If You Have Any Queries Related to This New Policy, Please Contact Your HR Business Partner

Letter status:-  For Information/Action

Schools HR Team The Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND

TO: Dear Colleague, Maintained School Headteachers Redundancy and Retirement Payment Scheme for all School Staff DATED: I am writing to inform you that with effect from 1 April 2016, the Local Authority will be introducing a new Scheme for Redundancy and 1 January 2016 Retirement Payments which will apply to all School staff. SUBJECT AREA: Redundancy & Retirement The Local Authority has been faced with unprecedented budget pressure in recent years and following changes to how Local Authorities can retain budget centrally from the DSG, redundancy and retirement RELATED DOCUMENTS: costs have had to be met from within Local Authority budget, outside of Redundancy and the DSG. Retirement Payment Scheme for all School The Local Authority also introduced a Redundancy Cost Approval Staff Scheme in 2012 to ensure schools having to make staffing reduction FILING have Local Authority agreement to meet redundancy and retirement INSTRUCTIONS: costs.

Currently there are two redundancy payment schemes for teachers and FOR FURTHER a different scheme for all support staff. The revised Redundancy and INFORMATION: Retirement Payment Scheme means all school staff will be entitled to a Contact: redundancy payment calculated in the same way. Your named School HR Business Partner In addition, the new Scheme removes the provision of release of pension to Teachers when in a redundancy situation and aged over 55. Telephone: 01743 254415 This change has brought Shropshire Local Authority in line with the e-mail: majority of other Local Authorities who for many years have not released lisa.cheng@shropshire. payment of pension for teachers in redundancy situations. The Scheme gov.uk does contain provision for schools to meet such costs from their own budgets, if they so choose.

Attached is a letter which you are asked to ensure is communicated to staff either individually, in team meetings or displayed in staff rooms and attention drawn to it. A copy of this letter and the letter to staff will be available on the Shropshire Learning Gateway, the myview log in page and a message will also be included on payslips. The new Redundancy and Retirement Payment Scheme for all School Staff is available on the HR Policy pages of the Shropshire Learning Gateway.

If you have any queries related to this new policy, please contact your HR Business Partner.

Yours sincerely

Lorraine Edwards HR Senior Business Partner – Schools

Letter to all School Staff To: Shropshire Council Shirehall All School Staff Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury Shropshire SY2 6ND

1 January 2016

Dear Colleague,

Redundancy and Retirement Payment Scheme for all School Staff

I am writing to inform you that with effect from 1 April 2016, the Local Authority will be introducing a new Scheme for Redundancy and Retirement Payments which will apply to all School staff.

The revised Redundancy and Retirement Payment Scheme means all school staff will be entitled to a redundancy payment calculated in the same way.

In addition, the new Scheme removes the provision of release of pension to Teachers when in a redundancy situation and aged over 55. This change has brought Shropshire Local Authority in line with the majority of other Local Authorities who for many years have not released payment of pension for teachers in redundancy situations.

A copy of the Scheme is available on the Shropshire Learning Gateway on the HR Policy page. The Scheme has been consulted upon and agreed with all recognised Teaching and Support Staff Trade Unions.

Yours sincerely

Lorraine Edwards HR Senior Business Partner – Schools HR & Development