ST Helens Council’s pay structure for its workforce in 2018-19 has been revealed.

The salaries of the council's staff, including its top brass, have been published as part of the local authority’s pay policy statement for 2019-20.

The purpose of the annual document is to ensure transparency and accountability with regard to the council’s approach to setting pay.

St Helens Council uses the nationally negotiated pay spine(s) as the basis for its local pay structure, which determines the salaries of the vast majority of its (non-teaching) workforce.

It is important to note that councillors differ from council officers.

Officers are employed by the council and are responsible for the practical development of council policies and procedures and help ensure local services are delivered.

Employees earning more than £100,000

Currently there are only four people within St Helens Council who earn more than £100,000 a year.

Between them, their salaries topped more than £500,000 in 2018-19.

Chief executive Mike Palin is the highest earner in the council, earning a salary of £145,688 – an increase from £142,812 in 2017-18.

Prof Sarah O’Brien, the council’s strategic director of people’s services and clinical accountable officer for St Helens CCG, is the second highest earner.

The joint role was created to enable the further integration of the council and the CCG.

Prof O’Brien, who was appointed in January 2018, earned a salary of £137,700 in 2018-19.

She also receives a car allowance of £4,500 per annum, which is funded by the CCG.

The council's strategic director of corporate services earns between £109,350 to £116,805 per year.

Cath Fogarty is the council’s current strategic director of corporate services, taking over from Ian Roberts who retired last May.

Paul Sanderson, the strategic director of place services, also earns between £109,350 to £116,805, an increase from £107,205 to £114,513 in 2017-18.

Employees earning between £50,000-£100,000

The joint role of deputy director of people’s services and deputy accountable officer of St Helens CCG earns between £91,245 to £93,777.

Deputy directors of corporate services also earn between £91,245 to £93,777.

Sue Forster, director of Public Health, earns between £75,954 to £77,838.

Ms Forster also receives a ‘market supplement’ payment, an additional temporary payment to the basic salary, of £8,689 per annum.

Senior assistant directors also earn between £75,954 to £77,838, an increase from £74,463 to £76,311 in 2017-18.

Assistant directors earn between £68,433 to £74,079, which is down from £65,241 to £72,624 in 2017-18.

The council’s senior Human Resources manager and legal services manager earn between £62,784 to £66,546.

The service manager for development and building control and the head of place and delivery earn between £57,141 to £60,903.

Employees on Soulbury terms

The council employs a number of Soulbury-paid officers, who are specialist, professional local authority officers who provide strategic support to schools in areas such as school improvement and educational psychology.

Soulbury-paid advisors and inspectors earn between £55,674 to £61,978, a decrease from £51,073 to £65,102 in 2017-18.

Senior and principle education psychologists are paid between £49,175 to £59,243, a slight increase from £48,211 to £58,081.

Employees on Local Government Services terms

Senior officer posts who are engaged under the Local Government Services terms and conditions are paid between £52,204 to £55,196, a decrease from £51,180 to £54,114 in 2017-18.

Lowest paid employees

The lowest paid persons employed under a contract of employment with the council and who are employed on a full-time basis, earn £16,755, an increase from £15,375 in 2017-18.

Apprentices are employed by the council but are not considered within the definition of lowest paid employees as they are employed under a training contract on the nationally set apprenticeship allowance.

The relationship between the rate of pay for the lowest paid and chief officers is determined by the processes used for determining pay and grading structures.

The current rates for local government employees and chief officers were effective from April 1, 2018.

Those for Soulbury employees were effective from September 1, 2018.

St Helens Council's pay policy statement for 2019-20 was approved by full council last week.