Policy on temporary promotion to ACPO ranks

Report: 5
Date: 19 April 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This paper:

1. Confirms the current policy on temporary promotion for ACPO ranks and considers how this will need to be adjusted to take account of the role of the Senior Appointments Panel (SAP).
2. Recommends changes to current policy to take account of equality issues and issues of consistency.

A. Recommendations

That the Remuneration Sub-committee endorses the revised arrangements proposed in this report.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. A report by the Clerk to the Remuneration Sub-Committee on 15 January 2002 set out proposals and procedures for a number of ACPO related procedures, including temporary promotions.

2. At that time it was proposed that all temporary promotions of officers to ACPO rank (from a Superintending rank) or within ACPO rank should be endorsed by the Remuneration Sub-Committee. It was proposed that, in principle, the maximum period of temporary promotion should be six months although, exceptionally, a temporary promotion could be approved for one year. On expiry of the period another application should be made.

3. Applications for temporary promotion were to be made to the Clerk by the MPS HR Directorate and the Clerk would obtain the endorsement of the Remuneration Sub-Committee.

4. The Remuneration Sub-Committee endorsed these proposals.

Senior Appointments Panel

5. Under the new Senior Appointments Panel (SAP) arrangements, Ministerial approval must be granted for all temporary appointments to ACPO ranks, although requests for such appointments do not need to be considered at meetings of the SAP. However, a letter dated 4 February 2004 from HMIC confirmed the necessity for ministerial approval to be sought for all acting and temporary appointments from Superintendent or Chief Superintendent to Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) level and from ACC to Deputy Chief Constable (DCC). At the last meeting of the Remuneration Sub-Committee it was agreed that the requirement to seek ministerial approval in respect of acting arrangements was impractical and that a practical solution needed to be found. It is therefore proposed that ministerial approval for acting should only be sought in respect of planned absences in excess of 6 weeks.

6. Temporary promotion provides the necessary flexibility to enable the MPS to respond quickly and effectively to known changes in the senior management structure. Potential candidates are selected for their particular specialist skills and approval is required by Assistant Commissioner Human Resources and the Commissioner, prior to submission to the Clerk to the MPA. There are currently 6 ACPO temporary promotions, all to commander level and one acting commander. A minimum period of 3 months must be served in the higher rank before temporary promotion is considered. The temporarily promoted officer receives the salary and other benefits he or she would have received if promoted substantively to the higher rank. Temporary promotion is provided for by Regulation 6 of the Police (Promotion) Regulations 1996.

7. Acting arrangements are usually considered when there is a need to cover sudden or routine absences of a short-term nature e.g. sickness, annual leave, training etc. In view of the limited duration of such arrangements, selection is usually contained within the existing management chain. Salary at the higher rate is paid only for those days for which the junior officer acts as the senior officer. Regulation 27 of the Determination at Annex 1 to Police Regulations 2003 covers such arrangements.

8. To take account of the role of the new SAP it is proposed that any application for temporary promotion is made to the Clerk by the MPS HR Directorate. The MPA will request formal approval on behalf of the MPS once the Clerk has obtained the endorsement of the Remuneration Sub-Committee. The MPA will send the request to the SAP Secretariat for submission to the Home Office Minister for approval. The Clerk will then advise the applicant of the outcome through the MPS HR Directorate. These arrangements will also apply in respect of acting in a higher rank for planned absences in excess of 6 weeks (subject to agreement to the proposal at paragraph 5 above).

9. In order that the openness of the selection process was not adversely influenced and that expectations were not unnecessarily raised, it is proposed that in future temporary promotion will not be considered within 3 months of a planned promotion board. It is further proposed that all temporary promotions be reviewed after 6 months.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no direct implications arising from these proposals although the MPS will take account of the diversity considerations before making recommendations to the MPA and, data about proposals for temporary promotions will need to be collated and monitored.

D. Financial implications

None directly arising from this report.

E. Background papers

• MPA paper R/02/2
• MPA paper RSC/04/01

F. Contact details

Report author: Michael Shurety, Director of HR Services, MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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