Published in Public Service Magazine

FOR SENIOR MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS AUTUMN 2017 The long shadow of Grenfell Is the British state too weak to protect us? Brexit blues A DExEU official speaks out in our new ‘open mic’ column @FDA_union @We_are_keystone Heading for the frontline Jonathan Slater on DfE’s 7,000-school challenge In this issue Don’t forget you can follow your union on Twitter @FDA_union @We_are_keystone Welcome Craig Ryan, Editor At the root of the many problems public servants face – underfunding, pay restraint, staff shortages, overstretch – is one fundamental question. Do 19 26 ministers value public service at all? Do they value expert, independent advice and people who work for no other News 4 Features purpose than to benefit the community as Backward steps on civil service Interview: Jonathan Slater 16 a whole? And do they see the limitations redundancy; Patel allies “peddling The Permanent Secretary of the on what private companies, with their myths on civil service pay”; Court scraps Department for Education speaks to short-term focus on shareholder value, tribunal fees; MPs to probe Whitehall’s PSM’s Matt Ross.. can do? Brexit capacity; Review body calls for As Matt Foster reports on page 19, The long shadow of Grenfell 19 “full overhaul” of SCS pay; TUC 2017: the Grenfell Towers tragedy is a stark Matt Foster on the searching questions reminder of what can happen when the unions back FDA call for new civil facing politicians and public servants state loses the capacity to protect its most service settlement. following the tragic fire in North vulnerable citizens. If ministers do value Plus: our round-up of the latest civil Kensington. public service (and we’re heading for a service starters, movers and leavers. very dark place if they don’t) they need to The Equalisers 22 put aside outdated ideological prejudices My working life 10 and start rebuilding the capacity of the Australia and Canada lead the world state. And that begins with fair rewards A Grade 7 FDA member tells us why she when it comes to women in top civil and reasonable workloads for all public came back to the civil service and what service jobs. Matt Ross and Tania Mason servants. If public service is worth doing, she finds most frustrating at work. ask what the UK can learn from them. it’s worth doing well. Meet the FDA 24 FDA Learn 11 Published by FDA Two members of the FDA staff talk Neil Rider explains how FDA Learn is Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London SE1 7NQ about themselves and the work they do T: 020 7401 5555 helping members forge their own path for FDA members. www.fda.org.uk | [email protected] to the Senior Civil Service. Acting Editor – Craig Ryan Books 26 T: 01453 828888 | [email protected] Organising 12 John Bew’s classy biography of Clement FDA Organiser Alan Bailey urges Staff writers – Tommy Newell, Matt Foster Attlee; Paul Goodwin’s exposé on the T: 020 7401 5588 | [email protected] members to raise the FDA’s profile in the forecasting business, plus our selection workplace. Design – Chapman Design of other recent reads. T: 01273 236932 | [email protected] Plus: reports from Civil Service Live 2017 Members’ small ads 28 Advertising – Simon Briant Opinion 14 SDB Marketing T: 01273 594455 | [email protected] Calum Miller explains how a new index Crossword 29 of civil service performance shows Printers – Captiv8 UK Ltd T: 01892 611500 www.captiv8uk.co.uk where Whitehall needs to up its game. Back channel 30 Plus: FDA General Secretary Dave Our new ‘open mic’ slot: A DExEU official All articles © Public Service Magazine 2017 or the author. The contents may not be reproduced without permission. Writers’ Penman makes the case for a new deal takes issue with staff shortages and a views are not necessarily those of Public Service Magazine or the FDA. ISSN 1460-8936 on civil service pay. lack of political direction on Brexit. Public Service Magazine Autumn 2017 3 News Share your news with us at [email protected] Redundancy budgets. “This is a major backwards step. This new consultation proposes worse terms Compensation Scheme changes than those negotiated by the FDA and seven other unions last year, and removes “a backwards step” a series of hard-won protections,” said FDA Assistant General Secretary Naomi New Cabinet Office proposals for changes members voted 89% in favour of Cooke. to the Civil Service Compensation accepting the final offer in a ballot late “The FDA chose to take part in the 2016 Scheme (CSCS) are a “major backwards last year. negotiations to avoid the imposition of step” which will remove hard-won Rather than appeal against the High more stringent terms by the Government, protections negotiated by unions last Court decision, the Cabinet Office is securing a series of concessions in the year, the FDA says. now seeking to reintroduce its original final round of negotiations which have The Cabinet Office published a proposals, including capping voluntary all now been dropped from these latest consultation paper in September on exit and voluntary redundancy proposals. fresh changes to the scheme – which payments at 15 months’ salary, rather “We are adamant that the new CSCS determines redundancy pay and than the 18 months’ agreed last year. should be no worse than the reformed terms for all civil servants – after a The consultation proposals also align scheme which was agreed in good faith legal challenge led by the Public and compensation for exit on efficiency and was backed by 89% of our members Commercial Services Union (PCS) grounds to compulsory redundancy in a ballot last year. We will be making resulted in the 2016 scheme being terms, meaning these payments are robust representations to the Cabinet overturned in the High Court. capped at nine months' salary with no Office to honour the 2016 agreement.” Although highly critical of the early access to pension. Government’s decision to revisit the The Cabinet Office has meanwhile The FDA will keep members kept up-to- Compensation Scheme in 2016, the FDA made clear that the costs of delay to date with developments on the CSCS and seven other unions had secured a current exit schemes – as well as the by email. If you are not receiving these range of concessions from the Cabinet costs of recalculation – will have to updates, let us know by emailing info@ Office on its original proposals. FDA be found from existing departmental fda.org.uk. Patel’s allies Development Secretary demonstrates a blatant disregard for the Government’s own “peddling myths” research. on civil service pay, “The source peddles tired myths about says FDA public sector perks and claims that pay is ‘out of step with many other comparable The FDA has accused allies of International external roles’ – despite the Government’s Development Secretary Priti Patel of figures showing that Directors General "peddling myths" on civil service pay after earn 62% less than their private sector a report in the Daily Telegraph claimed counterparts.” she believed salaries were “too high” and The FDA General Secretary said he took needed to be “restrained”. particular exception to the “dismissive” The Telegraph said “sources close to” claim that civil servants would accept pay Patel had described senior civil service cuts because they are not going to "walk salaries as “crazy” and claimed they were into better paid jobs in the real world”. “way out of line with public opinion”. "The Government’s own analysis shows FDA General Secretary Dave Penman continue to do their best to serve the public that many of them are now choosing to do condemned allies of Patel for taking the despite such attacks. just that,” Penman added. “More than half “easy option of briefing against those who Penman said: “This latest of all Senior Civil Servants who quit last can't answer back” and defended members misrepresentation of public sector pay year cited pay as a significant reason for who, due to their "sense of public duty", will from ‘sources close to’ the International their exit.” 4 Public Service Magazine Autumn 2017 News FDA in the media July The FDA wrote to three cabinet ministers who had expressed sympathy with the idea of ending the public sector pay cap, challenging them to take immediate action to raise the pay of staff in their own departments. Put your money where your mouth is on public sector pay, union tells ministers MAIL ONLINE Johnson and Gove must give more than ‘warm words’ to Whitehall staff needing Reform a pay rise, say senior civil servants THE INDEPENDENT Jeremy Corbyn says government Maude “undermining legacy” ‘floundering’ on pay cap BBC NEWS with Whitehall attacks FDA union urges ministers to ‘put money where their mouth is’ to end The FDA has hit back at renewed attacks recognise. The civil service, like all large Whitehall pay cap on the civil service by former Cabinet organisations, has institutional failings CIVIL SERVICE WORLD Office Minister Lord Maude, warning and frustrating bureaucracies, but to his “disingenuous” remarks risked paint a picture of these as commonplace The FDA’s response to the Senior undermining his legacy as a reformer. and routine is disingenuous, and perhaps Salaries Review Body’s latest report In a Westminster speech, the reflects more on Lord Maude’s own was covered by a broad range of outlets, Conservative peer – who left government fraught relationship with individuals. with Assistant General Secretary in 2015 after five years at the Cabinet “The civil service continues to deliver Naomi Cooke saying reform of SCS pay Office – accused senior civil servants of more for less and is blessed with a “needs to be fully funded and it needs to frequently misleading ministers, and talented and committed cadre of public happen soon”.

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