JNC Job sizing review 25 03 25 combined
Renfrewshire Council · 25 March 2025
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 25 March 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Agenda Item .......... Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers To: Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers On: 25 March 2025 Report by Joint Secretary (Management Side) Review of Job Sizing Processes 1. Background 1.1 Custom and practice in Renfrewshire Council has been to job size teaching promoted posts at points of vacancy, where a new school is being built, or in response to a personal job sizing review request in line with SNCT terms and conditions. 1.2 Given the predicted changes to school roll figures going forward, to ensure fairness and equity as well as effective stewardship of financial resource, it is vital that we have in place a mechanism to allow for a whole scale review of pay grades for promoted teaching staff in all sectors. 1.3 Accordingly, in collaboration with HR colleagues a draft has been produced encompassing and outlining proposed changes that would allow such a review to take place on a biennial basis. 1.4 The intention to review the job sizing process has been shared with DMT and with the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ side) with whom we will collaborate to seek agreement on the proposed proportionate approach with a view to bringing the finalised revised document to the next JNC meeting. 2. Recommendation 2.1 Note the intention to revise practice within Renfrewshire in respect of job sizing of promoted teaching posts.
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Issue Number: Issue Date: Review Date: Job Sizing Process For all posts on SNCT terms and conditions This document is available in alternative formats on request.
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Job-Sizing: Policy & Procedure – January 2025 CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION Pg 2 2.0 PRINCIPLES Pg 2 3.0 FRAMEWORK Pg 3 4.0 EQUALITY STATEMENT Pg 4 5.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Pg 3-4 6.0 JOB-SIZING CO-ORDINATORS Pg 4-5 7.0 JOB-SIZING A VACANT POST Pg 5-6 8.0 POSTHOLDER REQUEST FOR REVIEW Pg 6-7 9.0 COUNCIL INITIATED REVIEW Pg 7 10.0 PROCEDURE FOR RE-SIZING Pg 7-9 11.0 JOB-SIZING A NEW POST Pg 9 12.0 TEMPORARY FUNDING AND JOB-SIZING Pg 9-10 13.0 JOB-SIZING FOR A NEW SCHOOL Pg 10-11 14.0 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST Pg 11 15.0 JOB-SIZING TIMESCALES Pg 11 16.0 JOB-SIZING APPEAL Pg 12 SNCT DOCUMENTS REFERENCED Pg 13
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2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Job-sizing is the agreed means by which promoted posts are evaluated for salary purposes in accordance with Teachers’ conditions of service. Renfrewshire Council is committed to ensuring that the application of this policy is consistent, transparent, fair and equitable with respect to pay. Job- sizing is not intended to address issues related to workload or individual performance, but rather assess the role to which an individual is appointed. 1.2 This policy and procedure document defines the principles and process to follow where the size of a post is to be evaluated for the first time, or, in the case of re- sizing, the size is deemed to be no longer appropriate due to permanent measurable qualitative or quantitative changes to the duties and responsibilities to a post or group of posts in a school. Such changes relate to the duties and responsibilities of a post and not to individual work demand or performance. 1.3 This policy and procedure document details the process to be followed when posts are to be evaluated and sets out the circumstances when a re-sizing will be initiated. Re-sizing will be undertaken when the requirements detailed in the SNCT handbook have been met (Part 2: Appendix 2.3, Annex A, Review Criteria). 2.0 PRINCIPLES 2.1 In addition to the process of ‘sizing’ a post being fair and transparent, there are five main principles which are applied when job-sizing: Definition: Duties and responsibilities must be clearly defined such that they are identifiable and easily distinguishable. These jobs must then be part of the job description. Sizing: Job-sizing must be completed for all promoted posts with consistent application across each sector. Job Understanding: Job-sizers must understand the job design process. They must understand the various tasks involved. Concern: Job-sizing must be concerned with the job and not with the person. i.e. it is the job that must be job-sized and not the postholder. Evaluate: Job-sizing must be carried out in accordance with (SNCT) / (JNC) procedures. All persons who are involved in job-sizing are required to act with integrity in the process particularly in those parts of the process which require judgement.
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3 3.0 FRAMEWORK 3.1 Job-sizing forms part of the teachers’ conditions of service as agreed by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). Full account has been taken of SNCT guidance in developing the policy and procedure document. 3.2 The SNCT Handbook of Conditions of Service, Part 2, Appendix 2.2 outlines the process of job-sizing. Annex A contains the job-sizing questionnaire and notes for guidance. Annex B contains the job-size score allocation to grades and spinal point. This information is available from the SNCT website www.snct.org.uk 3.3 The provisions set out in this policy and procedure document are not intended to replace those of the SNCT handbook. 4.0 EQUALITY STATEMENT 4.1 Renfrewshire Council aims to have in place policy documents that meet the diverse needs of our service, population and workforce, ensuring that none are placed at a disadvantage over others. It considers the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and has been impact assessed in line with the Council’s obligation to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. 5.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 5.1 The job-sizing process starts with the completion of a questionnaire designed to record the main responsibilities of a post under four headings (sections): 2. Leadership, Good Management and Strategic Direction of Colleagues; 3. Responsibility For Curriculum Development and Quality Assurance; 4. Responsibility For Whole School Policy And Implementation; 5. Responsibility For Working with Partners In addition, whole school information, provided by the Council (section 1, of the questionnaire) is used to provide a base score for each post and when taken together through the evaluation process and an output grade is the result. 5.2 Whole school data consists of the school roll, numbers of staff, percentage of pupils registered for free school meals, size of the school budget and the
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4 number of pupils for whom dedicated school transport is provided. This information is updated annually following the September census and in June when the School Meals survey is published by the Scottish Government. 5.3 All responsibilities must be permanent and contained within the relevant job description, as agreed through JNC. Any responsibility which is part of a remit for less than 2 years will be excluded for job-sizing purposes. 5.4 Over time there may be significant changes to whole school data and/or responsibilities which may necessitate a job-sizing review to ensure that a post is still sized appropriately with the commensurate salary. The SNCT have agreed the review criteria (Part 2: Appendix 2.3, Annex A, Review Criteria). 5.5 Changes to either whole school information, responsibilities or both will trigger a review of a post being assessed against the SNCT review criteria. If the criteria are met, the post will be subject to re-job-sizing. 5.6 The job-size of a promoted post will be reviewed in the following circumstances. 1. When an existing post becomes vacant and prior to the post being advertised; 2. When a postholder requests a review of their post in the belief that aspects of the whole school information and/or the responsibilities of a post have changed; 3. When the Head of Education believes that aspects of the whole school data and/or the responsibilities of a post/posts merit a review If the criteria are not met then the review is complete and there will be no change to the recorded job-sizing outcome for a post. A review of a post may lead to a full re-sizing of the post. With the exception of when a post is being reviewed due to a vacancy the SNCT have agreed set times when re-sizing should be undertaken. 6.0 JOB-SIZING CO-ORDINATORS 6.1 Job-sizing co-ordinators must have received training directly by the SNCT trainers identified for that purpose. 6.2 Children’s Services will maintain a register of trained job-sizing co-ordinators on both the management and teachers' side. This register will be shared with the SNCT 6.3 Two job-sizing co-ordinators (one management and one teachers' side) will be
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5 involved in any one job-sizing/review exercise. 6.4 The role of the job-sizing co-ordinators is to work together to ensure that the job-sizing process is efficient, fair and transparent. They are tasked to: (a) Consider applications for review and using the SNCT review criteria decide whether a re-sizing is necessary; (b) Provide advice and guidance on the completion of the relevant documents; (c) Validate and sign off the questionnaire when satisfied that the details provided are an accurate reflection of the role; (d) Process all data through the Toolkit; (e) Provide written confirmation of the outcome to the postholder/head teacher, copied to Employee Services to be recorded in the employee’s file. 6.5 In the event that the assigned job-sizing co-ordinators are unable to reach agreement on the content of any claim advice will be sought informally from the SNCT Joint Secretaries If there is no agreement the matter will be referred to the SNCT formally for determination. 7.0 JOB-SIZING A VACANT POST 7.1 When it is known that an existing promoted post is to become vacant, the Head Teacher must inform the EM with responsibility for staffing to enable the job-sizing of the post to take place. Job-sizing will be undertaken prior to a post being advertised. A post cannot be advertised until job-sizing has been concluded. 7.2 Only after a post has been job-sized should an online advert request via completion of a Vacant Position Form on Business World be submitted.
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6 the exigencies of the service. 8.0 POSTHOLDER REQUEST FOR REVIEW 8.1 Under normal circumstances a post will be reviewed only once in a twelve- month period. 8.2 The SNCT has determined that applications may be submitted for review in June and December of each year. Applications for post reviews must be submitted no later than 31st May for June review or 30th November for December review. If an application is received out with these times, it will be held until the next scheduled diet of reviews. Any request must be based on significant and permanent qualitative change(s) to the level of duties and responsibilities of an individual post or group of posts when assessed against the review criteria. 8.3 Where a substantive postholder believes that there have been significant changes to the whole school data and/or the responsibilities of the post (as permitted by the JNC agreed job description for the post) since the last job- sizing of the post, he/she should in the first instance refer to the SNCT review criteria. 8.4 All changes in whole school data and/or post responsibilities must be accounted for when considering the review criteria. 8.5 Changes are graded - Type A, Type B and Type C - depending on the likely effect they will have on the overall score for a post; One type A change automatically initiates a re-sizing of the post; Two type B or one type B and two type C changes are required to initiate a re-sizing. Four type C changes are required to initiate a re-sizing. 8.6 Some changes only apply to certain posts. This is based on whether or not the particular section of the questionnaire impacts on the size of that type of post. 8.7 If, when assessing the changes against the review criteria, it is thought that the criteria have been met the postholder should discuss this with their Head Teacher. Advice and guidance will be available from the job-sizing co- ordinators. 8.8 The Head Teacher along with the postholder, should sign and submit a completed post review application form (Appendix 2) to enable a review of the post to take place. All information must be provided with supporting documents as required before a review can be initiated. A job-sizing questionnaire should not be submitted until the request to review the post has been accepted by the assigned job-sizing co-ordinators.
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7 8.9 The job-sizing co-ordinators will consider the post review application and if they agree that the review criteria have been met, they will inform the postholder and Head Teacher that a re-sizing of the post will be undertaken. It is at this time that a completed job-sizing questionnaire must be completed. 8.10 Consideration will be given, by the job-sizing co-ordinators, to whether changes to the whole school data and/or responsibilities of the post could have a possible impact on the job-size of any other promoted post(s) in the school, which may thus require to be reviewed at the same time. 8.11 If the job-sizing co-ordinators agree that the review criteria have not been met, the postholder will be informed, and they will record their decision on the review paperwork stating clearly their rationale before signing the document. 8.12 All paperwork associated with the review will be held in a digital format and linked to the post and the postholder’s employment record. This should be done via Employee Services. 9.0 COUNCIL INITIATED REVIEW 9.1 The Council may initiate a review of one or more promoted post if there is an indication of a change to the whole school data and/or the responsibilities of a post where there is a likelihood of the review resulting in a change to the job- size score. A Head Teacher can request the Council initiate a review if there is a reallocation of areas of responsibility. 9.2 An biennial desktop exercise will be undertaken by Children’s Service staff and HR to determine whether there has been a category “A” change in the whole school data of any school. School roll data will be taken from the previous year’s September census and free meals entitlement from the Scottish Government’s survey published in June. In circumstances where a category “A” change has occurred a review will be undertaken. 9.3 Any review will be undertaken in partnership with the trade unions and a re- sizing exercise will follow the process detailed in section 10 of this document. Each promoted postholder is required to complete a questionnaire. 9.4 Any resulting change to salary will be implemented on the 1st February the following year. Cash conservation of salary will be applied in accordance with the prevailing SNCT conditions of service. 10.0 PROCEDURE FOR RE-SIZING 10.1 Where it has been agreed by the job-sizing co-ordinators that the review criteria have been met the postholder will be asked to complete and
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8 sign a job-sizing questionnaire supplied by the co-ordinators. 10.2 Section 1 of the questionnaire will be populated with the whole school information which will be taken from the review supporting documentation. The whole school information will include: school roll, staffing numbers, free meal registrations, budget and school transport numbers. 10.3 Sections 2-5 of the questionnaire will be completed by the postholder in agreement with their Head Teacher, or in the case of a Head Teacher, the Head of Education or nominee. These sections capture information specific to the remit of the post within the context of the JNC agreed job descriptions relating to: Management and Strategic Direction of Staff; Curriculum Development and Quality Assurance; Implementation of Whole School Policy; Working with Partners. 10.4 The completed questionnaire, should be scanned and emailed to XXX A receipt will be provided for each application received. Only questionnaires received in this way will be validated. 10.5 The co-ordinators will validate entries in the questionnaire and ensure that there has been no double counting of responsibilities. 10.6 Consideration will be given to whether changes to the whole school data and/or responsibilities of the post could have a possible impact on the job-size of any other post in the school, which may thus require to be reviewed at the same time. 10.7 If a questionnaire cannot be validated, the co-ordinators will provide a rationale to the postholder in writing. The co-ordinators may ask for the questionnaire to be resubmitted with additional supporting documents. 10.8 Once validated, the co-ordinators will sign the questionnaire. Only at this point will the entries in the questionnaire be processed using Job-Sizing Toolkit. There are five possible outcomes of a re-sizing exercise: (a) There may be no change to the job-size score, and no change to the salary; (b) There may be an increase in the job-size score, but no change to the salary; (c) There may be an increase in the job-size score, and an increase in salary; (d) There may be a decrease in the job-size score, but no change to the salary; (e) There may be a decrease in the job-size score, and a decrease in salary. 10.9 All paperwork associated with a review will be held in a digital format and
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9 linked to the post holder’s employment record by Employee Services 10.10 Any change to salary resulting from a December review and subsequent re- sizing will be effective from 1st February of the following year. Any change to salary resulting from a June review and subsequent re-sizing will be effective from 1st August of the same year. Retrospective payments will not be made. Cash conservation of salary will be applied in accordance with the prevailing SNCT conditions of service. 11.0 JOB-SIZING A NEW POST 11.1 When, following consultation with staff, a new promoted post is to be established the Head Teacher should have an initial discussion with one of the co-ordinators to discuss the role and potential impact on other posts. It will be the responsibility of the Head Teacher, in consultation with their People Adviser to draft a job description if there is no approved description for the post. 11.2 The Head Teacher should complete a questionnaire along with supporting documents. Reference should be made to Appendix 3 and emailed to XXXX and will be acknowledged. Only a questionnaire received in this way will be validated. 12.0 TEMPORARY FUNDING AND JOB-SIZING 12.1 There may be occasions when authority might be given for the creation of additional promoted posts using external funding streams. For example, Pupil Equity Funds. 12.2 When additional promoted posts are being considered there are a number of factors that have to be taken into account: (a) The remits assigned to substantive post holders; (b) No management responsibility can be claimed for staff not funded from core budget; (c) Due to the temporary nature of the funding no responsibility for management of a budget can be delegated to a post; (d) There can be no double counting of remit/responsibilities; (e) Unlikely to be a job-sizing claim in sections 2.1-2.4; 3.2-3.4; 4.1-4.3 of the job-sizing questionnaire.
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10 12.3 Due to the temporary nature of such posts, no substantive post holder should be disadvantaged. 12.4 A remit must be provided by the Head Teacher at the time of submission of the job-sizing questionnaire. 12.5 Promoted posts funding using a temporary funding stream will be for a maximum duration of twenty months. It is the responsibility of the Head Teacher to put in place an appropriate plan to manage the transition leading to the discontinuation of the role. This may include the review of the role undertaken by substantive postholders should it be planned to distribute in part or in whole remit of the temporary post to others. Reference should be made section 10. 12.6 Any change to the school’s core management structure brought about by an increase in promoted posts will require an initial review to be undertaken to establish whether there is an impact on other posts. This might arise in a situation where a decision is taken to subsume the remit of a temporary role and create another permanent position. Reference should be made section 11. 13.0 JOB-SIZING FOR A NEW SCHOOL 13.1 When appointments are to be made for a new school the whole school information, for an initial desktop exercise, will be determined using known data for existing schools. Care must be taken to ensure that the data used can be evidenced. 13.2 All promoted posts will be sized initially using the estimated whole school data to determine an indicative salary level for each role. Such an approach will be referred to as a desktop exercise with the final salary level for each post being determined when the new school has been established and the first recorded census information is known. 13.3 The biennial desktop exercise to size each post will be undertaken in partnership with trade union job-sizers and led by the Head of Education or representative, and follow a similar process to that set out in section 10. 13.4 The exercise will be carried out based on comprehensive and up-to-date job descriptions for each role, in consultation with the Head Teacher with guidance from the HR (People Adviser) in which the school will be located, and trade union co-ordinator. The job description will be used to inform the completion of a job-sizing questionnaire for the desktop exercise. 13.5 When the questionnaire has been finalised and the co-ordinators have agreed the content, the information will be entered into the Toolkit to determine the
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11 anticipated salary level for the post – desktop exercise outcome. It is this salary that will be used when recruiting for each role. Postholders will be advised that the posts will be formally job-sized after the first recorded Census data – job- size exercise outcome. 13.6 Each role will be job-sized when nationally published data is available for the new school. If job-sizing leads to a change in salary level, from that anticipated because of the desktop exercise, the following action will be taken: 1. If the role has been found to be job-sized with a higher salary than had been anticipated following the desktop exercise, the postholder will receive the higher salary from the date of their appointment; or, 2. If the role has been found to be job-sized with a lower salary than had been anticipated following the desktop exercise, the postholder will be informed that their salary is to be cash conserved from the date of notification of the job-size outcome. Conservation will be in accordance with the prevailing SNCT conditions applicable at the time. 14.0 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST 14.1 The SNCT have made provision for job-sizing Principal and Depute Principal Educational Psychology positions. 14.2 (SNCT Part 2: Appendix 2.4, Annex A). 14.3 Posts will be subject to re-sizing if any change in responsibilities results in a change in the banding in any section of the questionnaire. 15.0 JOB-SIZING TIMESCALES 15.1 When a vacancy is to be job-sized it is anticipated that the outcome will be made known no later than four working weeks after the decision has been taken to size the post. Similarly, this time period will apply when a new post is being sized. 15.2 Requests for a post to be re-sized in accordance with section 8. The postholder will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application with a copy to their Head Teacher no later than eight working weeks following receipt of their request. Where there is a change to the grade level of the post, any change of salary will be effective in accordance with paragraph 10.10
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12 16.0 JOB-SIZING APPEAL 16.1 There is no mechanism to appeal the outcome of the job-sizing of a post unless the postholder is of the view that the process set out in this policy and procedures document has not been followed correctly. 16.2 A postholder wishing to appeal must do so within ten working days of receipt of their outcome letter. The appeal must be in writing to the Head of Education setting out clearly where the perceived omission in the process has been. 16.3 A postholder can choose to be accompanied by a member of a trade union or professional association. The Head of Human Resources or nominee, along with a nominated trade union official, will hear the appeal. The trade union official will not be from the same union/professional association accompanying the postholder. The postholder will be invited to present the appeal. The job-sizing co-ordinators will not attend the appeal hearing. 16.4 The Head of Human Resources or nominee, and a trade union official from the teachers’ side will hear the appeal no later than two months from the date of the submission of the appeal. There are two possible outcomes from an appeal: 1. The appeal is upheld and remitted back to the co-ordinators to re-size; 2. The appeal is not upheld The decision of the appeal hearing will be final and communicated in writing within ten working days. 16.5 A teacher who remains dissatisfied with the outcome can request, via the JNC Joint Secretaries, to have their case submitted to the SNCT Joint Secretaries for their consideration. 16.6 No provision in this policy will prejudice an employee’s rights under the approved Grievance Procedure.
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13 SNCT DOCUMENTS REFERENCED IN THIS POLICY & PROCEDURE Handbook of Conditions of Service Part 2: Appendix 2.2 Annex A & Annex B Part 2: Appendix 2.3, Annex A, (Review Criteria) Part 2: Appendix 2.4, Annex A