Career Grades Scheme process - Responsibilities

Corporate Directors and Assistant Directors responsibilities

Identify, with the support of People Management, where a career grade(s) is appropriate or justified based on operational requirements. The approval process detailed below will also apply during reshaping/service reviews.

Where the reason is recruitment and retention difficulties the Assistant Director (AD) will prepare the case for the career grade explaining the difficulty recruiting, providing the evidence, explaining the other options / potential solutions which have been explored. The application will detail the anticipated timeframes and how the career grade will be managed.

Where the reason is to support the transition of an apprentice into employment the AD will ensure that the creation of a career grade is compatible with the structure in the service area and does not adversely affect existing employees. For example the Apprentice should not ‘leap frog’ others within the Team into a higher grade.

Corporate Directors and Assistant Directors should also:

• use the Job Family pay and grading structure to determine the size and levels of the career grade and the relevant grading of each job level where necessary, by following the normal grading processes (and subject to corporate consistency checks)
• With the support of People Management, determine the specific criteria for assessment and progression at each level and ensure the nominated manager, who will undertake the assessment, is competent in the relevant areas.
• ensure that employees in career grades fully understand their role and responsibilities, how progression will work, the anticipated timescales involved and how they will be assessed

Nominating a manager

Corporate directors and assistant directors should nominate a manager to:

• produce and maintain a development plan and provide appropriate support to the employee on a career grade
• manage the performance of the employee in a timely manner
• notify the Service Centre of changes to grades

Employee responsibilities

Employees will:

• undertake all the training, learning and development opportunities in order to gain skills, qualifications and competencies to progress to the next level identified in the Career Grade, within the prescribed timescales.
• perform at the highest level of competency commensurate with the duties relevant to that level.
• compile a Personal Development Portfolio of evidence of achievement.
• cooperate with their manager in undertaking regular reviews of progress and six monthly, annual appraisals of progress and achievement

Repay training

Repay Training costs (as set out in the Agreement) if:

• training is not undertaken or successfully completed to the required standards or competencies and within the timescales.
• three years continuous service with Cumbria County Council is not completed. The three years counts from the completion of the training and undertaking the full role (i.e. at the highest level of the career grade).
• indicate their understanding and acceptance that failure to achieve the required standard within the prescribed timescales (as adjusted if necessary) will be dealt with through the Capability or Disciplinary procedure and may ultimately result in the termination of the employment

People Management responsibilities

People Management will Assist Corporate Directors and Assistant Directors to:

• identify the circumstances in which a career grade may be appropriate
• establish the justification and rationale
• ensure each level of the grade is properly allocated and grades are checked for consistency
• determine the relevant qualifications, skills and competencies at each level

They will also:

• support the recruitment and assessment processes.
• monitor the use of Career Grades to ensure compliance with the relevant schemes, grading structure and the principles of equality