The Register of Members' Financial Interests Contents


Job description

Annex to Part 2 of the Register

The following material has been drawn from the website of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority http://www.theipsa.co.uk/

Guidance Note to MPs: Staffing Expenditure and Employment of Staff

1. All Members' staff must be covered by employment contracts which are consistent with IPSA's model employment contracts and paid in accordance with the model job descriptions, salary ranges and this guidance note, unless IPSA is notified by 30 June 2010 of any exceptions in line with the Expenses Scheme. Exceptions can only apply to contracts of employment existing before 6 May 2010, not to new contracts after this date. Full conditions are stated in clause 8.5 of the MPs' Expenses Scheme.

2. In order for any new staff to be paid at the end of June 2010, they must be on the payroll by 15 June 2010. This means that signed contracts need to be submitted to IPSA and approved before 15 June. It is recommended that contracts should be as close as possible to the model contracts in order to expedite the administrative process.

Job descriptions and salary ranges

3. To find out the salary range for a particular member of staff you should pick the job description which fits best. You should select the appropriate salary range for the job, using the London area or national ranges below depending upon the work location of the staff member. The London area ranges will apply only to staff employed in the locations listed in Schedule 2 of the Expenses Scheme (this includes Westminster staff). There is a floor and a ceiling on the salary for each job type.

Members' staff salary ranges: London Area
Post Salary Range (£s p.a.)
Office Manager 30,000 - 40,000
Senior Case Worker 23,000 - 31,000
Case Worker 19,000 - 28,000
Senior Parliamentary Assistant 33,000 - 42,000
Parliamentary Assistant 23,000 - 33,000
Senior Secretary 21,000 - 30,000
Junior Secretary 17,000 - 24,000

Members' staff salary ranges: National (excluding London area)
Post Salary Range (£s p.a.)
Office Manager 26,000 - 37,000
Senior Case Worker 19,000 - 28,000
Case Worker 16,000 - 25,000
Senior Parliamentary Assistant 30,000 - 39,000
Parliamentary Assistant 20,000 - 30,000
Senior Secretary 18,000 - 27,000
Junior Secretary 15,000 - 22,000


Job descriptions for the following roles are provided: caseworker, senior caseworker, parliamentary assistant, senior parliamentary assistant, office manager, junior secretary and senior secretary. It is possible that none of the job descriptions will be an exact fit. You may need to 'blend' content from the model job descriptions to reflect the work that is to be undertaken.

Choosing a salary level

5. The top end of the salary range allows for experience and good performance to be rewarded, while the bottom end will be appropriate for a less experienced employee. We recommend that new staff with little relevant experience should be paid at or close to the bottom of the range. But you may want to pay a little more for a new employee with some relevant experience. In choosing a starting salary, Members must bear in mind equal pay legislation and the requirement for equal pay for work of equal value. Any differences in pay have to be capable of being objectively justified e.g. on grounds of experience and /or performance.

Bonuses

6. IPSA will not fund bonuses to staff - irrespective of whether they can be afforded from your budget.

Model contracts of employment

7. Prior to entering into a contract of employment, members are required to obtain IPSA's approval. IPSA has published model contracts of employment for three categories of employment: permanent, fixed-term and casual. Contracts must be consistent with the published model contracts. The casual staff contract should act as a model for the employment of paid interns. IPSA will only reimburse expenses to an intern if the intern has been given a contract which complies with a model contract.

Pensions

8. Members should ensure that contracts of employment issued to their staff are accompanied by the Pensions leaflet provided by the House of Commons. The Portcullis Pension Plan is a Group Stakeholder Pension Plan. An introduction to the Plan can be found on the Parliamentary intranet.

Budgeting

9. You are advised not to allocate the whole staffing budget initially. When budgeting, you should bear in mind that the staffing budget will have to pay for additional costs such as pension contributions, employer's National Insurance contributions and any overtime. The staffing budget will be reviewed annually taking account of available funding
<insert MP logo here>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleJUNIOR SECRETARY
Reporting to
Main PurposePROVISION OF SECRETARIAL SUPPORT
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Provide secretarial and administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the constituency and/or Westminster office.
Key Responsibilities
·  To provide a full range of IT, secretarial and administrative support using Microsoft Office package, e.mail and internet; including;

-  Deal with and monitoring all incoming telephone and visitor enquiries, responding to e.mails and letters, efficient data and file management. Opening and dispatching mail.

-  Deal with some matters on the Member's behalf, and escalating others; including drafting and signing letters on various issues on the Member's behalf.

-  Provide administrative support to Member in relation to the MPs' Expenses Scheme.

-  Keep records of client contact.

-  Undertake photocopying, scanning and formatting of documents.

-  Ensure office records are kept and an efficient filing system is in place and up to date.

-  Manage the Member's Diary Commitments and Constituency commitments.

-  Deal with any external suppliers, orders and simple queries.

-  Other duties as and when required - arranging internal meetings by maintaining the shared calendar, assisting with the work of other colleagues as required and communicating appropriately with internal and external contacts.

-  Adhere to the Data Protection Act principles and respect the confidentiality of data at all times.

-  May liaise on behalf of Member with relevant groups/personnel at Westminster and within the Constituency, including liaison with outside organisations and the general public.

-  May also provide secretariat support to special interest groups.

-  May also provide budget management support.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.

Job description
<insert MP logo here>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleSENIOR SECRETARY
Reporting to
Main PurposePROVISION OF SECRETARIAL SUPPORT
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Provide secretarial and administrative support at a senior level to ensure the smooth running of the constituency and/or Westminster office.

·  May undertake office management or casework duties.

Key Responsibilities

·  Provide a full range of secretarial and administrative support including: managing and monitoring all incoming telephone and visitor enquiries, responding to e.mails and letters, efficient data and file management

·  Deal with complex queries and complaints on the Member's behalf; including drafting and signing letters on various issues on the Member's behalf.

·  Manage Member's Diary commitments, with overall control of Constituency commitments.

·  Support the Member in complying with the provisions of the MPs' Expenses Scheme.

·  Liaise on behalf of the Member with relevant groups/personnel at Westminster and within the Constituency, including liaison with outside organisations and the general public.

·  Ensure queries from constituents are dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner and all records are kept or destroyed in accordance with data protection principles.

·  Maintain, update and develop knowledge of relevant legislation.

·  Communicate effectively with both internal and external contacts.

·  May also provide office management such as: budget management, supervision of staff, dealing with personnel and staffing matters, ensuring the office is fully equipped and office supplies are maintained - or - undertake some casework.

·  Competent use of IT including Microsoft Office package, email and internet to: draft correspondence and reports; set up and maintain spreadsheets and undertake research.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.

Job description
<insert MP logo here.>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleCASEWORKER
Reporting to
Main PurposeSUPPORTS MEMBER IN CONSTITUENCY DUTIES
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Provide advice and support to constituents on a variety of issues through liaison with Government agencies, the voluntary sector and others to resolve matters.

·  Provide information, advice and support for individuals on a range of financial, health, housing and other issues.

·  Liaise with the appropriate Government agencies, the voluntary sector and others to resolve matters for constituents.

·  Draft correspondence and manage constituency diary

Key Responsibilities
·  Attend surgeries and other meetings to assist the Member in dealing with constituents' issues.

·  Deal with daily queries from members of the public by phone or in person, taking the appropriate initial action to resolve, document or escalate their concerns or enquiries.

·  Gather relevant information from constituents in order to progress or close the case.

·  Manage own caseload and progress of casework, ensuring all cases are logged updated with any actions taken and outstanding queries are followed up, with urgent cases reported to the Member.

·  Draft responses or respond to constituents on any issues raised on behalf of the Member.

·  Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of relevant guidelines/legislation as appropriate in dealing with casework.

·  Ensure cases are dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner.

·  Analyse patterns of enquiries and produce reports.

·  Ensure records of contact with constituents are kept, with details of each case by adhering to the Data Protection Act principles and respect the confidentiality of data at all times.

·  Undertake general administrative/secretarial tasks e.g. managing the diary.

·  Assist with the work of other colleagues as required and communicate appropriately with internal and external contacts.

·  Competent use of IT including casework management systems, Microsoft Office package, email and internet to support the above.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.

Job description
<insert MP logo here>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleSENIOR CASEWORKER
Reporting to
Main PurposeSUPPORTS MEMBER IN CONSTITUENCY DUTIES
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Provides advice and support to constituents on a variety of issues through liaison with Government agencies, the voluntary sector and others to resolve matters.

·  This includes work of a complex nature requiring the job holder to work independently and to liaise with senior level contacts.

·  Draft correspondence and manage constituency diary.

Key Responsibilities
·  Attend surgeries and other meetings to assist the Member in dealing with constituents' issues.

·  Deal with daily queries from members of the public by phone or in person, taking the appropriate initial action to resolve or document or escalate their concerns or enquiries.

·  Gather information from constituents to progress or close the case in a sensitive and confidential manner.

·  Attend tribunals as required.

·  Manage own caseload and progress of casework, ensuring all cases are logged updated with any actions taken and outstanding queries are followed up, with urgent cases reported to the Member.

·  Draft responses or respond to constituents on any issues raised on behalf of the Member.

·  Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant guidelines/legislation as appropriate in dealing with casework.

·  Ensure cases are dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner.

·  Analyse patterns of enquiries and produce reports.

·  Develop knowledge in specialist areas.

·  Ensure records of contact with constituents are kept, with details of each case by adhering to the Data Protection Act principles and respect the confidentiality of data at all times

·  Continually maintain, update and develop personal knowledge of demanding, specialised or complex cases.

·  Effectively communicate with both external and internal contacts.

·  Provide secretarial services for relevant meetings and/or provide briefings.

·  May undertake supervisory responsibilities as required.

·  Competent use of IT including casework management systems, Microsoft Office, email and internet to support the above.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.

Job description
<insert MP logo here>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitlePARLIAMENTARY ASSISTANT
Reporting to
Main PurposeSUPPORT MEMBER IN THE PERFOMANCE OF THEIR PARLIAMENTARY DUTIES
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Carry out research into local, regional and international issues as required, ensuring the Member is made aware of any relevant issues

·  Identify any issues to assist the Member in their parliamentary work.

Key Responsibilities
·  Respond effectively and courteously to routine correspondence and enquiries from constituents.

·  Undertake research, usually from readily available sources, on straightforward subjects.

·  Analyse and evaluate research and interpret data, ensuring key issues are identified.

·  Prepare, and present results both orally and in writing e.g. for parliamentary questions, briefing notes for committees, articles and press releases.

·  Provide briefings and potential questions to the Member and motions to be put to the house.

·  Monitor bills, Early Day Motions, legislation, Hansard, debates, etc.

·  Monitor coverage in the media.

·  Advise and guide the Member on policy issues.

·  Progress casework through liaison with local and national bodies, government agencies, lobby groups, etc.

·  Maintain, update and develop knowledge of relevant legislation.

·  Ensure records are kept, with details of each issue by adhering to the Data Protection Act principles and respect the confidentiality of data at all times

·  Communicate effectively with both internal and external contacts.

·  May develop knowledge in specialist areas as required by the Member.

·  Competent use of IT including Microsoft Office package, email and internet to: draft correspondence and reports; set up and maintain spreadsheets and undertake research.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.
Job description
<insert MP logo here>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleSENIOR PARLIAMENTARY ASSISTANT
Reporting to
Main PurposeSUPPORT MEMBER IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR PARLIAMENTARY DUTIES
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Carry out research into local, regional and international issues as required, ensuring the Member is made aware of any relevant issues

·  Identify any issues to assist the Member in their parliamentary work.

This includes work of a complex nature requiring the job holder to work independently and to liaise with senior level contacts.

Key Responsibilities
·  Respond effectively, courteously and independently to routine correspondence and enquiries from constituents, the media, lobbyists and pressure groups.

·  Undertake research, usually from secondary sources, on complex and difficult subjects.

·  Analyse and evaluate research and interpret data ensuring key issues are identified.

·  Prepare and present results both orally and in writing e.g. for parliamentary questions, briefing notes for committees, articles and press releases.

·  Provide briefings and potential questions to the Member and motions to be put to the house.

·  Monitor bills, Early Day Motions, legislation, Hansard, debates, etc.

·  Monitor coverage in the media, and liaise with the media when necessary.

·  Advise and guide the Member on policy issues.

·  Progress casework through liaison with local and national bodies, government agencies, lobby groups, etc. and effectively research local, regional or national issues.

·  Maintain, update and develop knowledge of relevant legislation.

·  Ensure records are kept, with details of each issue by adhering to the Data Protection Act principles and respect the confidentiality of data at all times.

·  Communicate effectively with both internal and external contacts.

·  Undertake supervisory responsibilities as required, including handling grievance, disciplinary and performance issues, if possible informally in the first instance, and monitoring staff performance.

·  Competent use of IT including Microsoft Office package, email and internet to: draft correspondence and reports; set up and maintain spreadsheets and undertake research.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.

Job description
<insert MP logo here.>
The Office of MP
Employee Name
Job TitleOFFICE MANAGER
Reporting to
Main PurposeMANAGEMENT OF CONSTITUENCY OFFICE
Staff Responsibilities
Key Tasks
·  Managing the office, overseeing budgets, and monitoring all incoming correspondence and telephone enquiries; ensuring all office correspondence and enquiries are dealt with quickly, effectively and courteously by all employees; dealing with complex queries and complaints on the Member's behalf.
Key Responsibilities
·  Overall management of the office including:

-  Overseeing the budget for the office including Expenditure under the MP's Expenses Scheme, monitoring office expenditure, paying bills and invoices; providing forecast of spend and estimates when required; keeping records of all transactions.

-  Ensuring the operation of the office is within the allocated budget and the Member is kept informed of all financial matters.

-  Ensuring a full range of secretarial and administrative support, including: telephone and visitor enquiries, responding to e.mail and letters, efficient data and file management.

-  The daily supervision of staff including: delegating work to others, handling grievance, disciplinary and performance issues in the first instance and monitoring staff performance.

-  Dealing with personnel and staffing issues. Ensuring accurate personnel records are kept on employees e.g. up to date contracts of employment and job descriptions, salary details, hours of work (including: attendance, annual leave, sickness absence), grievance and disciplinary. Ensuring that the IPSA is notified when necessary.

-  Ensuring the office is fully equipped and office supplies are maintained.

·  To manage Member's Diary commitments, with overall control of Constituency commitments.

·  To liaise on behalf of the Member with relevant groups/personnel at Westminster and within the Constituency, including liaison with outside organisations and the general public.

·  Provision of secretarial services to special interest groups as required by Member.

·  To ensure queries from constituents are dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner and all records are kept or destroyed in accordance with data protection principles.

·  Communicating effectively with both internal and external contacts.

Competent use of IT including Microsoft Office package, email and internet to: draft correspondence and reports; set up and maintain spreadsheets and undertake research.

Any other duties related to the post and appropriate to the pay band as directed and agreed by the Member.
Member Signature Once completed and signed, please give one copy to the employee, retain one copy for your records and send a copy to the IPSA.
Date This document should be reviewed and/or updated annually.





 
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