Bristol implements single status on pay

Around 320 social workers, 50 occupational
therapy staff and 500 home care staff could win pay increases of up
to £2,000 per year at Bristol Council, states a new
report.

Work is under way at the council to review the
pay of key social services staff as part of the local authority’s
drive to implement the single status agreement on pay and
conditions.

In September, it emerged that only 20 of the
410 local authorities had implemented the single status agreement,
which requires employers to evaluate jobs and regrade pay
accordingly (News, page 3, 6 September 2001).

But at Bristol new grades and pay could be
effective from April or May.

Executive councillor for social services and
health Jenny Smith said: “This should come as good news to social
services staff, including those concerned about changes to
essential car user allowances, and will demonstrate that we are
committed to delivering our promise of fairer pay as part of the
single status agreement.”

Unison’s head of local government, Malcolm
Wing, said more councils were implementing the single status
agreement but “progress was painfully slow”.

Wing estimated that 37 authorities had now
implemented the scheme. The majority of these were small district
authorities, which had a narrow range of jobs and much smaller
numbers, he added.