to complete the standard application form, which is available from local Human Resources Managers. The officer will then submit the form to their first line supervisor, who is referred to as the ‘Assessing Officer’.

Officers are able to submit an application up to three months before the date at which they become eligible. This form will be retained by local Human Resources Managers until the date the officer becomes eligible for CRTP, in order that checks against the attendance management criteria can be made.

It is the responsibility of the individual officer to submit their application form on time. Where a CRTP application is submitted late, only in exceptional cases will payment be backdated, and in any event, claims will not be backdated beyond 3 months. Officers submitting a late application and wishing to have the claim backdated must submit a report with the application form outlining the case for the application to be backdated.

4. Payment

Successful applicants will receive the payment with effect from the date at which they become eligible or the date of application, whichever is the later.

Payments are pensionable, taxable and paid in accordance with normal pay periods. Part time officers receive the payment on a pro-rata basis

5. Assessment of Applications

Assessing Officers have three responsibilities, which are to:

• ensure the applicant is eligible; and
• assess the application; and
• provide a written assessment as to whether or not the applicant has demonstrated high professional competence against each of the four criteria.

The Assessing Officer will then forward the application to the applicant's second line manager, who is referred to as the ‘Determining Officer’.

Determining Officers have three responsibilities, which are to ensure:

• the application form has been completed correctly; and
• the Assessing Officer has commented against each of the national standards correctly, fairly and in accordance with national practice; and
• consistency and fairness in and between the assessments of all Assessing Officers under their supervision.

The officer will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application no later than 21 days after receipt of the completed application form by the Assessing Officer.

6. Appeals Process

Unsuccessful applicants are entitled to appeal against a decision not to award the payment. The appeal must be in writing and must briefly state the reasons for disputing the decision. Appeals must be directed to the applicant’s third line supervisor, who is referred to as the ‘Appeals Officer’.

Following the appeal, unsuccessful applicants are entitled to written feedback on their application from the Determining Officer. Applicants cannot re-apply for a further 12 months after the date of the unsuccessful application.

7. Monitoring and Validation of the Assessment Process

A process for monitoring and validating the assessment process is in place in line with the requirements of the PNB Agreement to ensure that the force has appropriate and objective systems in place and that Assessing Officers have applied the national standards correctly, fairly and in line with national practice.

Where any problems with the assessment process are identified either generally across the force or involving particular Assessing Officers or Determining Officers, the force is required to take the appropriate action to remedy the problems, by for instance, further training in assessment techniques.

The PNB guidance requires the Police Authority to assure itself that the arrangements in place in the force for assessment and payment under this scheme, including arrangements for triggering reassessment, are efficient and effective.

In order to meet these objectives, the following process has been established:

• All applications for CRTP, following the decision of the Determining Officer, are forwarded to the local Human Resources Manager.
• The local Human Resources Manager will check through each application and, where appropriate, identify where the standards of assessment may not have been properly applied, including checks against the attendance management criteria.
• A note can then be attached to the application identifying where it is felt that the standards may not have been properly applied.
• The local Human Resources Manager will forward all applications to the Human Resources Advisory (HRA) Unit, Corporate HR.
• If examination by the HRA Unit indicates a potential problem either with the ‘assessment’ or the ‘determination’ then the completed form will be returned to the relevant District Commander or Department Head, identifying any discrepancies.
• The District Commander or Department Head is then required to arrange for the case to be reassessed by a suitable person. This may be the third line manager.
• If the reassessment demonstrates a flaw in the initial assessment then the result will be amended and the applicant informed by the officer responsible for the reassessment. The District or Departmental Head will hear any appeal against the reassessment. Their decision is final.
• The District or Department will then take any steps necessary to ensure that any learning and development needs are addressed with the individual or individuals that conducted the initial assessment or determination. This may involve preventing an individual from acting as Assessing or Determining Officer until such time as they have demonstrated their competence.

The HRA Unit, Corporate HR will deal with all applications in accordance with this policy. The HRA Unit will produce regular management information for the Senior Command Team and the Police Authority to enable the effective monitoring of the scheme to be carried out.

8. Monitoring and Review

As part of the annual PDR process local Human Resources Managers must inform line managers where an officer is in receipt of CRTP. All officers in receipt of CRTP should be able to demonstrate to their line manager their continued commitment and levels of performance necessary to continue to receive the payment. Line managers who are also Assessing Officers should ensure that all officers in receipt of CRTP maintain the standards required and are able to provide the necessary evidence of this. It is expected that officers awarded the payment will continue to maintain the level of performance and commitment demonstrated in their application.

Where a Line Manager has concerns about whether an officer who is in receipt of the payment is continuing to maintain a high level of professional competence, an assessment should be carried out in respect of suitability for ongoing payment. This can occur as part of the normal appraisal process.

A reassessment would not normally be triggered by a single incident or event, but be based on broader concerns by management about the officer's overall performance against any of the Scheme criteria. However, the opportunity to remove payment must not be used as an alternative to normal management support or appropriate action under attendance management policies, conduct regulations or unsatisfactory performance procedures. Each case must be considered on its merits.

The procedure for reassessment is as follows:

• The manager triggers a reassessment. The CRTP is put on hold, one calendar month after the date on which the manager notifies the officer (further details below).
• The manager is defined as either the original assessing officer or determining officer, or if these have changed, the current first or second line manager. In most circumstances it would be the assessing officer that triggers the reassessment.
• If it is the determining officer (the officers second line manager) who is triggering a reassessment then they cannot be the determining officer for that reapplication. They should notify the first line manager (assessing officer) of their concerns who will confirm or allay these concerns, triggering a reassessment where appropriate. The Senior Management Team will identify a new determining officer if necessary.
• The manager writes to the officer outlining the areas of concern and giving the officer one calendar months notice that the CRTP will be put on hold until the officer reapplies for the CRTP. This letter is copied to Corporate HR.
• Corporate HR puts the CRTP on hold from one calendar month after the date of the letter.
• The officer reapplies but provides evidence on the areas of concern only – there is no need to complete a full application form.
• The evidence is reassessed by the assessing and determining officer, following the principles applied to CRTP including the timescales.
• If the continuing payment is approved:

The determining officer writes to the officer to confirm that the CRTP payment will continue. A copy of the letter is sent to Corporate HR.

Corporate HR reinstate the CRTP and make backdated payments to the

date on which the payment was put on hold.

• If the CRTP is not approved:

The determining officer must write to inform the officer. A copy is sent to Corporate HR

Corporate HR will cease payment from the date the CRTP was put onto hold.

• The officer has the right to appeal in line with the PNB guidance. If the appeal is upheld, the CRTP is paid from the date at which it was put on hold.
• The officer can reapply for the CRTP, in line with the CRTP Scheme after 12 months from the date their reapplication was unsuccessful.

9. Attendance Management

The Human Resources Manager will conduct a quarterly review of the attendance of officers who are in receipt of CRTP. Any officers who fall outside the attendance criteria as outlined in D50142 will be notified in writing by the Human Resources Manager. The Assessing Officer will also be informed. Any absence that is properly attributable to an injury on duty, a disability-related absence recognised under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, a pregnancy-related absence or terminal illness will be excluded from all calculations.

Officers outside the attendance criteria are required to submit written evidence to the Determining Officer that demonstrates their commitment to attending work. The Determining Officer will consider this evidence along with the officer’s attendance record. Advice and guidance on the officer’s attendance record should be sought from the Human Resources Manager. If the officer is unable to demonstrate commitment to attending work, the officer will have failed one of the four criteria (commitment to the job). Therefore the Determining Officer will inform the officer in writing that CRTP will cease. A copy of the letter will be sent to the HRA Unit.

Attendance levels will continue to be monitored on a monthly basis. As soon as an officer who has had his or her CRTP stopped subsequently meets the attendance criteria then their payments will be re-started provided they meet the performance standards. The local Human Resources Manager must notify the Payroll Unit of any termination and resumption of CRTP.

If an officer wishes to appeal against the decision to withdraw CRTP based on failure to demonstrate a commitment to attendance at work then this must be submitted to the Appeals Officer. This is the person with line management responsibility for the Determining Officer and will usually be the applicants third Line Manager. The Appeals Officer will reconsider the decision in the light of the information provided. The outcome of the appeal will be final and the applicant will be notified in writing within 21 days.

This policy is linked to the following:

D50141 Attendance Management Policy

D50142 Attendance Management Procedural Instructions

Human Rights/Discretion:

The purpose of providing policy is to give an indication to staff of the expected course of action. However it is not possible to cater for every possible combination of factors that would justify a departure from stated policy. The Human Rights Act 1998 requires the proper use of discretion at all times and nothing within this policy and associated procedural instructions prohibits the proper use of discretion in appropriate circumstances.

Where action is taken that has the potential to interfere with an individual’s Human Rights, the reasons behind the making of the decision to act in that way should be recorded on the appropriate forms, or where this is not practicable, in pocket books or policy logs.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Exemptions do not apply to this statement of agreed policy under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Management of Police Information (MoPI)

This policy falls within MoPI: No

Audit Review Arrangements:

This policy together with its Equality Analysis will be reviewed every two years, or upon any relevant changes in legislation or Police Regulations.

Rights of redress for members of the public:

Anyone, who feels that a member of staff has behaved incorrectly or unfairly, or who is dissatisfied with organisational matters, service delivery or other operational policing issues, has the right to make a complaint.

Initial action should be taken in one of the following ways:

• Complain in writing or in person to the Senior Officer at the appropriate police station or to the Chief Constable of the force concerned.
• Visit a local Citizens' Advice Bureau
• Contact a Solicitor

Rights of redress for South Yorkshire Police personnel:

South Yorkshire Police personnel who feel they have grounds for concern in relation to the implementation of policies may, as appropriate:

• Pursue concerns through their line manager.
• Contact a First Contact Advisor.
• Pursue a grievance formally through the South Yorkshire Police Fairness at Work Procedure.
• Seek advice from their staff association or trades union.

• Use procedural instruction D50241 Management of Complaints, in the section entitled Handling Complaints relating to Direction and Control.