Independent Remuneration Panel

The 1989 Local Government and Housing Act requires all Local Authorities to establish and maintain a scheme for members’ allowances. The basic provisions of the Act have been fleshed out in subsequent regulations. The 1991 Regulations provide that it is for each local authority to decide its scheme and the amounts to be paid under that scheme.

The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 require Councils to establish and maintain an Independent Remuneration Panel. The purpose of this Panel is to make recommendations to each of the Partner authorities about the allowances to be paid to elected members. Whilst each Council must have regard to this advice, it does not have a duty to follow the Panel’s recommendations. However, it must have good, justifiable reasons for departing from them.

A Panel must consist of at least three members who are appointed to ensure that the setting of members’ allowances is open to robust, independent and local scrutiny and is accountable and transparent to local people. In the case of the panel for Worcestershire authorities, the panel normally consists of five members.

The Regulations provide that a members’ allowances scheme can provide for the following allowances to be payable to elected members of local authorities:-

basic allowance
special responsibility allowance
childcare and dependent carers’ allowance
travel and subsistence allowances
co-optees’ allowances

The panel members will work on behalf of the Worcestershire authorities, which include Wychavon District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council.

Terms of Reference
Each year the Panel produces a report for each Partner authority, with recommendations on: -

the level of basic allowance for all members
the category of responsibility for which a special responsibility allowance should be paid
the rate of childcare / dependent carers’ allowance
travel and subsistence allowances
annual review of allowances
the level of allowance for co-opted members.

Meetings
The Panel will commence its next annual review in September 2021 in respect of allowances to be paid for the financial year 2022/23 and may need to meet a number of times during the review period.

In undertaking its review, the Panel may wish to:

gather and evaluate in order to make reports to each participating Council on the level of allowances that should be paid to its elected members and other non-elected people such as co-opted members.
Research Members Allowances schemes in other relevant Authorities (currently using the CIPFA nearest neighbour data).
Conduct interviews with relevant persons consistent with the terms of reference of the Panel.
On request, to act as a Parish Remuneration Panel for each District in setting certain allowances for Town and Parish Councils in their area.

Officer support will be provided to assist the Panel.

Composition of the Panel
The membership of the Panel currently comprises five persons.

Term of Office
Members of the Panel are appointed for a maximum of two terms of four years.

Payment for Panel Membership
Panel members will receive a small yearly allowance of £700 and will be able to claim for reasonable expenses incurred in attending panel meetings e.g. mileage.

Applications
Complete the application form provided and submit to Mel Harris, Senior Member Support Officer, Wychavon District Council, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, WR10 1PT or email to mel.harris@wychavon.gov.uk

Please note that CVs will not be considered.

The closing date for the return of application forms is 5 pm on 10 June 2021

Appointment Process
Following receipts of applications, a short-listing exercise will be undertaken, and short-listed candidates will be invited to attend an interview on 1 or 2 July 2021

Supporting documents
Person Specification
Application Form

https://www.wmjobs.co.uk/job/92921/independent-remuneration-panel/