We recruit, through our Personal Assistance Scheme, unqualified support
workers from amongst our current students and train them to support students
with disabilities, as well as using qualified BSL interpreters and dyslexia
tutors etc. They are paid through the students' DSA and therefore the
student is deemed to be their employer although the university processes
their pay. The new European Working Time directive removes the 13 weeks
qualifying time for holiday pay and entitles all casual workers to be paid
this. As the student is the 'employer' and is funded by his or her LEA (or
similar) then the additional cost of holiday pay should surely be included
in the amount paid by the LEA, as should national Insurance and other
benefits where applicable. We have experienced some resistance from LEAs
towards making the extra funding available and I would be interested to hear
if anyone else has had a similar problem and how it has been overcome.
Liz Collins
Disability Services
0121 331 7757
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