Having said this before it is worth repeating. The narratives of Agency v X are misguided it’s worth pointing out that the SWE pledge to build public confidence is too thin.

The University College Cork and the Irish Association of Social Work has just published a report into the online abuse, especially false accusation, Social Workers are facing.

Where’s SWE on these matters? Are the ADCS fanning the flames?

It’s a matter of time before the absurdities, process and procedural anomalies are picked up by the Councils financial auditors, isn’t it?

Although meeting the criminal standards for fraud are set high and rightly so there’s certainly huge scope to open up serious issues of feasance(lying) and misstatement.to the respective governance and scrutiny boards.

It’s worth looking at the recent changes made in local government governance and audit.

Social Work Services have since the May 2007 SOLACE Summit been considered a high risk area. It usuallytakes about 15yrs of political gestation for such thorny issues to reach fruition and the timing is about right.

If the public only knew, eh?

*I sought and gained CiPfa accreditation. It’s worth well worth it too and sw could ask for the same from their senior colleagues with budget holding responsibilities*

Paul, I have written a few documents looking at the how this garden grows, so to speak. One looking specifically at procurement and contracting, another at the impact of the pre-brexit impact of EC Directives, which remain legacy issues, and one how the relationship between such details defy any evaluatory regulations. Ping me if you’d want them alecfraher@gmail.com.

I was aware of some changes Paul but it’s the interaction between the administrative arrangements of IR35 and the procurement of services that hasn’t been tested, at all.

IR35 is only one aspect of the procure cycle and the whole cycle-life isn’t even being considered, at all.

The changes made are tweaked adjustments in meeting the IR35 test and are simply nipping at the heals of what has become an Industry wide market stimulation exercise ~ with people’s lives.

The use of filters like composite and umbrella administrative types simply shifts the appearance of who’s the employer. It doesn’t alter the actual work being contracted for by the Council. The appetite for proper scrutiny doesn’t exist.

These are Part B professional services that are limited to restricted procure procedure which by design require high standardisation and little variation in what is being asked to be done. And, that the actual assessment of need for the services and the individuals recipients needs actually match and canbe specified ~ There’s not, under Part B, a procure procedure fit for use in Social Work Services ~ that’s why waivers are built into the constitutional arrangements for such services.

That it became a lucratuve gravy train in the noughties is nested in the Modernisation Agenda, growth of the 3rd Sector and whole sale services substitution.

For CPD see Trojan Mice by Tacket and Whyte.

Well said

Re agency staff – LA’s only employ them because they have no alternative. Banning them – or making it more difficult to employ them – will only increase staff shortages and the pressure on regular staff

Alec. Post ir35 there has been a mess, umbrellas offering all sorts of schemes. Many were lawful, rules changed 2018, and hmrc can apply new rules 20 years retro! Some 7000 plus workers, many areas of work, being pursued. 10 commited suicide. Ian duncan smith and 200 others been raising this, for hmrc pursue umbrellas and agencies. Suggest you google loan charge actio group

Do it! At the end of the day, you owe it to yourself to be in a job where you’re paid fairly and treated with respect.