The Agenda for Change is an NHS pay system introduced in 2004 which allocates posts to set pay bands. It is designed to deliver fair pay for non-medical staff based on the principle of 'equal pay for work of equal value', to provide better links between pay and career progression using the Knowledge and Skills Framework and to harmonise terms and conditions of service such as annual leave, hours and sick pay, and work done in 'unsocial hours'.
Staff are placed in one of nine pay bands on the basis of their knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort needed for the job. The assessment of each post determines the pay band for each post. Within each pay band, there are a number of pay points. As staff successfully develop their skills and knowledge, they progress in annual increments up to the maximum of their pay band, At two defined ‘gateway points' on each pay band, pay progression is based on them demonstrating the applied knowledge and skills for that job.
More information:
Knowledge and Skills Framework
