Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
Supply teachers and other contingent workers in state-funded schools
The below guidance sets out the general principles that state-funded schools
(hereafter referred to as ‘schools’ in this section) and employment
intermediaries (hereafter referred to as
‘agencies’ in this section) should follow for contingent workers during the
coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Where schools are the workers’ direct employer
Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual,
regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This will ensure
that they are able to continue to pay for staff and meet their other regular
financial commitments.
Hence, we expect schools to ensure any employees funded by public money
continue to be paid in the usual fashion from their existing staff budgets,
and correspondingly not furloughed, in line with the HM Revenue and Customs
guidance for public sector organisations.
Where schools have live assignments with contingent workers, and where the
school is the workers’ employer, schools should continue to pay these workers
from their existing school budgets and not furlough them.
Where schools have terminated contracts with contingent workers due to
coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier than the original terms set out, and where the
school was the workers’ employer under that contract, schools should reinstate
these contracts on the terms previously agreed, as long as the contractor is
not already accessing alternative support through another government support
scheme.
Where schools are not the workers’ direct employer
Schools are advised to refer to all parts of the Procurement Policy Note
02/20 (PPN 02/20), which provides
guidance for public bodies on payment of their suppliers for the purposes of
ensuring the continuity of critical service during and after the coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak.
Where schools have agency workers on live assignments who can continue to
work, they may continue to make previously agreed payments for the supply of
workers in line with the approach set out in PPN 02/20. Agencies who receive
money for workers in line with this guidance should not furlough these
workers, and should follow the open book accounting rules set out in PPN 02/20
to provide schools with proof that workers are continuing to be paid as
normal.
Where schools have agency workers on live assignments who cannot continue to
work due to coronavirus (COVID-19), schools and agencies should refer to the
guidance set out in Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Contingent Workers
Impacted by
COVID-19.
The supplier relief
guidance covers the length of existing live
assignments up to the end date that had been previously agreed. It does not
require these assignments to be extended further if the resource will not be
required.
Where agency workers are not on live assignments with schools, or where a
previously agreed assignment is due to end, schools and agencies should
discuss any further demand for the worker. If there is no further demand, the
employer can apply to furlough the worker via the Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme.
Once a worker has been furloughed, they become unavailable to work and cannot
provide services for their employer for a minimum of 3 weeks. Schools and
agencies should bear this in mind when discussing ongoing resource
requirements and agencies should keep this under regular review. Please refer
to the supplier relief
guidance for more information.
Where a worker is self-employed
Self-employed workers who are unable to work because of coronavirus (COVID-19)
will be able to access support through the Self-Employment Income Support
Scheme.
Starting new temporary contracts
We expect schools will use their existing staff to maintain necessary
provision, but schools may also continue to need supply teachers and other
temporary workers throughout this period. We encourage schools and agencies to
continue to liaise about any potential need to ensure workers are available
where required.
School workforce employers can find additional guidance on the school
workforce in the guidance on temporary school
closures.