IPDS - FAQ

The fire service pay and conditions agreement agreed between both sides of the National Joint Council in June 2003 set out changes in conditions of service and the associated pay rises. At Stage 2 of the agreement which was effective from 7 November 2003 the pay structure was linked to the IPDS role structure. The IPDS system had been developed within the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council (CFBAC) upon which the Union had played a lead role.

The negotiations at NJC to fully implement the June 2003 agreement required further detailed work on the IPDS system in order that the pay structure could be implemented. The outcome of that work was set out in the consultative documents sent to members in March 2004 and was endorsed in a ballot of members in April 2004.

By November 2003, detailed negotiation was still required on the guidance for the assessment of competence for each role within the IPDS structure and the assessment of job size for the roles. That negotiation is still continuing, and many questions have been asked by members and officials. This following seeks to answer those questions.

Does the IPDS system apply to all our members?

The IPDS system has been designed to cover all uniformed members of the Fire & Rescue Service and is particularly important in delivering one of the main achievements of the 2003 Pay Agreement which is parity for our retained members and to fully integrate control staff members within the Fire & Rescue Service.

What is the impact of IPDS on my pay structure?

For IPDS purposes each individual member will pass through a number of developmental stages in the course of demonstrating competence

Training

For the roles of firefighter and control, the training stage is the point at which an individual is in full time training and is not yet performing the role. A member in this position would receive a trainee rate of pay. On leaving full time training, a member will move on to the Development stage.

Development

The development stage is where a member is working in the role under supervision, and is being assessed against the different functions within the role map that are applicable within that specific role. While members are in this stage and before they show competence in the full requirements of the role, they will receive the development rate of pay.

Competent

After members have been assessed as being competent in all the applicable functions of their role, they will have demonstrated “competence” and will receive the appropriate competent rate of pay.

When will I go on to the Competent Rate of Pay?

Although it is not possible to specify a specific time period for competence to be demonstrated, as it depends on a number of factors including the specific requirements of individuals, the NJC have agreed that it is expected that the majority of employees on all duty systems including the retained duty system should show competence within the following time scales :-

My Brigade has not yet fully implemented IPDS. When should I expect to get Competent Rate of Pay?

The fact that the Brigade has not implement IPDS is not an excuse for them not to meet the expectation of the National Agreement and you should still receive your competent rate of pay within the time scales set out above. Our Brigade officials will be monitoring the situation closely.

I work on the retained duty system. When is it expected that I will be on the competent rate of pay?

On implementation of the pay agreement in November 2003, all serving members on the retained duty system were deemed to be competent for pay purposes. In the future, the expected time scales that apply to members on the wholetime duty systems will also apply to those on the retained duty system. This will obviously need a considerable investment in the training and development of members on the retained duty system, and brigade committees will be raising this issue with management, and nationally we will be monitoring the position.

How do I know I will be assessed fairly to achieve a competent rate of pay?

The NJC will be issuing guidance on assessment processes for this purpose, and this will be closely monitored by Brigade officials. If individual members have a difficulty with their assessment, then of course, the newly agreed Grievance Procedure can be applied.

Will I be assessed against all units within the role map?

The only units on which a member can be assessed, are those that have been determined as applying to that particular member’s role and that will be for the determination of the Fire & Rescue Authority in line with the agreed NJC role maps. The NJC has agreed a specific position in respect of driving duties within both the firefighter and firefighter control roles. Where the Fire & Rescue Authority does not require a member to drive, or for genuine reasons, the employee is unable to drive, he/she shall be regarded as competent within the role, subject to having demonstrated competence in all the other applicable functions in the role map.

When did this new system commence?

As stated, the introduction of the IPDS pay system came into effect on the 7 November 2003, and the National Joint Council reached agreement at that time to “assimilate” all serving members of the service to a pay point in the new role based system. That assimilation is set out in detail in the booklet which will be circulated to members in the next few days called “You and Your Pay – An FBU Guide”. The actual implementation of the IPDS system in full cannot start until the necessary guidance has been agreed by the NJC, although many Brigades will have started the initial preparatory work.

Why am I on a “protected pay point”?

It was necessary to agree protected pay points for firefighter roles and firefighter (control) roles, and both Station Officers and Fire Control Officers not on the flexible duty system. These protected pay points will ensure that members who were employed prior to 7 November 2003 received the full pay increases due and will continue to do so throughout the introduction of the new system. If members are deemed competent earlier than those dates then they will go on to the fully competent rate of pay.

The protected pay points for station officers and fire control officers do not go past 1 July 2007. What will happen then?

Those protected pay points require to be reviewed in June 2007, which is the final date of implementation of the 2003 Pay Agreement. The NJC at that time will need to review the situation in respect of any members still on those protected pay points and the Union will strive to ensure that any members continue to receive the full effect of any subsequent pay increases.

What is a role map and who agrees them?

The NJC agreed a set of role maps in June 2003, which will be set out in an NJC document called “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps”. These role maps apply to Local Authority Fire & Rescue Services and form the contractual basis upon which our members work. For these role maps to be changed, it requires joint agreement within the National Joint Council. The National Occupational Standards on which the NJC role maps are based, are taken from the Emergency Fire Service Vocational standards. These role maps are available on the FBU website.

How will the actual change from Rank to Role take place?

A Joint Working Party has been set up by the NJC to formulate guidance for all Fire & Rescue Services. The Working Party is formulating a process for allocating existing jobs to specific role maps. The process being tested compares existing jobs against the following.

• The most likely role map eg an existing leading firefighter against crew manager

• The roles and functions as agreed by the NJC

• The units, elements and knowledge required for the National Occupational Standards

The detail of these National Occupational Standards can be located on the FBU website, as above.

I am currently in a specialist post. How will this process be applied?

Your job functions will be compared as above, to the most likely role map. Where functions can not clearly be demonstrated to fit a role map element, closer analysis must be carried out to determine the most appropriate role map, which may be different to that originally assumed most likely.

What if I carry out some functions outside of the most likely role map?

This would be raised as an issue likely to attract an Additional Responsibility Allowance, provided for under the new National Agreement. Brigade officials will be monitoring this situation.

How will it be determined if my role is an “A” or a “B”?

The NJC joint Working Party is also formulating guidance to advise Brigades on how to allocate “A” or “B” within appropriate roles. “A” or “B” determinations are in place in order to differentiate between “job size” within the same role. It was previously agreed that the job size guidance would be based on the principle that the main determination would be responsibility for people and the work of the Joint Working Party, which involved 6 Brigades, has taken that in to consideration, and are also looking at specific issues in respect of specialist posts.

Within my role, can I move from “A” to “B”?

Yes. “A” and “B” reflect only job size and pay points, and do not represent any difference in role. In clear terms, for example, Watch Manager “B” is not a “higher rank” than Watch Manager “A”.

The Union has raised within the NJC Working Party the question of employers being able to compulsorily transfer a member from “B” to “A”, and provisional agreement has been reached that this can only happen voluntarily; or if the member continues to be paid at the higher “B” rate; or as a disciplinary sanction.

If I am dissatisfied with either the allocation to a role or whether I am paid “A” or “B” rate of pay, what can I do?

The NJC Working Party is formulating guidance for an appeals procedure, which will be available to all members.