Hourly rate for LSA

[inappropriatelyemployed]

We are getting direct payments for our out of school package. Does anyone know what the going rate is for an LSA? I know someone who DS knows too who will be perfect. She is well read on ASD and has done some training and has worked in a school but she is a professional in another field so doesn't have formal LSA qualifications.

I know she will be absolutely brilliant. I can pay up to £16 ( a figure quoted as an agency rate) but not sure what to offer.

Do you mean the rate the school pay? That depends on type of school (SS pay more than mainstream) length of service etc. (I'm a SS TA and on the princely sum of £9 an hour after ten years there!)
Or the usual rates for DPs... we pay ours £8.50 an hour.. £10 is the going council rate but that includes your own liability insurance as a DP employer.
If in doubt give your council a ring and they should be able to advise you:)

I used to work as an LSA in mainstream school and was paid £8.19 hour, after 5 years.

Thanks. Do I have to have liability insurance? How much is that?

Also, tutors and LSA will be 'self-employed' so I will not be an employer. Hours will vary. The tutor has public liability insurance, does the LSA need that too?

This is SEN Direct payments not social care but should work the same way. I don't exactly have a good relationship with the Council.

How do you get direct payment please?

Gosh! That is low. Medusa, Scottish- Did the include Ni and taxes? Holiday pay?

For SEN, DPs are only available if you are in a Pathfinder LA which is piloting some of the Children and. Families Bill reforms. Details here and even then many LAs refuse to offer them.

For social care, I think they offer DPs as standard.

£9 per hour here too, for a one to one in an Early Years setting.

Most home insurance policies cover domestic staff, call them, mines budget and it does

What ever rate you pay the individual remember to add 25% earning related costs when negotiating with any local body.
Also remember that the price they mat want to pay may not equate tot he cost that is deemed necessary to meet the childs needs. Who will pick up the shortfall.

The LA must give you info on your responsibilities as an employer / using DP as would if social care. You must have evidence they are self emp eg a letter to show registered as such for tax / NI. There have been cases where carers have said they were self emp, not paid tax and person with DP been pursued for tax. So you must use agency or have proof the person is going declare income. You only need insurance if you are employer. If you do employ people rather than use Self emp you must pay tax, NI and holiday pay etc Social care will add on insurance and costs using payroll co to do admin. Expectation be sen payments should lead to same advice and support as social care. They can't just leave you to it must explain duties and give you leaflets etc. if you employ anyone you can use zero hour contract (sorry but can be a way round it if person not self emp and doesn't want to commit set hours etc).

Thanks. Are the figures you have quoted for hourly rates gross or net?

Agnes, thanks for that. It is very helpful indeed. There is no chance our LA has SEN specific DP advice but you are quite right they should and should certainly have social care advice available.

Tutor is self-employed. It is just our new LSA I will have to sort out.

I was thinking of just doing a letter confirming they would be undertaking work on self-employed basis and rate and asking them to confirm they had registered for tax and NI.

Interestingly, I am freelance and work for lawyers and I have never been asked to confirm I am registered for tax etc!!

Do they need to provide evidence of registration or just confirm they are?

The problem with taking someone as being self-employed is that if they decide not to pay their NI/Tax, it is likely the Inland Revenue will come after you for their tax if any of it is unpaid - even if you have a letter from the LSA undertaking this liability. If the LSA is only working for you, I would imagine that the Inland Revenue may insist that s/he is your employee.

I too work freelance for lawyers, and they made me become a limited company for these very reasons.

The LSA has another profession entirely and so pays tax there. She will have to register for self-assessment and NI. I would absolutely trust her if she says she has done this as I have known her a very long time and the nature of her job is such that she needs to have everything 'above board'.

Given the nightmare that is the tax rules relating to so-called 'false' limited companies, I am not sure how forcing you to become a limited company helps you! Although, I am sure it helps the firm you are freelancing for.

My experience of the Inland Revenue as a long-standing freelancer is that they come after the person who has failed to pay the tax first and foremost. They would have to establish that you were 'employed' according to the rules distinguishing self-employment and employment for them to be able to pursue the DP holder.