Individual Support
Our team of specialist professional consultants are available on request to support members who are experiencing difficulties with their local authority employers – on issues as wide-ranging as pay and conditions, difficulties with individual councillors and colleagues, pension entitlements and taxation, disciplinary issues, and retirement or other termination benefits.
Our consultants include former council chief executives of considerable experience, and one who previously ran the largest local authority pension fund in the country. Two are also Past Presidents of SOLACE, and one is a former Honorary Secretary of ALACE. Their contact details are available in the Members’ Area. [private] You can also see their contact details here. [/private]
Collective Action
ALACE is the recognised negotiating body for chief executives’ terms and conditions of employment. We represent our members on pay, pension entitlements, and all other national conditions of service. We also respond to government consultations, and calls for evidence from Parliamentary committees, affecting our members’ interests.
Membership is open to:
- Chief executives or heads of paid service of principal local authorities
- Chief officers directly responsible to the chief executive or head of paid service (such as directors, deputy or assistant chief executives, etc.)
- S151 officers (S95 in Scotland)
- Monitoring officers, and democratic services officers (in Wales)
- Chief executives of public sector agencies closely connected with local government (such as Policing and Crime Chief Executives)
More information on the benefits of ALACE membership
For more information on the range of benefits of ALACE membership, click here;
Here is a personal view from one ALACE member who talks about why she believes membership of ALACE is so valuable. You can read her article here.
Messages of appreciation
Unsolicited messages of appreciation from members:
“I was waiting for my last day of service…before writing to you to express my sincere gratitude to [the Hon Secretary], Richard Penn, Pete Morris and Roger Morris, for the outstanding service I have received by yourselves/ ALACE, through what was, undoubtedly, the most challenging and difficult period of my career. I really do not think I would have got through it without the superb assistance of you all at key, critical points, in particular Richard Penn who was with us throughout, our nominated ALACE representative. I am truly grateful.”
“I am extremely appreciative of the superb support and expert advice provided by Richard Penn on behalf of ALACE, and also by [the Hon Secretary] and Roger [Morris], which has resulted in a much better outcome than initially appeared likely.”
“Just a quick note to say how much I’ve appreciated Peter Bounds’ help and assistance whilst we negotiate my exit…. He’s been key in getting us where we are, and fingers crossed, a potential final decision…..at Full Council will mean I can leave with some dignity and respect.”
“I wanted to email you to personally thank ALACE for the invaluable support and advice that has been provided to me which has resulted in an agreed settlement agreement between me and the Police and Crime Commissioner. This is of course a very significant moment for me and it has involved matters that required professional advice from Richard Penn and [name of external legal firm]. As we know at one point it took on a national perspective when the Treasury became involved and ALACE’s input at that stage was incredibly helpful. I will convey my appreciation of the support that I have received from ALACE to the Association of Policing and Crime Chief Executives so that they are aware of the excellent service you provide. It is of course a personal choice to join a staff association. However I will recommend to colleagues that they should become a member of ALACE.”
“Can I take this opportunity to thank Roger Morris who has been a massive support to me over the past 6 months whilst I have being going through the process of being made redundant? Roger’s knowledge, guidance and calming influence has been very important to me throughout the most challenging time in my 38 year local government career. At times when I thought it was me against the world it was so reassuring to know that Roger was there and could be contacted at any time.”
“I would like to thank the organisation for its excellent advice and support since I became a member. In particular, I would like to thank Richard Penn who provided professional and extremely helpful advice to me prior to my retirement. I have recommended ALACE to several colleagues since I have been a member and I will continue to do this.”
“Roger [Morris] has been an enormous help – practically, with his advice to me and support with engaging with [the council], and his calm reassurance… we always had an honest discussion and something better came out of those discussions. Knowing I had Roger in my corner gave me solace and strength…. I’m very happy with my settlement. Thank you to ALACE!”
“I just wanted to convey my massive appreciation for everything that ALACE does and to Peter [Bounds] for the fantastic support that I have had in what has been a really, really, really tough time”
“I just wanted to let you know that my settlement agreement …. has been concluded, with thanks to Richard Penn. Richard’s expertise and negotiating skills were invaluable, but he also acted as a ‘mentor’ for the period of the negotiation, helping me to stay positive and prepare to move on.”
“I really appreciated the rapid and excellent support from ALACE and have recommended membership to several colleagues.”
“Thank you and my thanks to the team for their sterling work and advice…, please do pass on my thanks.”
“I just wanted to say what an amazing service I received from the team and feel that I had brilliant advice and support but also made some good friends. Thanks to everyone.”
“Big thank you, ALACE. Thanks a million, Richard Penn. Fantastic support. I wouldn’t not be in ALACE.”
“I just wanted to say how much I appreciated ALACE’s support over the past year and, in particular, the past three months. Richard Penn’s help was invaluable in helping me to resolve a very challenging situation with my employer. It has been great to know that ALACE has been there for me, and that I have not had to deal with things on my own.”
“I would like to thank ALACE for providing excellent advice to its members. Apart from the routine advice (on pensions, especially!), the knowledge that there is a union to represent the somewhat specialist needs of a chief officer gives its members a sense of security. This allows us to do our job without fear or favour and to the best of our abilities. In that sense, the presence of ALACE ultimately benefits the public we serve.”
“I would like to thank the officers of ALACE who have always been very helpful over the years and were particularly helpful recently with my retirement arrangements. Roger Morris was an excellent support at a difficult time.”
“The support I have received from various consultants over my 13+ years as a chief executive has always been excellent and [the] work on getting my head sorted around my pension has been invaluable. The council is lucky to have a group of consultants that work with the flow of a changing environment, and is also lucky to have busy chief executives giving up their time to sort often tricky issues.”
“I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much I appreciated the support provided in helping me understand and address the issues relating to my pension and HMRC implications. [ALACE] was assiduous in getting to grips with the details and helping me to take appropriate action. [That] support alone is worth the annual membership fee and has led me to recommending that other colleagues join ALACE.”
“I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have received some invaluable support recently regarding my pension and tax liabilities. My pension fund had once again made a series of mistakes with annual statements following mistakes made when I transferred my pension between funds. As a result of [ALACE’s] help and guidance I was able to challenge them and receive correct information and submit a tax return by the deadline. [You were] absolutely first rate and I’m very grateful.”
“Although I only had cause to use ALACE once, I always felt better for being a member, given the unpredictability of being a local government CEO!” (From an ALACE member who has recently moved to another sector)
“I just wanted to formally write to you to say thank you to ALACE and especially Richard Penn for all the help and advice I have received over the last 4 months. My case has been complex and difficult and throughout Richard has been a supportive and wise advisor and advocate. He also negotiated a Settlement Agreement for me that I was very happy with. This will allow me time and space ….. before returning to the workplace.”
“I joined ALACE … when I first became a Chief Exec and always took on board the advice I was given re ‘when in difficulty, give ALACE a call’. I did and it really helped.”
“Richard [Penn], thank you for your assistance throughout this matter which has been very much appreciated.”
“I just want to let you know that the information I have had [on pensions] has been invaluable and that alone has been worth the fee ALACE charge, let alone the benefit of support if for any reason I get into any difficulty with the local authority. I have recommended that my Service Directors consider signing up.”
“I just wanted to say how impressed I’ve been with Pete Morris’s help in trying to make sense of my pension options. Really useful….Thanks and much appreciated.”
“Just a short note to express my thanks for the support given [by Peter Bounds] in the lead up to yesterday, and of course at the panel meeting itself. The ALACE subscription is money well spent!”
“[Roger Morris’s] support has been invaluable and I will ensure my membership continues. He has helped me through the toughest time of my entire career and I am so grateful.”
“I am most thankful to Roger Morris for all the support and advice he has given to me over what has been a very hard time…On many occasions he went beyond the call of duty to support me and for this I am grateful to him and to ALACE.”
“I wanted to … write and thank you for the support that ALACE has provided me with during a particularly challenging set of negotiation meetings leading to my agreed exit from [Council]. Richard Penn has supported me stoically. He is a particularly wise individual and brought to the negotiation table experience and skill that were of particular benefit to me…I did not want to miss the opportunity to make it known to the wider ALACE membership how significant and important membership of this particular trade union is, and the level of high quality expertise that is available to support members in whatever circumstances they find themselves in. Latterly [ALACE]… has been particularly supportive in explaining many of the intricate nuances relating to the LGPS scheme and its relationship with potential redundancy payments.”
“I just wanted to make you aware of the support that I have received over the last few months from Richard Penn who has been advising me regarding an employment matter…without Richard’s help, and his standing as my ALACE representative, I would not have achieved the outcome that I did…..being a member of ALACE proved invaluable to me.”
“Roger [Morris] was really helpful and supportive to me”
“My thanks to Pete [Morris] for his very useful advice….Pete did a wonderful piece of work and support. I am very grateful.”
Constitution
To see the ALACE constitution, click here.