Council pay data shows the average salary in West Berkshire is more than £36,000. The highest paid officer is chief executive Joseph Holmes on £168,695, while the lowest paid worker earns £24,413 per annum. Data from the Taxpayers Alliance also shows 12 officers at the council earn more than £100,000.
For context, as of 2024 the UK Prime Minister is entitled to a total annual salary of £172,153, comprising a ministerial salary on top of their £91,346 MP salary, though Keir Starmer has chosen to take a lower salary of £166,786.
The Localism Act 2011 requires local authorities to publish an annual pay policy statement; West Berkshire's goes before full council later this week (Thursday March 26).
The council uses the Hay (Local Government) job evaluation scheme to set grades for each post relative to all other jobs. The job evaluation procedure is used for all new roles and to re-evaluate existing jobs where there have been significant changes, and all posts are assigned to a grade within the West Berkshire Council salary structure based on the job evaluation score.
West Berkshire also runs a recruitment and retention scheme within Children and Family Services to improve terms for social workers. The scheme offers frontline safeguarding social workers a 'golden handshake', further bonus payments and the opportunity to take extended paid leave ('sabbatical') after three years' service, subject to qualifying conditions, as an incentive to retain qualified and experienced staff.
Staff must have at least one year's service and have successfully completed their probation period to qualify for a payment of £3,000.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
