Scottish Government pay and grading scales and legally qualified roles: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

1. To obtain the Scottish Government pay and grading scales for years 2018-19 and 2019-20; and

2. Job description including competencies, pay grades and titles for all legally qualified roles.

Response

Attached at Annex A is the response to your request which details:

• The pay ranges for legal roles for 2018-19 and 2019-20;
• Details of the job titles and associated ‘grades’ for legal roles;
• The essential criteria used for these roles; and
• The ‘Skills for Success Competency Framework’ setting out the core skills required.

We do not hold specific information relating to the ‘job description’ of legal roles.

Annex A

The pay ranges for legal roles for 2018-19 and 2019-20

With effect from 1 April 2018

	Legal Trainee	C1	C2
Max-3	24580	46889	60379
Max-2		50427	63068
Max-1		53965	65862
Max	27407	57503	69690

	Deputy Director/SCS 1	Deputy Director/SCS 1A	Director/SCS 2
Min	£68,000	£68,000	£90,500
Max	£117,800	£128,900	£162,500

With effect from 1 April 2019

	Legal Trainee	C1	C2
Max-3	25367	47503	62191
Max-2		50949	64354
Max-1		54487	67148
Max	28285	59229	71781

	Deputy Director/SCS 1	Deputy Director/SCS 1A	Director/SCS 2
Min	£70,000	£70,000	£92,000
Max	£117,800	£128,900	£162,500

* Senior Civil Service (SCS) pay is reserved to the UK Government and operates within a pay and performance management framework set by the Cabinet Office.  The Scottish Government Top Level Pay Committee (TLPC) and the Talent Action Group (TAG) take decisions on SCS pay in SG in light of the Cabinet Office guidance.

In 2018 SG had revalorised Pay Band mimima for Deputy Director Pay Band 1 and 1A grades of £71,508 and £75,000 respectively.  The revalorised minimum for the Director grade was £93,000.  In 2019 the revalorised mimimum is £74,200 for Deputy Director Pay Band 1 and 1A grades and £93,000 for the Director grade.

At a time when many organisations are de-layering their workforces, recruitment into Pay Band 1A is being phased out and we do not expect to recruit to this grade in future.

Details of the job titles and associated ‘grades’ for legal roles;

Job Title	Grade
Solicitor to the Scottish Government/Director of SGLD	Director
Divisional Solicitor	Deputy Director
Unit Head Solicitor	C2
Solicitor	C1
Legal Trainee	Legal Trainee

The essential criteria used for these roles

Director

• Professional Qualifications - Applicants must be Advocates or Solicitors admitted in Scotland, or qualified to be admitted as such; a successful candidate not yet admitted will be expected to seek such admission before taking up post.  You must have excellent legal skills, particularly in relation to public and administrative law, with a firm understanding of devolution and the wider Government and Parliamentary context in Scotland and the ability to operate effectively within it.  You should also have the capacity and imagination to find novel solutions to novel and complex issues, particularly but not solely in relation the EU Exit.
• Leadership and influencing – a track record of strong collaborative, creative and visible leadership, setting vision and direction, building capability and capacity, and delivering change in an open and participative way.  You will have the ability to represent SGLD and wider Scottish Government interests externally with credibility and authority, commanding the respect of peers in the legal and wider policy professions.  The ability to advocate change and constructively criticise the status quo is essential.  You should have the perseverance and stamina to sustain effectiveness at a senior level in a political environment with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
• Relationship management – a track record of effective relationship building at all levels, with a range of partners and stakeholders in Government, the legal profession and beyond (including Scottish Ministers, the other devolved administrations and UK government colleagues) that generate confidence and respect.  You will have proven ability to operate with sensitivity and political astuteness, work collaboratively across a large organisation, and to build trusted and influential relationships with wider public bodies and external stakeholders.  High level communication and engagement skills are required with the ability to translate complex issues for a wide range of different audiences.
• Strategy – You should have operated successfully at a senior level in a complex public and/or private sector organisation, with the ability to provide corporate and strategic leadership.  You should have a track record of translating broad strategic goals into clear performance targets, and delivering on those targets, creating the right culture for system improvement.
• People - proven expertise in the development of organisations and people, in motivating a skilled team to develop and communicate sound legal advice and support, and further developing the Directorate’s capacity, capability and professional and organisational culture. 
• Personal resilience - with the determination and stamina to sustain effectiveness while upholding the values of the Scottish Government and the Civil Service.  You should be able to demonstrate strong personal and professional integrity, with a focus on protecting and maintaining your own resilience and wellbeing and contributing to a resilient organisation culture where wellbeing is prioritised.

Deputy Director

• Professional qualification – must be an Advocate or Solicitor admitted in Scotland;
• Relationship-management - forming effective relationships in order to generate confidence, respect and collaborative working;
• Strategic development and co-ordination – advising, supporting and setting direction, aligning the work of your division to the government’s priorities and corporate change programmes;
• Delivering results - translating broad strategic ambitions into clear performance objectives and working with others to improve operational effectiveness and achieve change across boundaries;
• Leadership and staff management – providing direction, delivering results, building on relationships and capability, and motivating staff at a time of change;
• Teamwork - contributing positively in collegiate settings and creating a culture of high performance and effective people management, developing skills, capacity and capability within your teams and within the Directorate;
• Communications - highly developed communication and interpersonal skills in order to command the confidence of Ministers, peers and senior organisational leaders;
• Financial management – driving quality, efficiency and value for money in the management of budgets; and
• Personal resilience - to sustain effectiveness at a senior level with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

C2

• Ability to build teams and of supporting staff through change;
• Proven expertise in the motivation and development of teams and individuals
• Proven track record of providing Ministers and senior officials with high quality legal advice;
• Effective relationship-building, including experience of influencing and persuading at a senior level, within Government and with senior stakeholders

C1

• A knowledge of the law as it affects government in Scotland
• Ability to organise and manage your own workload in a flexible way to respond to competing priorities.
• Ability to manage information and interpret data to enable you to make sound decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to establish and build strong working relationships, and convey complex issues clearly and concisely.

Legal Trainee

• A knowledge of public law.
• Ability to organise and manage your own workload in a flexible way to respond to competing priorities.
• Ability to manage information and interpret data to enable you to make sound decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills, with ability to establish and build strong working relationships.

The ‘Skills for Success Competency Framework’ setting out the core skills required.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI-19-02083 - Skills for Success Competency Framework

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