30+ Retention Scheme:
Comprehensive Scheme Review 2008
The 30+ scheme arose from the Police Negotiating Board Agreement of May 2002 and gives police forces
the opportunity to retain personnel with valuable skills and experience which would otherwise be lost to
retirement. It does so by offering police officers the opportunity to take advantage of an early tax-free lump
sum payment while continuing to serve as an attested officer at the same rank and pay level as before.
This measure was introduced in order to reduce mass retirement, avoid recruitment bulges and address
potential skills shortages that would have resulted from this.
The scheme was given approval by Ministers and HM Treasury to run until 31 March 2010, when it is due
to be closed to new entrants. However, an increasing number of late joiners to the police service, the
higher compulsory retirement ages (CRAs) introduced in October 2006 and the growing cohort of members
of the New Police Pension Scheme (2006) that must now accrue 35 years service before receiving a
maximum pension have all been factors that have potentially reduced the operational need for this scheme
in recent years. These factors, amongst others, may mean that we need to consider closing the scheme
before 2010 subject to the outcome of this review.
In order to evaluate the continued effectiveness of the scheme we have produced this questionnaire to
assess the way in which the scheme has been operated since its pilot in 2002. We kindly ask that you
complete it in full. We appreciate that some of the information may not be readily available but the
information required is vital to helping us make the correct decision regarding the continuation of this
scheme. If you have any queries about any of the questions, please do not hesitate to call or email us.
Notes on completing the form
This is an electronic form. You complete each section by clicking on the grey box next to or underneath
each question. You can then write as much as you like. When you have finished, either click on the next
box, or press the ‘TAB’ key to jump to the next box. Where the grey box says “Please select”, click on it to
display the options for answering. Then click on your choice.
When you have completed the form, please:
•
save it as ‘30+ Review <insert force name>’ (e.g. 30+ Review Dorset) and email it to me at
S. 40(2)
@npia.pnn.police.uk, or
•
print it out and post it to me at the address below:
S. 40(2)
(telephone S. 40(2)
)
Workforce Strategy Unit
NPIA
10th Floor, New King’s Beam House
22 Upper Ground
London SE1 9QY
PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE BY
FRIDAY 11 APRIL 2008
Force Contact Details
Name:
S. 40(2)
Job Title:
Co
C rporate Pers
r onn
n el Of
O ficer
Force:
Me
M rseysi
s de
Email:
Contact no.:
S. 40(2)
Address:
Merseyside Police HQ, Canning Place, Liverpool L69 1JD
1. When did your force start operating the scheme (including any pilot scheme)?
July 2005
2. Does your force have any officers on the 30+ scheme?
yes
3. Are you still accepting new entrants onto the scheme?
no
If yes, skip to question 5
4. If you have closed the scheme to new entrants, when did you do so and what were your reasons?
Merseyside suspended the scheme in September 2007 pending an internal review.The scheme remains
suspended pending the outcome of this review.Until then no new applications have been accepted.
5. What is your policy regarding those already on the scheme, i.e. have you retained them beyond their annual
reviews, and if so, why?
The majority of officers on the scheme requested a term of between 2-4 years. We have not therefore had
any requests to retain them beyond their annual reviews to date.
6. If your force is still accepting new entrants, how do officers in your force generally find out about the 30+ scheme?
please select:
No
7. What information or materials do you routinely supply to officers before they apply?
We supply officers with general advice on the scheme, in force processes, timescales from application to
appointment and completion of application forms.
8. Please outline details of the process by which officers apply for the 30+ scheme, and by which your force
assesses applications and makes decisions. Please give as much information as possible (including any process
maps or flow charts where appropriate).
Application completed by individual
Forwarded to Line Manager for inclusion of sickness record, Discipline check and business case
Medical Assessment by Force Doctor
All paperwork forwarded to Resourcing Unit to include recommendation for approval by officers Line Manager
Application prepared for submission to Superintendent Personnel and Development
Application assessed on Business case, acceptable sickness record, successful discipline check and Successful
medical assessment
Pen picture completed and recommendation prepared based on all of the above
Forwarded to Superintendent for approval and onward transmission to Assistant Chief Constable for ultimate
decision as to whether officer is accepted on the scheme.
9. What number of officers who reached 30 years pensionable service in the year from 1 March 2007 to 29 February
2008 (inclusive) did the following?
Retire and leave the police service
57
Retire and join police (civilian) staff (incl. redeployments)
7
Retire and join the Special Constabulary
0
Apply for 30+ scheme
25
Stay on and reduce hours from full-time to part-time
0
2
Stay on as before/no change
220
10. Please complete the table below with the information regarding 30+ applications in the year from 1 March 2007 to
29 February 2008 (inclusive) and in total (i.e. since your force has been operating the scheme, including any pilot
period and last year’s numbers).
Prospective 30+ Officers
Last 12 months
TOTAL
Number of eligible officers
116
680
Number of applications received
25
74
Number of applications rejected
6
10
Average age upon application
56
50
Average length of pensionable service upon application
30 yrs
30 yrs
11. Please complete the table below with the information for officers who were accepted onto the scheme in the
year from 1 March 2007 to 29 February 2008 (nclusive) and for all officers who ever joined the scheme (including
any pilot period and last year’s numbers).
Current 30+ Officers
Last 12 months
TOTAL
Number of officers who joined the scheme
16
39
… of which are in specialist/hard-to-fill roles
16
39
… with a detailed succession plan
16
39
Average time between retirement and 30+ re-engagement
1 day
1 day
Average time of re-engagement initially requested
3yrs
3 yrs
Applications for maximum four-year initial appointment
9
35
Appointments that were extended
0
0
... of which were initial four-year appointments
0
0
… with a detailed succession plan
0
0
Officers on restricted duties
1
1
Redeployments
0
0
Number of 30+ Officers living in police houses
0
0
12. Please give a diversity breakdown by rank and gender of officers who joined 30+ in the year from 1 March 2007
to 29 February 2008 (inclusive).
30+ Officers
Constable
Sergeant
Inspector
Ch Inspector
Superintend’t
Ch Supt
Feb 2006 to present
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
British
White
Irish
Other
Indian
Asian/
Pakistani
Asian
Bangladeshi
British
Other
S. 40(2)
Black/
Caribbean
Black
African
British
Other
Mixed
White
& Blk Carib
3
White
& Blk Afr
White &
Asian
Other
Chinese
Other
Other
S. 40(2)
Disabled
48-55
Age
55+
Hetero
Sex
Homo
Bi
Not
specified
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Faith
Muslim
Sikh
None
Other
13. Please give a diversity breakdown by rank and gender for ALL officers currently retained on 30+.
All current30+
Constable
Sergeant
Inspector
Ch Inspector
Superintend’t
Ch Supt
Officers
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
British
White
Irish
Other
Indian
Asian/
Pakistani
Asian
Bangladeshi
British
Other
Black/
Caribbean S. 40(2)
Black
African
British
Other
White
& Blk Carib
White
Mixed
& Blk Afr
White &
Asian
Other
Chinese
Other
Other
Disabled
48-55
Age
55+
Hetero
Sex
Homo
Bi
Not
specified
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Faith
Muslim
Sikh
None
Other
14. Please outline the savings made or costs incurred through 30+ retentions, broken down by rank and averaged per
year, using generic costings where specific numbers are not available (please refer to costings template for
guidance on calculating these figures)Total assumes 3 years per scheme on average
4
Average Saving* for
TOTAL Saving (NB
Rank
Number of these on 30+
1st year of retention
this is for 3 years)*
Constable
25
288,650
496,950
Sergeant
16
284,224
616,512
Inspector
8
157,912
355,656
Chief Inspector
£
£
Superintendent
£
£
Chief Superintendent
£
£
Overall saving*:
£1,469.118
* where a cost was incurred, please mark this as a negative saving, e.g. -£1,234.
15. Please outline details of the process by which an officer’s continuing participation is kept under review whilst on
the scheme. Please give as much information as possible (including any process maps, annual review report
templates or flow charts where appropriate).
Review dates are diarised at the centre and annual review report templates* sent out to officers line
managers for completion six weeks prior to the anniversary of the officer joining the scheme.Managers are
required to complete the form and return it with the officers most recent Performance review, sickness record
for the last 12 months and an updated discipline check. All of these documents are then forwarded to the
Superintendent, Personnel & Development for his agreement to support the officer for a further twelve months
on the scheme.
*Template attached
16. Please complete the table below with information on the circumstances surrounding any 30+ appointments that
were terminated early, i.e. before the date forecast by the business case for retention.
30+ appointments terminated early…
Last 12 months
TOTAL
… through officer’s resignation
4
10
… on grounds of ill-health
n/a
n/a
… on grounds of efficiency (A19 or efficiency regulations)
n/a
n/a
… on grounds of (mis)conduct
n/a
n/a
… at annual review
n/a
n/a
… mid-year (i.e. business case becoming invalid unexpectedly)
n/a
n/a
Officers who qualified for injury awards whist serving on 30+
n/a
n/a
Officer disciplined (conduct regulations) whilst serving on 30+
n/a
n/a
17. Please complete the table below with information on appeals against any decisions you made to terminate an
officer’s 30+ appointment.
Number of appeals against decision to terminate contract…
Last 12 months
TOTAL
… at end of initially granted appointment
n/a
n/a
… of which were successful
n/a
n/a
… at annual review
n/a
n/a
… of which were successful
n/a
n/a
… mid-year
n/a
n/a
… of which were successful
n/a
n/a
5
18. Please give details of any appeals (including any internal appeals, informal challenges, employment tribunals etc)
involving 30+, including copies of any relevant paperwork where appropriate.
We have had a total of two appeals.
Section40(2)
19. How have retirement patterns changed since the introduction of the scheme? Please complete the table below
with the information relating to the period before the scheme was piloted in 2002 and the last 12 months (1 March
2007 to 29 February 2008 inclusive).
Last 12 months
2002
Average retirement age
51
57
Average length of service upon retirement
29.5
29.8
Percentage of officers who retired upon reaching maximum pension
78%
78%
benefits
Percentage of officers retained in specialist roles with more than 30
years service (including those on 30+ and not)
20. How many officers in your force are likely to become eligible to retire with maximum pension benefits over the next
three years?
2008/09: 268
2009/10: 220
2010/11: 165
21. Are you planning to keep the scheme open to new entrants until 2010?
No
If not, please give your reasoning behind this decision, and state when you anticipate this to take effect:
Decision waited from Chief Officers on future of the scheme. Currently suspended for new applicants
although existing scheme members continue on same terms.
22. If your force intends to keep operating the scheme, what effect would it have on your force if the scheme was to be
centrally closed to new entrants…
a) now?
None
or
b) in 2010? None
23. What plans do you have for phasing out those accepted onto the scheme?
Not yet determined. Some officers have decided to terminate their involvement early before expiry of their
term. If we continue with the scheme for current members remaining on contract we would anticipate phasing
it out naturally over the next two to three years as their terms come to an end.
24. Beyond 2010, do you foresee a shortage of skilled and experienced officers, and if so, what plans do you have to
deal with your operational needs for retaining valuable skills and experience?
Profile of retirements over the coming years shows reduction in number of eligible staff as well as a
workforce who are getting younger.
25. Overall, how would you summarise your experience with the scheme since its introduction?
Initial slow start but use and popularity has risen in the last two years. Culturally, some staff now appear
to see the scheme as an entitlement and a benefit to them rather than the force.
26. Any other comments?
END OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Thank you very much.
6