Dear Members,
The weekend’s media update by the Home Secretary regarding the formation of the National Police Service, followed by yesterday’s publication of a White Paper – ‘From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, will leave NCOA members wanting more information.
Whilst the Director General has provided some information, many questions remain including how the transfer of officers from the NCA to the National Police Service will take place?
Some members will have experienced this type of change before having, transferred into the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and then in 2013 to the National Crime Agency.
COSOP (Cabinet Office Statement of Practice) ensures that staff transferring within the public sector receive protections equivalent to TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protections of Employment), which mandates that employees move on terms overall no less favourable than if TUPE applied, maintaining continuity of employment, pension rights and contract terms.
As there is a statutory responsibility for the NCA to consult regarding any change, it remains imperative that NCA Officers are members of a Trade Union. The NCOA have been clear with both the NCA and Home Office that we will be scrutinising the terms of transfer to ensure that our members are not disadvantaged.
Whilst the National Police Service may form during this Parliamentary session, the transfer of the NCA (and Counter Terrorist Policing) will not take place until after the next General Election and may require cross-party agreement. It seems therefore, that the role of the NCA will be as much a political decision as an operational policing one.
We have been clear with the NCA that this announcement of the National Police Service should not be a distraction from the need to tackle the inherent unfairness in its differentiated pay mechanisms. This week all parties are due to submit their written evidence to the NCA Remuneration Review Body as part of the 2026/27 Pay Round.
In cognisance of the need to reduce the gap with policing comparators as well as prepare for a future transfer to the National Police Service, the NCOA have made 3 specific recommendations:
- NCA Officers (Powered and non-powered) receive an annual uplift to both the standard and spot rate pay rangers of 8%. This is necessary to improve the shortfall in officer pay at each grade compared to policing colleagues which is compounded by the lack of pay progression
- A redesign of NCA Allowances including but limited to: Location Allowances (LWA and SE Allowance), International Liaison Officer Allowances (including Diplomatic Compensation Allowance), On-call Allowance and Northern Ireland Environmental Allowances.
- A redesign of the NCA job architecture and re-evaluate all roles to consider which grades and posts are comparable to police officers or police staff.
We will be a position to publish the full NCOA submission once the NCA submit their document to the NCARRB.
The NCOA will keep all members updated on both on-going discussions on the 2026/27 NCA Pay Round and the National Police Service.
Regards,
Steve Bond
General Secretary - NCOA