1. Has your council used project teams to increase social work capacity within Childrens Services?
If so, for each project:
2. Which service area was the project team brought into support?
3. When did the project team start operations?
4. When did the project team cease operations?
5. Was this end date the one originally scheduled or did the project finish early or later than imagined?
6. At its height how many social work professionals were engaged at any one time on the project?
7. What was the name of the provider of the project team?
8. What was the overall expenditure on the project team?
9. Did the decision on the IR35 status of the workers lie with you or was it made by some other party?
We have interpreted your request to refer to the current position at Devon County Council and we can confirm that Devon County Council do not use project teams within Childrens Services. We therefore do not hold any information in relation to the specific questions you ask.
Collaborative Action on Agency Staffing.
1. Are you a signatory of a regional Memorandum of understanding or Co-Operation in relation to pay rates for Agency Social Work Professionals within Childrens Services?
Yes
2. Can you provide contact details for the council or trust officer with responsibility for liaison in relation to this MoU or MoC?
Andrea Owen;
Email: andrea.owen@devon.gov.uk
3. Has your council or trust breached the MoU or MoC to which you are a signatory?
No; there is an exemption process built into the MOC agreement that each Council must follow to declare any engagements where the pay rate is higher than those agreed. Devon County Council have followed the exemption protocol when this has occurred.