In this section you will find information on pay and allowances, conditions of service, working arrangements and benefits.
Cumberland Council Job Families Pay and Grading structure.
Salary scales including hourly rates - including Backdated April 2023 National Pay Award
Job Families Pay and Grading Structure (October 2023) (PDF 23KB)
Soulbury Pay Scales 2022-2023 and 2023-2024
Soulbury Pay rates for Education Improvement Professionals and Educational Psychologists.
Pay progression for 'Green Book' employees (from Level A to Level B within a salary grade) is linked to performance and an assessment process.
pay progression guidance (DOC 225KB)
Employees on Soulbury terms and conditions can make an application for Structured Professional Assessment (SPA) Points.
A period of pay protection can apply for up to 12 months in circumstances where an organisational change takes place and results in a reduction to the current pay level.
Every effort is made to pay employees' accurately; however occasionally mistakes are made, which may result in an under or overpayment. This policy outlines the Council's position with regard to such payments and the procedures to be followed.
Overpayments Recovery (PDF 281KB)
The Pay Policy Statement provides information regarding the council's approach to setting the pay of its employees.
An honorarium is a one-off lump sum payment intended to recognise exceptional effort or contribution. Honoraria payments under £2,000 are paid in arrears and are subject to the approval of the relevant directorate's Corporate Director. Amounts exceeding £2,000 must be authorised by the Corporate Director - Resources and Transformation, in accordance with the delegations in the Council's Constitution.
Requests for honoraria must be made to the corporate director by an employee's line manager. To request an honorarium, visit the HR Administration Portal on Intouch.
Payments are available for employees who are temporarily 'promoted' to carry out the full duties of a higher graded job and temporarily cease to carry out their normal substantive job. In this case employees will be paid at the minimum level of the allocated grade for the job being acted up into.
Line managers should contact the People Management Team if they are considering an acting up arrangement within their team.
Responsibility pay is intended to reward employees who are temporarily undertaking additional responsibilities, or part of the duties of a more highly graded job, in addition to their substantive job. The additional responsibilities or duties will be temporarily incorporated into the existing job description and evaluated to see whether or not they are significant enough to result in an additional payment at the minimum level of the nearest higher grade.
Line managers should contact the People Management Service if they are considering arranging responsibility pay.
A payment of £104 per year paid monthly to people who are registered "First Aiders" for their building and will be pro-rated for part-time employees.
First Aid Allowance (DOC 233KB)
To arrange payment for a first aid allowance, visit the HR Administration Portal on Intouch.
A payment of £105 per week (or pro rata over 7 days - £15 per session) will be paid whilst on standby. Standby is an allowance paid when management require employees to be available for work outside of core hours. The start and end time of the standby periods will be locally determined in advance, subject to operational need, and will be specified in a rota or service plan. The allowance is an inconvenience payment and is paid to provide minimal cover for essential services out of normal working hours. It is not designed therefore to provide regular cover where the introduction of a shift rota would be more appropriate.
A market supplement is an additional payment that enhances a basic salary. It can only be applied where there is evidence that the post cannot be filled or occupied at the current rate of pay.
In March 2020, the outbreak of coronavirus acted as an overnight catalyst, creating a new working landscape for Cumbria County Council where, for many, home working became not just beneficial, but vital to both employee wellbeing and service delivery.
As the Covid19 pandemic continues, this home working handbook seeks to provide support and guidance to enable employees to operate effectively in safe and well-connected spaces that work for them and the services they deliver.
The guidance within this handbook applies to staff who are working from home as a result of the pandemic as well as those who will continue to work from home in the future as part of a new way of working. As such, we expect that it will be updated regularly over time to reflect the changing ways of working.
Link to: Homeworking Handbook (PDF 963KB)
Link to: Managing Remote Teams Guidance (Doc 116KB)
The home working procedure provides guidance on how to assess and introduce home working following an agile working application.
This guidance is aimed at Managers and includes useful information, hints and tips to help you support your remote teams.
Link to: Managing Remote Teams Guidance
We want people to travel in a smarter, safer and greener way when travelling on council business. Council staff and members are asked to consider the best transport methods available prior to making a journey.
The travel and subsistence scheme sets out what reimbursements are available for expenses incurred in the pursuit of council business.
Travel and subsistence Scheme and Rates (PDF 595KB)
Travel and subsistence - frequently asked questions (PDF 499KB)
VAT receipt guidance (PDF 287KB)
To make a travel and subsistence claim, visit the HR Administration Pages.
If an employee is required to change their workplace location, they may be entitled to claim for additional travel costs.
Workplace Relocation - Additional Travel Assistance (PDF 339KB)
To claim additional travel under the scheme, visit the HR Administration pages.
Local car user scheme
The local car user scheme provides an allowance to a post holder who is authorised to use their car for the efficient performance of their duties.
local car User scheme guidance (PDF 356KB)
Local Car User Post Authorisation Form
Local Car User Manager Authorisation Form
Car Loan Scheme
If an employee is classed as a local car user then they will be eligible for financial assistance in accordance with the National Joint Council Scheme.
car loan application (DOC 24KB)
This document is intended to provide you with further information regarding your employment with the Council. It outlines the pay and grading structure together with a range of benefits of working for the Council.
Pay and Benefits Booklet - Cumberland
Casual workers are workers as opposed to employees. This means that they have a limited set of employment rights. The document below provides guidance on the use and management of casual workers.
The document below details further information on the additional terms and conditions for Community Learning and Skills Tutors.
Additional Terms and Conditions-Community Learning and Skills Tutor (PDF 3MB)
The county council uses a 'job families' approach. This involves allocating similar jobs into logical categories, or 'families'. For example, under the job families approach all admin posts would be grouped together; similarly all posts where the main focus of the role is customer service, and so on. This grouping of posts into families allows for a fair and consistent approach to job profiles right across the county council.
The council's job families framework has the following 6 families:
- Business Support - delivery of administration and business services to support the council.
- Organisational Support - delivery of professional services to support the council and partners in longer term, corporate compliance, planning, performance, policy and strategy.
- Customer Engagement - provision of assistance, instruction and information to groups and individuals using council facilities.
- Operations - delivery of ongoing service activities requiring specialist and vocational expertise.
- Regulation and Technical - provision of services of a technical or specialist operational nature to internal and external customers and / or monitoring and enforcement of prescribed regulatory areas.
- People Care and Development - support and development of individual or groups of people to build their personal capability in skills, knowledge and / or to assure their protection, security and development.
A job family is a group of jobs with common features. Each job family contains a number of levels, each reflecting different job outputs such as skills, knowledge, and experience.
All council jobs covered by the NJC terms and conditions are allocated to a level within a job family following a job allocation process. The process examines the roles and responsibilities of a job, as well as its Job Working Circumstances.
If you are manager who needs to allocate a new role, please contact the People Management Service via People Management Portal link below.
Job family allocation toolkit (PDF 0.4MB) - the scoring tool
To view the allocation list (which includes all existing roles and their allocations), post specifications and generic role profiles, please visit the Job Families Sharepoint.
Link to: Regrading Procedure (DOC 176KB)
Link to: Regrading Request Form (DOC 175KB)
Link to: Regrading Employee Guide (PDF 485KB)
Link to: People Management Ticket Portal
The Career Grade Scheme is available to Managers to support the recruitment and retention of appropriately skilled staff where jobs are hard to fill or to enable the transition for Apprentices or a person engaged through an agency / consultancy (Externally Provided Workforce) into employment with the Council. There are key principles detailed in the Scheme which must be followed and the employee is expected to commit to working for the Council for a minimum of 3 years after successfully achieving the required standards in the full role.
Job Working Circumstances (JWC) are taken into consideration when scoring a job and consequently determining a salary. JWC's are awarded on temporary basis and relate to the physical and emotional demands of the job as well as the working conditions such as weather, hazards and adverse people behaviour.
In 2012, a working group, which included Teaching Assistants, representatives from Trade Unions, Head-teachers and County Council members and officers, was formed to address a number of issues relating to Teaching Assistants, namely regarding the currency of the job profiles, deployment to specified work, multiplicity of grades and matters relating to career progression. The outcomes agreed by the working group are now available below.
Teaching assistant review outcome update (PDF 1MB)
JWC's- children with special educational needs (PDF 93KB)
CPD Framework of opportunities for learning and teaching support staff (PDF 74KB)
Unique Characteristics Forms
Teaching assistant unique characteristics form (DOC 119KB)
Senior teaching assistant unique characteristics form (DOC 126KB)
Higher level teaching assistant unique characteristics form (DOC 125KB)
Higher level teaching assistant with management responsibilities (PDF 127KB)
Unique characteristics form (DOC 127KB)
The work life balance procedure includes information on how to make a request for flexible working, home working and career breaks.
Employees share their stories on how they have managed their work life balance as a result of the new ways of working
Martin's Story - My experience
Pre-Covid - Always busy - commuting more than an hour a day and racking up around 10k miles a year travelling for meetings, think about that carbon footprint and losing all that time too! This often meant I'd have to work of an evening and occasionally at weekends, just to catch up. And yes, I got the flexitime back - but not the family time.
During the first lockdown - Despite the initial IT challenges (BT Conference Genie! Skype! early Zoom) I found that the lack of travelling gave me more work time … time in which I was able to complete my work day, within "normal" working hours. I managed to carve out some space at home - (which has improved overtime converting the spare room into an office - I know not everyone has this option) - also I managed to carve out a bit of time during the day to spend with the family, having lunch together, taking advantage of the good weather for a family walk … then settling back into work, refreshed, recharged.
Then "diary abuse" started to happen - all those times not spent travelling got taken up with more virtual meetings. Teams was rolled out (better than Genie and Skype) and it became Eat, Sleep, Teams, Repeat.
But then this started to level out and I pushed back a little. I started to take more control over my diary. Schools went back so I blocked out time for the school run. I blocked out time for admin and prep each morning. I make sure I block out time for lunch, reading, report writing a little less conversation, a little more action. The increased flexibility and better IT enabled this.
So to now - I try to start around 7-7:30 each morning and get an hour in before the school run. This short time with my son each day has really strengthened our bond - it's time I'd missed out on before. Its invaluable now. I'm more disciplined and politely challenge others' demands of me when managing a team I gave them permission to say "no", "not now" "by when?"
And so work-life balance is better. I'm better disciplined with my diary but balance is afforded and impacted by one's homelife too. How does my flexibility impact upon or is supported by my family? We need to recognise this. And its important to switch off, close the door (or drawer) on work. Take breaks, eat lunch, breathe fresh air and have a proper home life.
Amanda's Story - As a parent
As a parent to two older school age children I have always found it a challenge to get everyone ready in morning, drop the children at school for 8.50am and be in work for 9am. By the time I would find a parking space, a desk and then set up for work I was stressed before I even started. Being an Anywhere worker allows me to focus my mornings on the children and getting them to school in a more relaxed atmosphere. I can walk home in 5 minutes and my desk is set up and logged on. I feel much calmer and ready to start my work day. This change in stress levels has enabled me to be more productive and feel like a better parent and employee. The ability to conduct desk based takes from home and attend offices for more creative group meetings elevates the guilt of not being home when my children come in and finally makes me feel equal and that doors which have always been closed to me, can open and give me the option to progress my career.
Find out about the special offers, exclusive deals and discounts available to Cumbria County Council employees.
For more information, visit the staff offers intouch web page.
Further information / advice
For more information and advice, please refer to the HR Administration Intouch pages
The Cycle to Work scheme is all about getting fit, having better transport options and saving money. Cyclescheme are the company who run the scheme for Cumbria County Council employees.
For more information, visit the cycle to work intouch web page.
Further information / advice
For more information and advice, please refer to the HR Administration Pages.
Did you know that you can donate to charity straight from your salary? Cumbria County Council has an agreement with the Charities Trust so that you can choose to support any charity of your choice directly from your monthly pay. Because the donation is taken from your gross pay, every pound you give will only cost you 80p, 60p, or 50p if you are a higher rate tax payer. The Charities Trust take a standard 25p per donation to cover administrative costs.
Example
You Donate | £5.00 | £7.50 | £10.00 |
Cost to you as a 20% tax payer | £4.00 | £6.00 | £8.00 |
Cost to you as a 40% tax payer | £3.00 | £4.50 | £6.00 |
Cost to you as a 50% tax payer | £2.50 | £3.75 | £5.00 |
Simply complete a Charities Trust Payroll Giving authorisation form available on their website here -
Charities Trust - Payroll Giving authorisation form
then send a copy to
Payroll Section,
HR Administration,
The Parkhouse Building,
West Wing,
Kingmoor Business Park,
Carlisle,
CA6 4SJ
Further information / advice
For more information and advice, please refer to the HR Administration intouch pages
Cumbria County Council has teamed up with credit unions in Cumbria to offer a salary deduction scheme to staff which means you can save directly from your wages.
For more information, visit the credit union intouch web page.
Further information / advice
For more information and advice, please refer to the HR Administration intouch pages
All employees with 35 years of continuous Cumbria County Council service are recognised under the Excellence Award Scheme, for their dedication and long term service. The long term service awards take place annually, during the prestigious excellence awards ceremony and individuals are awarded with £350.
In the run up to the excellence awards, all eligible employees will be contacted directly by the HR service.
We have partnered up with Medicash to bring you a fantastic discounted scheme deducted through your payroll. The Medicash membership scheme lets you claim back 100% on a whole host of daily healthcare needs and encourages a proactive approach to your health and wellbeing. Established in 1871, you are in safe hands with Medicash, as they have been looking after its members for nearly 150 years and are recognised today by a 5 Star Trust Pilot review and our Investors in Gold which they have sustained for over 6 years. Unlike other providers you can select which practitioner or provider you want to use whether that is an optician, dentist or physiotherapist, all without a referral, no excess and 100% cash back reimbursement straight back in to your bank account. You can cover up to 4 children for free up to 19 years old and even include your partner at a discounted rate too so the whole family can benefit from the scheme.
Starting from £6.95 benefits include cash back on:
- Optical Cover: Eye Tests, Prescription Glasses and Frames (including sunglasses), Contact Lenses and Laser Eye Surgery
- Routine Dental: Anything your dentist says you need to have from check-ups through to root canal and everything routine in between
- Specialist Consultation and Diagnostic Tests: Instead of waiting through the NHS, once you have a GP referral, you can go privately for your consultation or claim back CT, MRI and PET scans
- Complementary Therapies: Homeopathy, Reflexology, Bowen and Alexander Technique, Indian Head Massage, Reiki, and Hypnotherapy
- Prescription, Inoculations, and Flu Jabs
- Chiropody
- Health Screening
- Goodwill cashback on Hospital Overnight Stays, Hospital Daycase (both NHS or Private) and Birth or Adoption of a child benefit
- Discounted Gym Memberships on over 3,000 gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres and clubs
- 24/7 Unlimited Stress Related Helplines
- Best Doctors InterConsulation (top 53,000 Doctors Worldwide) and Doctors Online
- Medicash Extras, a shopping discount portal with over 600 retailers and promotions from money off days out at Legoland, Alton Towers, EE phone contracts and your weekly Tesco big shop!
- Person Accident Cover for up to £45,000 per person
If you have any questions contact them directly at 0800 0112 222.
The purpose of this procedure is to have a fast track approach to managing ill health where the employee is terminally ill and time is a critical factor.
What is Settled Status?
Settled Status is a legal status for EU and EEA citizens that means you can continue Iiving in the UK after Brexit. If you are an EU or EEA citizen currently living in the UK, you can apply for Settled Status.
How do I apply for Settled Status?
Please see the guidance below.
Process for applying for Settled Status (DOC 80KB)
To find further information on the process and the application form please visit the GOV website.
Or download the EU settlement status application app (please note this must be done on an android phone)
EU Exit: ID Document Check App
For more information, contact your People Management Service.
If you have a non-UK licence you can continue to drive under your current licence if you are from Northern Ireland, European Union or European Economic Area countries.
Please see the GOV website for further information.
If your vehicle is not insured in the UK, but is insured in a country that is a member of the green card system, then you will need to contact your insurer for a 'green card'.
If your vehicle is insured in a country outside of the green card system you will need UK insurance.
To check the list of "Green Card" countries please visit the Council of Bureaux website.
