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:
Personne
n l Ma
M nag
a er
Force:
West Mi
M dlands
d Police
Email:
S. 40(2)
@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk
Contact no.:
S. 40(2)
S. 40(2)
Address:
Police Headquarters, Employing Resourcing, PO Box 52, Lloyd House, Colmore Circus,
Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6NQ
1. When did your force start operating the scheme (including any pilot scheme)?
Jan 2002
2. Does your force have any officers on the 30+ scheme?
yes
3. Are you still accepting new entrants onto the scheme?
yes
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?
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?
Yes, based on continuing role requirement and performance
6. If your force is still accepting new entrants, how do officers in your force generally find out about the 30+ scheme?
Force Intranet:
7. What information or materials do you routinely supply to officers before they apply?
Guidance notes and application forms available at local Personnel dept level and intranet
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 form which should include Personal Develop review (PDR), attendance report, medical report, line
manager report , Commanders comments/support and research of post held
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
208
Retire and join police (civilian) staff (incl. redeployments)
6
Retire and join the Special Constabulary
nil
Apply for 30+ scheme
39
Stay on and reduce hours from full-time to part-time
nil
Stay on as before/no change
128
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
173
985
Number of applications received
39
155
Number of applications rejected
2
9
Average age upon application
51
Average length of pensionable service upon application
30 yrs
30 yrs
2
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
39
155
… of which are in specialist/hard-to-fill roles
39
… with a detailed succession plan
Average time between retirement and 30+ re-engagement
1 day
1 day
Average time of re-engagement initially requested
4 yrs
4 yrs
Applications for maximum four-year initial appointment
39
155
Appointments that were extended
4
5
... of which were initial four-year appointments
4
5
… with a detailed succession plan
Officers on restricted duties
8
14
Redeployments
nil
nil
Number of 30+ Officers living in police houses
nil
nil
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
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
Faith
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
3
Sikh
None
S. 40(2)
Other
4
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)
Average Saving* per
Rank
Number of these on 30+
TOTAL Saving*
year of retention
Constable
£
£
Sergeant
£
£
Inspector
£
£
Chief Inspector
£
£
Superintendent
£
£
Chief Superintendent
£
£
Overall saving*:
£
* 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).
Annual review to include, continuing role requirement, health, attendance and performance
5
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
3
66
… on grounds of ill-health
… on grounds of efficiency (A19 or efficiency regulations)
… on grounds of (mis)conduct
1
… at annual review
… mid-year (i.e. business case becoming invalid unexpectedly)
Officers who qualified for injury awards whist serving on 30+
Officer disciplined (conduct regulations) whilst serving on 30+
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
… of which were successful
… at annual review
… of which were successful
… mid-year
… of which were successful
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.
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
Average length of service upon retirement
Percentage of officers who retired upon reaching maximum pension
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: 184
2009/10: 258
2010/11: 241
21. Are you planning to keep the scheme open to new entrants until 2010?
please select
If not, please give your reasoning behind this decision, and state when you anticipate this to take effect:
6
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?
or
b) in 2010?
23. What plans do you have for phasing out those accepted onto the scheme?
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?
25. Overall, how would you summarise your experience with the scheme since its introduction?
26. Any other comments?
END OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Thank you very much.
7