Post Office’s new Consultative Council has met for the first time last week on Jan 27 to inform the strategic direction of the organisation. Its remit is to provide a representative postmaster perspective on strategy, culture, funding and governance.
Going forward, the Council agenda could include topics such as banking hubs, the Government’s Green Paper on the future of Post Office, technology strategy or new product development.
Council members are supporting Post Office leadership deliver the ‘New Deal for Postmasters’.
The ’New Deal for Postmasters’, announced in November 2024, sets out an ambition to deliver a quarter of a billion pounds boost to postmaster and strategic partner income by 2030.
These improvements to remuneration are subject to funding discussions with government which are positive and ongoing. Postmasters and strategic partners benefited from the first of these increased payments with a £20 million boost to their pay packets in December.
The Council, chaired by Postmaster Non-Executive Director Brian Smith, will meet regularly ahead of Post Office board meetings and a summary of discussions will be published for postmasters to access in a new regular newsletter from the postmaster non-executive directors.
It is comprised of groups representing postmasters, including the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, Communication Workers Union, Voice of the Postmaster, alongside Post Office's postmaster non-executive directors and Post Office leadership.
Brian Smith is the postmaster for Freefield Post Office on the Shetland Islands and has run the branch for 19 years. Brian was appointed to the Post Office board as a non-executive director in December 2024 and chairs the Consultative Council. Brian Smith said:
“The Consultative Council is an example of the changes which are being implemented at Post Office following evidence heard at the Public Inquiry about the need to embed the postmaster voice throughout the organisation – from the board to the frontline. I am looking forward to bringing almost two decades of experience running a post office to the Council.”
It is one of several changes made or in development at Post Office to ensure the postmaster voice is clearly heard, considered and responded to at every level:
- A panel of postmasters will be convened to review operational policies and practice on complex issues and provides feedback and challenge on how they can be improved.
- A new wellbeing initiative launched in October 2024 is the result of a collaborative project with the National Federation of Postmasters, Voice of the Postmaster and Post Office colleagues, focused on providing urgent professional care and subject matter expertise on topics ranging from branch security to customer behaviours.
- Since August 2024, thirteen regional listening forums have taken place across the UK, with 318 postmasters in attendance, covering a broad range of topics.
- The Postmaster Conference, taking place in March, is being co-designed and hosted by postmasters for the first time.
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK