Labour User Labour Provider webinar 24 September 2024
Here you will find a recording of the GLAA Stakeholder webinar held on 24 September 2024 along with related slides.
If you would like to sign up for updates about future stakeholder webinars then please email communications@gla.gov.uk.
Labour User Labour Provider webinar 24 September 2024 slides
Transcript
Suzanne
Hello and welcome to this webinar from the GLAA. I'm Suzanne McCarthy. I'm the chair of this webinar today and I if you don't know, I am a member of the GLAA board and I am happy to welcome you to this particular webinar. It's being recorded.
And you'll be having a copy of that recording shared after the event.
Our webinar is expected today to last for around 90 minutes.
I can tell you that the information you will be hearing today is correct as of today, but things change as you know, in this sector. And so I would encourage you to look at our guidance, which is updated regularly. Please sign up to our bulletin or refer to gla.gov.uk for regular updates we encourage.
Questions being asked during the webinar if you want to do this, please use the chat function to ask your questions and those speaking and other colleagues are here to answer your questions during the webinar and if we can't, we will come back to you after the webinar.
We're unable, if you would understand, to answer questions specific to individual circumstances.
So for that reason, can we ask that you don't post on any personal information in the question box and we will try, as I've said to answer as many of your questions as possible throughout the session to allow us to do that. We would also ask that you ask your question just once, we will pick it up even if we don't pick it up today, we will pick it up after we review.
The questions in the chat.
Section after the webinar finishes. If we have any groups of attendees logging on to 1 device today, IE the same advice, could I ask you to ask the question to use the question box to tell us how many additional people are taking part with you. So for example, if there are three of you taking part as a group then please Type 2.
The question box and that will tell us that in addition to you, there are two other people in your group.
I just want to say a few words about the speakers at today's webinar. The first one in the moment, who I will be handing over to is Alicia, who as you probably know is the GLAACEO and she'll share some important updates with you. We're then going to hear from Claire Gardner, who is one of the glaa analysts.
And she'll be sharing an overview of the latest GLAA strategic assessment and the key findings from the seasonal agricultural worker scheme Intelligence profile, which will be published shortly. We are then going to have a regulation update for my glaa licencing manager, David Stockdale and finally, and I'm very pleased about this, we're going to be joined by some external speakers. That's Cecilia, Petra and Nadia.
Mihai, who are Co founders of the Romanian and Eastern European hub, now this hub is a registered charity in England. It provides services designed to support the Romanian and Eastern European communities both in London and more widely across the UK.
And they're going to talk about the hugely successful work they have been leading with vulnerable communities to ensure people know their employment rights. And now, without further ado, and I'm sure you're looking forward to hearing from her, I'm going to hand over to Alicia.
Elysia McCaffrey
Thank you, Suzanne, and good morning, everyone. It's actually really, really nice to see you all again. We've had a little bit of a break earlier this year on these sessions. So it's just really nice to get everyone together and see so many names in the in the sidebar today. And if we can just skip on a slide, I thought that given I haven't seen you in a while, it might just be helpful for me to recap on the GLA strategic priorities and just talk a little bit about what's been happening since the election so.
You may well know this already, but at the GLEA, our mission is to stop work exploitation and we have to prioritise really ruthlessly to make sure that we can respond to demand. I think most of you know we're a really small public body and we have to be really smart about how we're targeting our efforts to make sure we're having the best maximum input impact on stopping worker exploitation. So our three strategic goals, which I think we talked to you about a little while ago, are about being a really robust and effective regulator.
Being known as experts in addressing work abuse and exploitation and being an essential enforcement partner as well. Now my colleagues today are going to talk you through some of the great work that they've been doing and they're going to provide you some really interesting detail, but I thought I'd just pause and talk a little bit about what's happened since the general election. So a number of our stakeholders have been calling for a long time for the creation of a single enforcement body and some of you actually who've been quite active in calling for this are on the call today.
So since the election, we've been working really closely with the Department of Business and Trade on the creation of this new body, which looks like it's going to be called the Fair Work Agency. You've probably seen those words used in the press already. So this is it's early days, but this is expected to bring together gown masters and Labour Abuse Authority, the national minimum wage team who are currently part of HMRC and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, who are currently part of the Department for Business and Trade altogether into one place.
So this does require legislation which is being created at the moment, and actually the first phase of this creation is expected to complete next month. Following this, the body will be created. Now this won't be a super quick process, but after I understand 20 years of discussion about the creation of this body, I think this is the furthest forward that we've ever been and we're really excited about the opportunities that it's going to create for us through investment and through the growth of this body in such an important area of work.
So if I can have the next slide, please, I just wanted to flag as my final point that if you want to speak to us about this or about anything else that you hear today, you can contact our comms team who issue this invitation or you can contact our contact Centre and Suzanne, I'm going to hand back to you and let my colleagues do the much more interesting stuff.
Suzanne
Thank you, Alicia. I'll just see if anybody wants to ask you any particular questions, particularly in regard to the Fair Work agency.
Coming into fruition, no one's typed a message yet, but please, you're staying with us, aren't you? So if you're here for the duration, this is excellent. And it shows how much you value being involved with webinars, so I will move on to Claire. This is Claire Gardner, and she's an intelligent analyst, and she's going to now take over. Claire, please.
Elysia McCaffrey
I'm here for the whole session so anytime.
Thanks Suzanne.
Claire Gardner
I'm Claire Gardner. I'm one of the intelligence analysts alongside Robert Stenson and our manager, Donna Duffy. I'm just here today to tell you about our new control strategy, priorities of the GLA and how they've been, how they've come about from the strategic assessment and the seasonal work profile. So if I can just on to the next slide, introduce you to the new control strategy priorities, three of them remain the same as last time, but in September 2024.
From the strategic assessment, it was decided that we were going to replace the organised crime.
Group control strategy and we move that and replace that with the sector wide visa abuse across control strategy priorities. So from the street to St, sorry, I'm getting teeth back in from the strategic assessment. It was a recommendation came to suggest that.
There was a high number of visa abuse and sponsorship abuse.
And that we didn't know as much about that as we felt we should. So that has now become a control control strategy priority and we'll be working on that. And as analysts will work on a range of products to identify any themes or emerging issues in relation to this, this will help the GLA to focus its resources. So if just three of them on screen, so it's exploitation of seasonal workers in our culture sectors remain the same, forced or compulsory labour in the residential care sector, high risk, non compliant labour providers, including unlicensed activity, they'll all remain the same.
With the introduction of the sector wide visa abuse across control strategy priorities going on to the next slide, please.
So the.
Control touches came around from the Strategic intelligence assessment, so our analysts and research managers completed this, which came with the key findings. So the key findings were there was been no significant change in the number of licence applications received in both the UK or overseas. Most applicants applicants are granted full licence and there is no significant change in the number of refusals.
Refusals mainly concern the fit and proper status and competency of the principal authority, consistent with previous report findings.
Overboard issues have informed decision making this year, including non payment of holiday pay and HMRC non compliances. There's been a decrease of referrals alleging the unlicensed supply of labour 1/4 of referrals also contain allegations of worker exploitation work exploitation, including the charges charging of fees. Next slide please.
There has been a decrease.
So there's been decreasing allegations of exploitation in the regulated sector, 43% of allegations received were breaches of critical licencing standards, final exploit financial exploitation continues to be the most reported form of labour abuse in the regulated sector, although this has decreased from this previous year, there has been an increase in forced labour and health and safety concerns, payment of fees and exploitation of seasonal agricultural workers continues to be reported and remains at risk. Financial and financial exploitation often fees.
And concern the conditions of bees as or certificate of sponsorships make it highly likely that exploitation is underreported.
There has been a slight increase in reporting of forced labour across food processing and packaging and agriculture.
It's likely exploitation of these of those on the skilled worker visa is under reported when comparing the number of referrals with fees received and the size of the workforce calls to extend the list to include work deemed as low skilled may fill gaps in the labour market for increased levels of labour exploitation.
Let's go on to the next slide please.
So from their strategic assessment, some intelligence gaps were identified.
And they are the age and National age, nationality and gender of potential victims and exploiters. Is there a correlation between victim and exploitation exploiter nationality? How are workers commonly recruited? Does this vary on factors such as nationality and sector? How are potential victims transported to the UK from overseas? Are there any common themes among nationalities and or sectors and the methods used?
What countries are seasonal worker operators like to recruit from in 2025?
So these intelligent gaps are gaps that obviously we need. We'd through our research, we like to fill these intelligence gaps to just inform all our analytical products. Obviously, we're always grateful if anyone from Labour user lead provider meeting can help us to fill these gaps. When you're engaging with workers. So it's always helpful if you can make a note of these intelligent scalps because we're all very always very grateful for information.
To help us to fill these gaps.
Slide cheap. Sorry. Next slide please.
So in June 2024, a seasonal worker problem profile was completed.
Just looking at all the intentions we've got relating to seasonal workers. So between the 1st of June 2023 and the 30th of April 2024, the GLA created 44 referrals reports linked to seasonal worker. So that's any information coming in or information that we've created ourselves. We were able to create 44 referrals or reports.
The most common allegations within those reports and referrals were fees and providing additional services, no glaa licence and the quality of accommodation where the gender and age was recorded of the worker. The most they were most commonly male and had an average age of 33. Next slide please.
Most common nationalities of workers will were Bulgarian, uzbecki, Iranian creeks and Kazakhs. It is likely the number of seasonal worker visas will increase in quarter 2 of 2024.
Next slide please.
So intelligence gaps among the seasonal worker profile is the profile of the seasonal worker, including comedy, accommodation and recruitment methods. Also again, a little bit like the strategy assessment, the gender, age and nationality. So the demographics of the worker was also one that we always struggle to fill methods used to identify and recruit workers, and the communication methods used and the transactions involved with the payment of work finding fees. There was a lot of complaints about workers paying.
Excessive fees, but that's sort of all the information we get. We do sort of miss the information on the amounts amount they pay.
Here they pay it to and then where those fees actually go to, that's quite a big gap in all sectors when it comes to payment of working work, finding fees.
Next slide please.
And that is just our contact. So I think last time we presented it here that we a lot of our information we asked to go to the intelligence team, we now have a contact centre. So if you have any information for us that specifically can fill out intelligence gaps, we'd be really grateful for. So just make a note, it's no longer the intelligence team that our information should go to. It should go to the contact. So that's just the e-mail, their contact at gla.gov.uk.
Suzanne
Claire, there are. There are a couple of questions that have come in, one of which I in fact was going to pick up as well. The first one is from Joanne Young and she's raising about the sector wide visa abuse. My general question was to find out a bit more about why why that had been added into your control strategy. Her question is just to be clear. Does this mean the priority is visa abuse among seasonal and care workers or visa abuse across all sectors? So could you pick up that specific point?
You ought to talk about my general question, which is about this particular addition to the control strategy.
Claire Gardner
Yeah. So the reason it was added is obviously because it come from the strategic assessment, there was a lot of information about Visa and sponsorship abuse I from that the analyst team have been tasked with to produce.
Problem profile in relation to visa unsponsored abuse that has been started this week, so once that has been completed we can have a bit more of a an understanding about any areas or emerging teams that are related to that. So for the time being.
Just sort of a sector wide fees abuse across the across all controls, strategy priority, priority areas and sectors and then hopefully after the problem profile has been completed in the next month we have we'll be able to focus that to the areas that we need to if that helps and fills the question.
Suzanne
Claire, will that be published on the website?
Claire Gardner
Yeah, hopefully an external version will be available.
Suzanne
That's helpful. And Wendy Wolfe has also asked a question and she said so based on the intelligence, what ageing demographics, for example, nationality are showing up at the most common that are being exploited. Now you did reference some nationalities, but can you say any more on that in relation to Wendy's question?
Claire Gardner
With the seasonal worker profile that was the one that obviously from just analysing all the intelligence that they were the ones that came up as the most common. I don't know if you can just go back to that slide maybe.
It's just the key.
Suzanne
I think that the one might be F before this one, wasn't it?
Claire Gardner
Yeah, it's the key findings from the seasonal worker.
Yeah. So obviously the seasonal work profile that highlighted Bulgarian as Becky, Romanian Greeks and Cazzoks the strategic assessment, I haven't got the exact information for that, but I can certainly come back to that. Wendy, if you want of a more overview of the demographics.
Suzanne
Maybe you can put something in the chat. Claire, is there any idea of the age of that your intelligence is picking up for these particular individuals?
Claire Gardner
Age.
It's it is a big intelligence gap for us because obviously we're just getting the information, nationality and gender a little bit more easy for us to get, but not many workers when we have the intelligence coming in and disclose their age, their age is, is, is quite a big intelligence gaps for us.
But yeah, gender is more common. The information we get nationalities and ages because obviously they don't have to put give us that information. It's just we're getting this sort of snippets of what they give us so.
It's we don't get abroad. It isn't the demographics of our workers and victims is a big age gap for us. We just sort of pick out what we can get from the information they provide. So we're always welcome for if people can provide us with those that information, it helps us to fill those intelligence gaps.
Suzanne
And she also asked, this is Wendy as well. If you have identified the nationalities, what action is being taken as a result?
Claire Gardner
In terms sorry can.
Suzanne
But OK, if you have identified the nationality and some of them have been identified 'cause, you've just lifted them, what action is taken as a result of having done that and having identified that?
These nationalities are, in particular, Alicia might want to come in here.
Elysia McCaffrey
Yeah, I wondered if it's worth just me touching on some work that we've been doing with other governments. So where we're seeing particular themes for people coming from specific countries all of the time we've been working with the governments and their countries who of course, are really keen to make sure that when their workers are leaving their country and coming to us, that they're not being exploited and we've, we've put in place a number of Mous to share intelligence and information to help us to get ahead of this. So that's that's the proactive steps that we've taken in response to specific nationalities of workers.
Suzanne
I've also got a question from Thomas Price, and again, Alicia or Claire. You might do a double act. Do you engage with the seasonal workers scheme operators to fill your intelligence gaps? I hear from you, Claire, how important is to get that information, either systematically or even ad hoc. So do you engage with the seasonal workers scheme operators to help fill these holes?
Claire Gardner
We do. So we had our old licencing manager had.
Had sort of a task to get that information from them. It wasn't as easy as you think it would be to get that information, but yes, we do have links with the operators.
Suzanne
And Joe Speed has asked. She says intelligence needs to define if the exploitation takes place during recruitment in the source country or here within the UK. If this being shared with the seasonal worker Task force.
Claire Gardner
Yeah, there's a mix. There's a mix of where the exportation is taking place. It's taking part in their home country with paying fees, paying fees and then not being there'd be no job available for them. It's also in the process of them coming over with recruitment agencies and then also some complaints are taking part when they arrive here, sort of accommodation complaints.
Paying extra fees when they arrive here, so it's sort of a mixture of of home and once they're here.
I'm not fully aware if it's been shared with the seasonal worker Task Force, but that's definitely something I'll put on my list to chat with our our manager.
Suzanne
That's really helpful. We've had a comment here from Andrew Malcolm, which I'm not sure whether it's a comment or it's a question, but he says three of the nationalities mentioned have glaa licences here in the UK as agencies.
Do you or Alicia understand the import of that particular point by Andrew?
Elysia McCaffrey
So we do, we do licence labour providers who are in those countries where we do identify specific problems. But Andrew, if you wanted to follow up with us separately to have a conversation or or ask the question kind of more specifically, we'll be happy to do that.
Suzanne
Thanks, Alicia. Claire. Is there anything? Oh, we've got. Oh, we've got a hands up with. Thank you from Andrew.
I've come to the end of the specific questions that have gone into the chat. I don't know if you want to summarise anything in particular. I what I've heard from you is that intelligence that you get is very crucial and any way that you can get it by hook or by crook would be helpful to the glaa. Do you want to say anything further about that or anything that you want to emphasise as a result of your presentation?
Claire Gardner
Yeah, just to echo that really obviously any information or intelligence is is very helpful for us. Obviously, we have the specific Intelligence Scouts, but anything that you think may be of use to us, we are more than grateful that like I say, if you just make note that it's now if you have got the intelligence inbox that you usually send your information to, it's now the contact at glagov.uk where all our intelligence goes and then that can be passed to the relevant department. So yeah, just anything you think may help us or be of interest to us would be more than grateful for.
Suzanne
Claire, they sent it to the wrong e-mail address. A previous will it come to you anyhow?
Claire Gardner
Yeah. No, that's fine. If it does go to that one, it's just we're trying to sort of streamline where all our information goes now and that's now that the contact centre where we've got a A-Team who sort of deal with all those. But if it did go to the intelligence, it wouldn't be the end of the world. But it's just, yeah, we're trying to get the word out there so we can streamline all our information through the same same sort of gateway.
Suzanne
Yes, you wouldn't want somebody who was in the field sending it to the dress they thought they had and it not getting through because you've now changed the contact. But it it would get through. It's just easier if it all comes to that one. And over time that will happen, I'm sure.
Claire Gardner
Absolutely.
Suzanne
Right. Well, there haven't been any more questions for you. I assume you're staying with us just in case others come in. But we're now going to move to David Stockdale, who's going to give a regulation update. So David, over to you please.
Claire Gardner
M.
David Stockdale
Yeah. Good morning, everyone. My name's Dave Stockdale. I've been in post since January, so fairly new to the role, but I've been with the GLA 14 years in operational teams. So I do have an element of experience in the world of regulation enforcement. Next slide please.
The aim of presentation today is to share some knowledge around typical issues and common themes that we're we see and which might affect licence holders. The hope is that hope is that the knowledge will be helpful to you and will help you maintain compliance with the standards. We do accept that majority of licence holders want to be compliant.
And we won't complain licence holders to avoid some mistakes that might lead to breaches of licencing standards. So here are some of the recent issues that we've we've come across which like to bring to your attention next slide please.
This focuses on licencing standard 1.3, which is a critical standard of 30 points.
It's particularly relevant to new licence holders.
So specifically new licence holders must notify the GLA within 20 working days when they start to supply workers into the regulated sector, following notification, the business should expect contact, add an inspection around three months later, the business and workers should then be settled and will that will allow us to assess the true reflection of that business for compliance purposes.
We've seen and where there've been instances where businesses are not informed, the GLA of that start of trading intelligence is then subsequently received by US and inspectors have visited and found on compliance. So in general it's been an oversight by the licence holder. But the messages we we ask licence holders to take care to avoid those unnecessary breaches which could potentially result in revocation of the licence.
Next slide please.
On a similar theme, licencing Standard 1.4 carries 8 or 16 points and this it's where the licence holder must inform the GLA of any relevant changes to to their licence. In terms of details, so that might include a change of PA change of trading name, contact details, address for example.
There are others listed in the Standard Licencing office of again.
Experience and identified arise, arise of cases where it's not been notified in time within the 30. Sorry the 20 working days, so again.
We can take action to attach points to the licence if we're not advised, but we'd prefer not to. And again we ask that licence holders are careful just to follow.
This particular standard.
Next slide please.
This relates to licencing standard 2.1. Again critical 30 points.
This relates to page you were National Insurance and that matters so many recent licencing decisions have related to non payment issues and or significant HMRC.
That this has resulted in licences being refused, revoked or additional licencing conditions attached to that licence. Now HMRC regularly share information with us about tax compliance and that's where an application is made or when debts arise during the course of the licence and we do take non compliance with this standard seriously.
No complaints can directly impact on workers, especially in terms of the future benefits they receive.
Workers, for example, will have in good faith had deductions taken from wages, and they expect them to be paid over to HMRC.
Avoiding social creates an unfair advantage.
For the non compliant over those that do pay over to HMRC on time, so we treat every case on its own merits and circumstances based on the evidence that we have.
I would sooner.
Take the position where if the licence holder is experiencing problems with sooner work and be informed of that matter, and take any relevant steps to keep that licence in place rather than find out later from HMRC.
Next slide please.
On a similar theme.
In relation to licencing, standard 1.1 fit and proper critical and 30 points.
We also come across instances where applicants have a history of being involved with failed or liquidated businesses.
The connection of a director, partner or owner to a liquidated business is always taken into consideration by us.
In sub circumstances, we aren't informed of the business entering administration or liquidation.
Or upon application, some applicants deliberately fail to declare a connection with liquid liquidated businesses.
Again, we do liaise with HMRC and relevant partners to maintain good conduct and share information.
If dishonesty or mismanagement is found, it's a possibility that licence will be revoked or refused. However, having financial problems and an HMRC debt does not immediately result in a licence being refused or revoked.
We do expect that licence holders are candid and truthful in their dealings with us.
We also expect the show willingness to work out the financial problems with HMRC and in some cases entering into arrangements to repay those debts.
That willingness to comply will be taken in into account. It would consider proportion proportionately when the licencing team is making decisions in respect of the licence.
Slide next slide please.
This relates to many umbrella companies and what we've got to point out here is that we're not the experts in this field. We don't lead on the enforcement and regulation of and I'll call them mucks. We take guidance and advice from HMRC.
However, we've been asked to bring.
Mucks to your attention by HMRC partners.
There's recently been an HMRC ruling in their favour which has determined that the use of mini umbrella companies mucks is fraudulent. What mucks are used to is to reposition workers into multiple small companies.
For the purpose of fraudulently.
Exploiting government incentives aimed at small businesses.
Employment allowance and flat rate scheme.
Benefits.
One set sets up the company's claim. The Ensign claim, the incentives, and then they might close and then set up again to continue the fraud. The use of them can negatively impact on worker rights and entitlements, such as holidays. An affected workers often do not know who their employee or employer. Sorry truly is, so HMRC have requested that in any contact or relationship with umbrella companies.
You're wise to the issues and diligent to the use of mucks.
Use of them could obviously put your licence at risk and that's why the diligence is required.
The GLA proposes to provide further guidance on on this matter going forward under the direction of HMRC, but in the meantime there are a number of links online that you can.
Linking to following that judgement, and I'd also encourage you to go on the.gov UK website, the HMRC pages for any other advice.
Next slide please.
This is around timesheets and we received a number of queries relating to time sheets and what asking us what we want to see on them. We do appreciate that there are many time recording systems used by Labour users and labour providers. We've been asked to clarify the position in relation to the time recording. So very simply we require a timesheet to show the start and finish time of each shift.
What we don't expect to see is each break recorded in detail, so the Start Stop times of breaks.
But we do expect to see a total figure of breaks taken as part of that shift.
So this allows AGLA inspectors and licencing officers to ensure that breaks are taken. National minimum wage has been properly calculated and work time directives are being complied with.
Next slide, we've got one or two very general licence maintenance points. Firstly, related to the previous slide, it's it's important that licence holders inform us of any changes to their e-mail address.
What we found recently is that they're not being kept up to date in some circumstances. If we aren't informed of them, then the reminders, such as renewals won't be received by the licence holder, which then could affect the renewal process.
A second issue is that it's important that only those named or recorded on the licence, so your PA named individual or ABR can contact the GLAA to discuss matters relating to a licence.
Otherwise the licencing team need to go through a verification process which which adds time for ourselves and for you.
And we need to add the person calling to the licence which is, which is a sort of time consuming.
For both parties. So we're just asking you to remember that any dealings are carried out by the PA, the named individual and the ABR. If there are changes, you want to make to Papa named individual and ABR, then there's a process to go through.
Thirdly, in relation to applications we we receive applications and quite a few without the full documentation, which requires a chase from us.
And that delay is a processing and delay delays. Sorry delays the the issue of the licence, so please.
Pass the message.
On that, we do require that full documentation and please make sure it's what we want to enable us to process licences and also in relation to forms in general, so applications, renewals change details, there are common areas such as questions not being answered in full, company names not being quite right and general administrator errors or gaps in those applications that we're finding. So again this has impact on our resources, on your resources and delays in the process.
And it's just a request you just to be careful when submitting those applications now I hope that.
Guidance has been useful.
And and that's my slot and the contact is there contact at gla.gov.uk or we have our own licencing inbox which is licencing at gla.gov.uk.
Suzanne
OK.
Thank you, David. We've got some questions for you. So don't run away. I've got one to start with though, and that's probably my ignorance, but you talk about points.
30.6 points 4 points and unlike game shows, points don't mean prizes. Probably. So can you tell me what these different points actually? If someone got 30 points, does that mean that their licence is refused?
David Stockdale
It it it means that there it's a critical licence standard 30 points, which means that their licence could be refused, yes.
But again, what we would we would do is is is look at the evidence.
And determine proportion in a proportional way, whether it does need to be refused or not. The option for us if we don't refuse or revoke it.
Is additional licencing conditions can be attached to a licence and that will allow for us to control that compliance with the licence?
Suzanne
Thank you very much.
David Stockdale
Some are some non critical 8 and 16, but if they accumulate belong beyond the 30, the same principle applies.
Suzanne
Thank you. We've got the first question comes from Andrew Malcolm. Why are there so many companies that have a licence but are listed as PA to be confirmed?
David Stockdale
To be quite honest, part of our sort of the changes to our processes, the changes to our teams having over the last few months resulted in some backlogs and what we're doing currently is working through the backlogs to make sure that the applications are processed quicker and speedily. So you'll find I'm very confident going forward, you'll find that once those applications have been processed that those gaps in the PA.
Generally will be completed.
Suzanne
Thank you, David. Thomas Price asked. The question is auto enrolment non compliance an issue?
David Stockdale
Is sorry, just say that again.
Suzanne
Is is auto enrolment non compliance an issue?
David Stockdale
Oh, I've got my my colleague Nicola on there, so if perhaps Nicola can help me with that question. If not, we'll we'll take it away and and sort of answer it later.
Suzanne
OK, Nicholas, Nicholas, coming in. Hello, Nicola. Can you take that question for us?
Nicola Ray
Hello, good morning.
And I'm assuming is that when we talk about auto enrolment, are we talking about auto enrolment for pensions or we talk about auto enrolment in different contexts? Yeah, no, I saw that in the chat.
Suzanne
It doesn't actually say, but maybe Thomas. Maybe you could give us a bit more details in the chat and we'll pick up your question in a moment. We'll go to Joanne Young now has any business ever been refused a licence because their PA directors or PA slash directors were involved with a previously liquidated business where money was owed to the HMRC?
So that's the first question. She's got a second one as well. So has any business ever been refused a licence, David? Because their PA or directors will involve with a previously liquidated business where money was owed to HMRC?
David Stockdale
Absolutely
Specifically in relation to the cases.
Top of my head. I'm I'm unsure on that. However, that said we have taken, we have made a number of decisions over the last few months that I've been in position that relate to HMRC 2.1 matters.
That are linked to HMRC.
Debt type to pay issues. So the answer is without going specifically into the cases, I'm not too sure. But on a wider context we have refused and revoked licences under 2.1 under 1.1 which relates to HMRC.
Nicola Ray
And I think we, sorry, Suzanne, I was gonna clarify as well. I think we have made some.
Suzanne
Wait, Nicola, can I just add something to that? He does put something underneath that, which is does a total figure of brakes need to be shown if they are paid?
Nicola Ray
OK. We'll come back though in a minute. Let me just talk about previously liquidated business. I was going to say yes, we have because we can take action under the fit and proper criteria around liquidation and administration. You'll probably be aware that we're looking at the moment at doing a revision of the licencing standards and we're actually strengthening in our position on that. We've been working really closely over the last sort of sort of year with HMRC to build our resilience in this area in terms of understanding and working on insolvency issues and that's really helping us now.
Suzanne
OK.
Nicola Ray
To sorry, someone's calling me. Typical is helping us to make sort of more robust decisions around administration, but yes, it can be a 1.1 failure. And we have had some 1.1 failures, I think over the last 12 months, if I remember correctly.
Suzanne
Do you want to go back to the other point about the total figure breaks need to be shown if they are paid?
You.
David Stockdale
Again, Nicola, I'm looking for your guidance there. My, my, my understanding is well, I'll wake up.
Nicola Ray
What we're looking, yeah, what we're looking for is the demonstration that that workers are getting the brakes. That is what is important to us to make sure that those workers are getting those breaks, that they're entitled to. So we need the timesheets to be able to show that they're complying with the law or have what breaks they're entitled to. I don't think it matters too much whether they're paid or unpaid. It's just making sure that they're getting those breaks. That's I think that is the point, really, that we're trying to get across.
David Stockdale
Yeah, I agree. Yeah.
Suzanne
Thank you. And Thomas, if I can go back to his question about auto enrolment on non compliance, an issue he'd have added that pension auto enrolment was his thought.
Nicola Ray
Yes, and it's licencing standard 2.3 for reference around auto enrollment. So yes, if you don't do it, it can potentially be a non compliance.
Suzanne
And then I've got a question from David. A camp, which is really about the website not being updated on certain matters, he says. How does the Glaa now report the impact that it's making in addressing labour provider breaches of licencing standards and addressing worker exploitation within its jurisdiction? He says the website does not seem to be updated. Can either you or Alicia help us with that?
David Stockdale
I think I think what where we look now to to report good news stories or updates or or our impact is is via comms teams and.
They're they're they're input and their outputs, so it might be that the comms team can offer some guidance there.
Suzanne
OK. Well, we had Laura and Catherine with us. Laura, do you want to come in on this?
Laura Thomas (GLAA)
Yes, absolutely. So we are looking at what information we are publishing on our website where we are duplicating information, be it where we've created web pages or where the information is contained within reports. So it is an ongoing process where we are redirecting different pages to reports to the intelligence profiles and really looking at how we can best share information that is useful.
For Labour users, labour providers and for workers and the NGO groups.
Suzanne
Thank you, Laura. We've come to the end of the questions David and Nicola, but I hope that you'll stay with us if more come in. But we're going to move on now to our external speakers who have joined us very kindly and that's Cecilia Petra and Nadia Mihe, who I said when I introduced as being from the Romanian and Eastern European hub. So can I ask you to join us now and make your presentation please?
Cecilia Petre
Hello, lovely to see you today and Many thanks for having us here to to present our project on Romanian workers rights training. So as Suzanne said, Nadia and I are the Co C OS and Co founders of the Romanian and Eastern European hub, a charity that is working with vulnerable Eastern Europeans, mainly Romanians and Ukrainians.
The UK.
So the Romanian workers rights training.
Is based that we are delivering at the moment is based on a pre-existing level one award in workers rights that was initially developed by.
Glaa and skills and Education group, and this was piloted in Romanian in February and March 2023 with the support of the Romanian and Eastern European hub, and at the time as part of the pilot project Skills and Education Group and Row E Hub.
Have translated the course material in Romanian and have up skilled, recruited and up skilled Romanian speaking community members as facilitators.
During the pilot project, this training was delivered over five weeks.
To 271 learners from across London, Manchester, Birmingham and NE Lincolnshire and following the success of that pilot project.
In 2023, skills and Education Group, in partnership with the Romanian and Eastern European hub, have secured A2 year funding from the UK Home Office, Modern Slavery Fund to expand the delivery of the training and as part of this new project we have recruited 18 Romanian speaking facilitators and up skilled them as facilitators, eleven of whom are still active.
From April last year, the training has been delivered face to face to a further 1505 fifty three Romanian nationals living in England, Scotland, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Via the collaboration we have developed with the Romanian Consulate and other community based organisations.
Based on the success of this training skills and education group have now developed a self study version of the course which is now available online and we would be very grateful if you could support with with a dissemination of this information to your relevant contacts.
This was a very brief presentation about the workers rights we we are delivering and Nadia and and me are here to take any questions you may have on this. Thank you.
Suzanne, you're on mute. Sorry.
Suzanne
Ken, thank you very much for the presentation you've done and the work that you're doing. It would be helpful I think for us to see this without being personalised by any particular names. Maybe some examples of the type of work that you've been able to do with individuals, but to keep it anonymous.
Cecilia Petre
Because Nadia can give you more specific examples because she she is a facilitator herself and she has supervised training sessions delivered by other facilitators. But so we are a charity that works with vulnerable people. The sessions we have delivered have been delivered either to hub service users or to via collaborations. We collaboration with we have developed with the Romanian consulates so.
One of our case work project officers has attended regularly, a consulate sessions and has been speaking to people that have attended those sessions about their worker's rights.
As part of this project, they have been also delivered handbooks with information about workers rights and based on the information.
People were interested in the the project officer could could give them more detailed information when when they were speaking to, to to people. But that's one only one element because also other community organisations, for example.
Are delivering a food bank service and they have delivered this information to people who are going to.
The food banks Oregon, others that.
Are are having links with the various.
Factories in in West Midlands and other other areas of the UK.
Suzanne
Thank you, Nadia. I I understand that you're one of the facilitators as well as being the founder, one of the Co founders.
Again, is there any sort of personal story you can tell us about the work that you've done that would not be in any way identifying the individual?
Nadia Mihai
I was part of the the facilitating the first pilot and I am facilitating the second project too. So yes, I think we through the sessions that I had and also through the from the feedback of the other facilitators there were people that when they attended the the session they.
Said they informed us that they had problems issues at the workplace, different different problems, or they've been.
Survivors or.
Of modern slavery or trafficking.
Most of them. So for the ones that they had issue the workplace, our project Officer has supported them with resolving these issues and the feedback for for most of them was that it would have been useful to have this information when they first came to to UK, because the manuals are.
Have about I think 6 modules and they go through the signs of modern survey slavery and trafficking for.
Other people that are not having these issues to be able to observe the signs in the workplace and may and know where to address them and the other fourth ones 4 ones are.
Designed for actually people knowing their rights in the workplace, knowing there that they had what a contract should look like, what the baseline baseline should look like should look like or also depending on the employment status, what are their rights and responsibilities.
Suzanne
That's very helpful. I should tell you that Catherine Roberts has put a link in the chat to the workers rights course that people can can find it and we've had a question from one of the attendees, Laura Thomas, and she's asked, are there any stand out employment sectors where people you are supporting have encountered problems and what is the scale of issues that workers are facing. So what are the stand out employer sectors where the people you're supporting?
Found themselves having problems and the scale of the issues that workers are actually experiencing. Can you answer those two questions, Cecilia or Nadia?
Cecilia Petre
I would say that it probably depends.
On the area, because we are based in London and in London, we've seen many construction related issues.
Whereas in Ipswich, for example, where Nadia and one of our other colleagues have joined the Romanian consulate for some sessions they had there.
The the sack. There was a very vulnerable Roma community.
That have attended those sessions and.
They needs have been.
Much higher than the ones that we have seen.
The people that we we were supporting in in London, I think from what I recall Nadia and you might be able to to clarify that.
They were working in the delivery of food delivery industry mainly.
Out there, but any other sectors from what you remember, Nadia and other.
Other sectors people are seeing.
Nadia Mihai
Most of them there were delivery sector and also factories. They the factories that are in the area. I think the main issue in that area, it was that most of them didn't have a legal UN immigration status or and they would work cash in hand.
Suzanne
So can you from the information you're just giving us and you obviously are at the coal phase of meeting and working with people from these communities. What is the, how big are the issues that these workers are facing?
Are they ones that can be dealt with quite easily? Are they some things that are actually endemic and very difficult? Can you give us some sense of of the scale of these issues?
Nadia Mihai
I think most of them, they can be dealt with if the people would actually have the the information and they would know where to go or and also the fact that that this training, it's in Romania, it helps a lot. I mean it, it's a game changing because the information, the information that is in in the book, in the manuals, it's on Gov or any other official resources, but people cannot access it.
So and also the fact that they have a workbook that they can take at home and they they can go back to that workbook anytime they do have an issue, it's really helpful. Of course there are cases when.
Suzanne
Mm hmm.
Nadia Mihai
They're more complicated and they need solicitors and of course they are. This kind of issues too.
Cecilia Petre
But just just one other thing to add, Suzanne, is that through this second project, we were able to employ.
Project Navigator that has supported those who the vulnerable people we've met and were eligible to to apply for EU settlement scheme and we have referred them to accredited.
Organisations and legal practises.
Port with with the flying because some of them were eligible, but because of the barriers that they were encountering did not know how how to do it or were not aware of the deadlines and so on. So through this project one other positive was that we have been able to support them with applying for pre settled or settled status under EU settlement scheme.
Suzanne
Thank you. I I just wonder going forward the next.
Period of work that you'll be doing. Do you have any particular projects or areas that you're going to specialise in or will you continue what doing what you do now and try to expand it or keep it in focus?
Cecilia Petre
Depends on the funding available, because as grass root organisation we can definitely see some trends both in the mania but now in the Ukrainian communities as well. But it really depends on the funding available.
Because as much as we would like to focus on prevention of modern slavery and.
Workers exploitation.
We we need to look at what funding is available out there in order to to sustain ourselves as a, as an organisation.
Suzanne
I understand that.
We haven't had any more questions, but I again would remind participants that there is a link to the workers right course in. In fact in the chat from Catherine Roberts. So thank you very much both Cecia and Nadia that was extremely helpful and I'm, I'm sure you're doing excellent work for those communities and those workers. So we've come to the end of the webinar. I should mention that over the past few months, we've been exploring.
How we can do the most effective and efficient ways? Excuse me.
To engage with you and other stakeholders as well, and many of you will know that previously we had several different ways of presenting these meetings and we did have a separate worker, NGO Group, but we've decided that to be sure to deliver the best service to everyone, we would bring the invitation list together for this quarterly webinar meeting.
And we're going to do so under a new title called the GLAA Stakeholder Webinar, and that will have its first meeting on Tuesday the 14th of January next year 2025. So I hope that you will put that in your Diaries. We've also have a note here from Catherine saying that colleagues from the Work Rights Centre have asked us to share a link related to their work in the care sector, which you might find of interest.
And it's again in the chat. And of course we've got the contact of ways of getting hold of us. And you've heard that we really would hope that you'll use the new e-mail address of contact at gla.gov.uk. So I'm going to close the meeting now, but I'd like to thank you all for attending and for those who have given us your very valuable questions, which I hope you will find answered. As I've said before, it's been recorded.
And you will get a copy of the webinar. Thank you very much and I hope you have a good day.