The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals

Advanced Practitioner Certificate in Payroll

What will I learn?

Aimed at individuals who have a basic payroll knowledge and understanding of processes, calculations and deductions. This year of the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management starts to cover topics which do not arise every pay period, but that all payroll professionals will come across at some point in their careers, such as redundancy, death in service, end of year, directors NIC and salary sacrifice. This year also starts to prepare students for more senior roles such as payroll team leader or payroll manager.

Content

Following a timetable, each module should take approximately eight weeks. Students will have a module review day and tutorial per module.

Module 1 – Provision of Effective and Efficient Administration

The payroll function relies upon the effective and efficient provision of administration. This module looks at the best way they can be used to serve the payroll function.

• Payments
• Audit types
• Management information
• Quality standards

Module 2 – Contractual Aspects of Payroll Administration

Payroll is governed by a number of legislative and contractual requirements. This module looks at how to apply and comply with many of these specialised areas.

• Employment legislation and its effect on payroll
• Application of law, company policy and good practice
• New appointments, transfers (internal and TUPE)
• Permanent and temporary variations to contract
• Starters, leavers, retirements, redundancies, death in service
• Special cases
• Equal opportunities

Module 3 – Leading the Team

This module looks at how to manage and lead your team towards goal attainment. The module offers a wide range of topics related to the use of human resources within the work situation.

• Controlling resource
• Managing people
• Coping with change
• Legal aspects

Module 4 – Advanced Payroll Processing

This module looks at the more complex requirements and knowledge of advanced payroll processing. Specialist areas of knowledge which include directors’ NIC, pay spines and year end reconciliation and processing are also covered.

• Pay awards
• Pay spines
• Teachers pay structure
• Remuneration packages
• Introduction to flexible benefits
• End of year
• Directors’ NIC
• Salary sacrifice
• Termination payments
• Overpayments

Module 5 – Define and Manage Systems, Security and Risk

This module covers the management of systems requirements, features and facilities; as well as the need for secure data and contingency planning.

• System requirements, features and facilities
• Payroll contingencies