Guardians back revised pay offer

Staff at the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have voted in favour of a pay deal negotiated by unions before Christmas.

Members of Unison and Napo voted to accept the offer of a 2.5 per cent rise, 150 bonus and extra holiday entitlement after union leaders recommended the package.

Napo members voted eight to one in favour of the deal, according to Jonathan Ledger, the union’s assistant general secretary.

However, he said this “does not hide the fact that we were disappointed with the baseline offer”.

Unison’s national officer for social care, Owen Davies, said 90 per cent of its members at Cafcass voted in favour of the offer.

Cafcass was unable to offer unions their desired increase because of a financial crisis that has forced it to institute emergency measures.

Ledger said Napo would fight for better terms when Cafcass launched its forthcoming strategic pay review, saying it had “aspirations to achieve significant improvements”.

Cafcass corporate director Jane Booth said: “We are pleased to have reached agreement and are now moving forward with the unions on bigger issues around the strategy for pay and reward.”