Campaigns Roundup - April 2024

As Parliamentarians enjoy the recess in their home constituencies for the Easter Holidays, there's still plenty ongoing for REC members to be aware of. Some key announcements from the last year have now become law, including the expansion of free childcare, the change to flexible working laws, changes to holiday pay and the increase in the minimum wage. But it's not all legalese and changes to laws - there's also opportunities to engage with DBS and the Royal College of Nursing coming up.  

April Legal Changes  

As of the start of April, several key legal changes have come into force that will impact the sector. These include changes to holiday pay, the introduction of a statutory right for all workers to request a more stable contract and an increase in the National Minimum Wage. Information on all these changes and how they apply to your business can be found in the latest legal news on the REC website, or you can call the legal helpline. 

Free Childcare expansion   

The first phase of the government childcare scheme announced last year is live; parents in England are entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare for their two-year-olds. Access to the scheme is then due for a further expansion in September, with 9-month-olds becoming eligible for 15 hours of free childcare. The REC previously wrote to the Department for Education's David Johnston to review plans, as agencies in this sector have told us that the current funding and staff levels are insufficient. We have also engaged in the Labour Party's childcare consultation to ensure their policy solves issues currently faced by parents and the sector. The REC will continue to lobby on behalf of its members in the childcare sector and beyond to ensure the government enacts a childcare policy that is fit for purpose.   

Agency Nurses toolkit  

Following their recent appearance at the REC's Health and Social Care sector meeting, the Royal College of Nursing has arranged a meeting for agencies operating in the nursing sector to feed into the development of their agency nurse toolkit. This is an opportunity for REC members to contribute to the RCN's project to ensure this toolkit works for agency staff and provides the right resources to help them when they're on assignment. This meeting is taking place on team on 16 April at 13:30. You can join the call on this teams link.   

DBS Spring Conference  

Learn more about safeguarding directly from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) by attending their spring conference.  Six sessions will be tailored to support individuals, including basic DBS checks and digital services, reporting harmful behaviour, dispelling myths about the DBS check process, utilising the DBS Update Service, and providing necessary information for safeguarding decisions. The conference will be hosted on LinkedIn Live on Tuesday, 30th April. You can tailor the conference to suit your level of interest. Click here to register for the conference.  

DfE Call for Evidence 

The Department for Education requests feedback from businesses working in education to inform the Keeping Children Safe in Education safeguarding policies. They will collect evidence on the role of designated safeguarding leads, safer staff recruitment, quality-assuring safeguarding, and artificial intelligence. To share your views, please submit here. This consultation is due to close on 20 June this year. 

Research Update 

Earlier this week, the REC’s research team published the latest Report on Jobs. This month’s data revealed that the demand for all workers fell for a fifth successive month in March. Although the rate of contraction was softer than in February, it remained historically marked. Permanent staff appointments in the UK continued to fall in March, extending the current downturn to a year and a half. An uncertain economic outlook and ongoing recruitment freezes were reported by recruiters as reasons for the latest decline. Budget constraints also reportedly weighed on temp billings during March, which fell to the steepest degree since July 2020. We have continued to call on the Bank of England to begin to cut the base rate to support the bounce back in hiring investing and growth this summer.

Media Corner  

With a blitz on employment law changes, the REC produced a detailed briefing document to educate the media. As a result, our Deputy Chief Executive Kate Shoesmith appeared on BBC News TV weighing up the pros and cons of the new right to request flexible work. The media also sought the views of REC CEO Neil Carberry, such as his concerns for employers about the above-average increase in the National Living Wage. The REC is on your side in these matters, ensuring your voice is heard.