Are you interested in learning more about a fulfilling new career?

PEOPLE are being invited to call into a Social Care Jobs Fair taking place in Southport, over September 2022. Representatives from 6 local companies will be on hand to answer any questions and to chat about their experiences of life in the social care sector.

The Jobs Fair takes place at the Southport Salvation Army Centre, on:- Shakespeare Street, Southport PR8 5AJ, between:- 11am and 2pm, on:- Thursday, 29 September 2022. All are welcome.

This is a friendly, informal event with people able to stay for as little or as long as they like, with no appointments needed.

Tea, coffee, cake and other refreshments will be on hand, with free parking available.

The local companies on hand to meet people include:- Amber Family, Tezlom, Community Care Direct, Autism Initiatives, Nugent and Dovehaven Care Homes.

There are dozens of jobs available right now which people can apply for if they wish to.

Visitors with a longer term view in mind can also pop in to learn more about why social care is such a rewarding career, for people of all ages and abilities.

The Social Care Jobs Fair is being organised by Amber Family, which has 3 Residential Family Centres in Southport.

Amber Family Strategic Business and Training Manager Kate Hannon said:- "We are all looking for new members of staff at the moment. We have invited some other employers from the Southport area to be present at this event too. It will be held at the Salvation Army Centre on Shakespeare Street in Southport, which is centrally located for everyone, and has free parking outside. The idea was to host a special event where people can call in at whatever point they want, to find out more about the social care industry, and why it is such a fulfilling and rewarding career. It will be a very relaxed event. There will be people present from all the companies that guests can come and chat with if they like, to find out from the horse's mouth just what it is like to work there."

Kate began working at Amber Family 4 years ago. She loves her job, and particularly the difference it makes to people's lives.

Amber Family works in partnership with Mums and Dads over the age of 16.

Along with the local Council and Universal Services, Amber Family will work with the parents to assess their parenting capacity. The 13-week placement considers the parent's ability to respond to their children's needs and to safeguard and promote their welfare, now and in the future.

Kate said:- "Before working here I worked in the corporate sector, which was very cut-throat, and very target driven. I never thought I would be working in this environment. Now that I am, I think why did I waste all those years before working here? This is a very rewarding sector to work in. It is so fulfilling, and it feels like I am really making a difference. The salaries that people can earn are very competitive too, while there are lots of training opportunities that people can enjoy to help them to learn new skills and to further progress their careers."

The Social Care Jobs Fair takes place at the Southport Salvation Army Centre on Shakespeare Street, Southport PR8 5AJ, 11am-2pm on Thursday, 29th September 2022. For more details please email:- Kate@AmberFamily.Co.UK or lauren@amberfamily.Co.UK.
 

'Tax advantage' of limited companies potentially returns, and with it, problems for lower paid agency workers

THE Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is warning that changes to off payroll working rules announced could result in more agency workers finding themselves working through single person limited companies.

Prior to the 2017 and 2021 off payroll working rules, lower paid agency workers being put in to limited companies was the norm1. This used to save some money within a supply chain but created significant problems for workers. With the Chancellor's announcement today that the 2017 reforms, and an extension to them made in 2021, will be repealed from April 2023, those days look set to return, LITRG is warning.

Kwasi Kwarteng's Growth Plan sets out that the 2017 and 2021 reforms which introduced the current off payroll working rules will be repealed from 6 April 20232. From this date, workers providing their services via a limited (Ltd) company will once again be responsible for determining their employment status and paying the appropriate amount of tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs). These rules are commonly known as IR35; and were sometimes ignored; giving people who looked like an employee but worked through a Ltd company a tax advantage over normal employees.

LITRG warns that unless this announcement is coupled with a commitment from HMRC to enforce anti avoidance legislation around Ltd companies properly, the days of disregard for the rules; fueling the use of 'agency worker' limited companies to increase profit and reduce obligations within a supply chain; look set to return.

The group are also pointing out that when lower paid agency workers have a limited company that they don't really understand, it can leave them with messy and expensive compliance issues that can follow them around for years and years.

Meredith McCammond, LITRG Technical Officer says:- "Prior to the 2017 and 2021 off payroll changes, many lower income agency workers often found themselves offered work on the basis that they would provide their work through their own limited company. This was usually at the behest of an agency or other intermediary, such as an umbrella company, who could then save on employer NICs and could also charge an ongoing fee for 'accountancy' services to help the worker run the company. The off payroll rules weren't perfect, but they did remove this incentive. Once limited companies start being set up for low paid agency workers again, huge difficulties await if a compliance issue arises, the accountant stops providing support or it needs to be shut down. Those at the lower income end of the spectrum who find themselves working through limited companies usually have very little understanding of how such legal entities operate. They often cannot separate out their own affairs from those of the company, and stand very little chance of handling their tax affairs correctly, let alone dealing with the Companies House requirements. HMRC must make it clear from the outset that they plan on enforcing the anti-avoidance legislation around Ltd companies properly which would act as a serious disincentive to those considering gaming the system by setting up limited companies for lower paid agency workers. HMRC must be given the appropriate resources to act, as without doing this, it is likely that the low-paid will be significantly disadvantaged by today's changes."

Police Dog and handler named as nation's top crime fighting duo

A 'formidable crime fighting duo' with just 2 and half years of service under their belt have won a national award for their outstanding operational achievements and commitment to the job.

3 year old Dutch herder PD Toro and his handler, Cheshire Police PC Chris McDonough, received the honour at the Thin Blue Paw Awards; supported by Animal Friends Insurance; on Thursday, 22 September 2022.

The duo; who are part of the joint Cheshire and North Wales Police Dog Unit; were honoured at the glittering awards ceremony, hosted by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, at Knebworth Park, in Hertfordshire.

PD Toro lives at home, in Liverpool, Merseyside, with PC McDonough, 31, his fiancé Rebecca; their 6 month old daughter, Ella; 2 pet dogs; springer spaniel Max and sprocker spaniel Luna; and Toro's best friend and 4 legged colleague, 6 year old cash, drugs and firearms detection dog, Labrador PD Buddy.

PC McDonough; who has been a Cheshire Police Officer for 11 years, working in the joint dog unit since 2016; said:- "I'd always wanted to be a dog handler and Toro is my second general purpose dog. He came from a security dog trainer and joined the Police Dog training course with us in January 2020, at 11 months old. He was flying through the course so we ended up completing it a few weeks early, just before lockdown hit!"
 

The duo licensed in March 2020 and, in 2021, also qualified for firearms support jobs.

PC McDonough added:- "Toro is a very determined, high drive dog. He's a natural Policedog who doesn't give up easily and, once he picks up a track, he's like a freight train; there's no stopping him. Tracking really is his forte. He really is the brains of the operation, I just hold on for the ride and try to keep up. He's got a very good work mentality and he isn't phased by anything. But once we get home he transforms into a family dog and a goofy idiot! He's really chilled out and becomes very playful and giddy. He's got a great on/off switch. But as soon as he's in that van, he goes straight into work mode."

PC McDonough always knew he had a good Police Dog by his side, but realise PD Toro was something special when the duo were searching a busy housing estate in Middlewich in 2020 for a man who was wanted for a string of serious domestic violence incidents. He continued:- "Toro was on a long line and had cleared a driveway when we went down the side of the house to continue searching. It was like he'd suddenly been caught by a fish hook, froze, and double back, latching onto a scent. He went back to the drive and around the side of a caravan barking; I thought he'd found a cat, but there, lying underneath the caravan, was the suspect. He really showed something special that day. He refused to give up, managed to pick up such a faint scent and went back to check an area we'd already cleared instead of moving on."

Recalling another incident in 2021, PC McDonough said:- "We had a priority target who was wanted on recall to prison for burglaries. He'd stolen a car while he was drunk until he crashed and made off. We'd blue lighted to the scene but it had taken us about 45 minutes so I wasn't sure we'd be able to find a scent as it had been a long time. He tracked through a housing estate, along alleyways and into a clearing where he caught a scent in the hedgerow. The suspect decided to make a run for it and Toro went straight in, grabbed him and dragged him out by his Crown Jewels! The body cam footage made it onto TV and Toro got a bit of a reputation! Everyone would say:- 'Don't mess with Toro!'"

Nominating PD Toro and PC McDonough, Chief Inspector Simon Newell; head of Alliance Policing, said:- "Their partnership has gone from strength mto strength and they are now a formidable crime fighting duo with an incredible 'wrap sheet'."

He commended the pair's excellent tracking achievements; finding missing people, runaway suspects, and stolen property; supporting the Cheshire and North Wales Alliance firearms team in major call outs; and securing the safety of world leaders at the 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall.

CI Newell added:- "The road to becoming a dog handler and getting your own crime fighting canine is an arduous 1 which takes dedication and skill. I'm very proud of our team of dog handlers and their dogs here at the Alliance. Seeing their courageous endeavours 24/7 is amazing, and I'm always blown away by what these officers and their canines achieve. PC McDonough and Toro have done us proud, and their exploits highlight just what the rest of the team are doing to keep residents in Cheshire and North Wales safe; often in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. This award recognises PC McDonough's handling abilities and tenacious Toro's fantastic loyalty; they really are a revered crime fighting team."

Thin Blue Paw Foundation trustee Kieran Stanbridge said:- "PD Toro is still only a few years into his career and has already showed an incredible natural aptitude for the role, as well as complete commitment to getting the job; whatever that is; done. Toro and Chris's achievements over the last few years are very impressive and it's clear that this partnership has the up most respect of their colleagues and bosses at Cheshire and North Wales Police. They have demonstrated time and time again how they're a top crime fighting duo and the public is certainly safer thanks to having them patrolling the streets."

PC McDonough said:- "We've been on a really good run but I was really shocked to win this award. It's nice just to be nominated and get the recognition from your force and your bosses that you're doing a good job, but for everyone to decide that you're a deserved winner is very overwhelming!"

Find out more about the Thin Blue Paw Foundation and the awards at:- ThinBluePAW.Org.UK/Awards.