On behalf of the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission, we will provide assurance to the people of Scotland that their money is spent appropriately and we will help public sector organisations in Scotland to improve and perform better.
The employees of Audit Scotland are given the ability to select which charity they will support for two years at a time; it is currently the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. Fund raising is not strictly limited to the one charity, employees have had dress down days and raffles to support the Teenage Cancer Trust whilst some staff were encouraged to seek sponsorship for their own events such as the Moonlight Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Audit Scotland are in the process of implementing contribution based pay in 2011. There are three performance categories: highly effective, effective and improvement required. Consistent effective performance is designed to ensure progression from the minimum entry point to the target rate within 4-5 years. The target rate is the rate for the job. If an employee is deemed highly effective, they can progress beyond the target rate to a maximum of 107.5% and have faster pay progression than others. If Improvement is required and the employee has not reached the target rate for the job, they will only receive a scale increase which is approximate to a cost of living increase. If they are below the target rate, they will not receive a percentage increase that year. The contribution based pay system is based on a mix of delivering objectives and demonstrable behavioural competencies.
Employees at Audit Scotland are able to manage their own working hours around core times allowing people to work flexibly and adequately balance their work and home life. This system also gives them plenty of opportunity to accommodate personal or medical appointments when necessary. Regular health checks and health questionnaires help people to stay fit and healthy and highlight any potential issues before they become a problem.
