Starting a supply teaching direct company that I work for as a supply teacher

M2808

I'm interested in setting up a supply teaching direct company that would be a bit different to normal supply agencies. It has been done in other areas, just not in my area yet. I would like to work as a supply teacher still and it be more direct communication between supply teachers and schools. Like the company teacher booker, but for my area, not London. 

I'm not looking for making big money as the business. The main thing is to secure my own income as a supply teacher, without the awful pay offered by agencies. I'm trying to search everywhere about all the legal issues I need for this and no one seems to know/responses are very vague. Does anyone know who I should be asking about this? My last answer was an accountant, but would they know all the education specific and requirements? I don't mind paying for meeting with an accountant if that is the right person. 

It's things like the school want safer recruitment, but can you provide that evidence about yourself?
I have a DBS on the update service but it was done by an agency, can I still use that in this capacity?
If I was to run others through the books, can they be self employed?

Savvy_Sue

For DBS, I think you'd need to register with an umbrella body, because you're unlikely to have the volume to go direct.

There is some legislation specific to recruitment agencies, and some membership organisations you should research.

When you have a grasp of the back end costs of running such an agency you may understand why the pay is not that great.

MalMonroe

I think you'd need to check first with your LEA/council.

Next I think you'd need to do a lot of research - there's information on the internet, websites such as this one -

https://www.newmillennia.co.uk/blog/things-to-consider-before-setting-up-your-supply-teaching-agency/

I think it sounds like a very big responsibility and not something I'd like to take on.

Where I live, supply teachers are highly paid - I don't understand why you aren't. Different LEAs I suppose.

Maybe you could try applying for a permanent teaching job instead? Working as a supply teacher whilst also employing other supply teachers sounds like a very arduous task. And of course you'd be responsible if anything happened to any student while they were in the care of one of your employees. Just being an employee yourself would be far easier than trying to control others. You would also have to employ, at the very least, a skilled administrator.

Plus, if schools are happy using one particular agency, they're going to have to be convinced that your employees are the best, somehow and I'm sure they won't want to have to pay higher fees.

It's not just schools that want safer recruitment, either, it's parents. 

You say "If I was to run others through the books, can they be self employed?" - which doesn't make sense to me. If they can be self-employed why would they want to be run through your books?

It seems that there needs to be a lot more thought and research put into your idea. Personally, I don't think it's a winner. 

Just my own opinion, obviously.  

LessImpecunious

MalMonroe said:

Where I live, supply teachers are highly paid - I don't understand why you aren't. Different LEAs I suppose.

I suspect what this actually means is that the agency is very well paid; how much of that fee is passed on to the supply teachers will depend on the agency -  see e.g., the following link by one of the teaching unions - who I suggest may well be a good  source of advice on setting up yourself - https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/static/uploaded/636b710c-cecd-4db9-b243b6931c66fd8b.pdf

General_Grant

M2808 said:

I'm interested in setting up a supply teaching direct company that would be a bit different to normal supply agencies. It has been done in other areas, just not in my area yet. I would like to work as a supply teacher still and it be more direct communication between supply teachers and schools. Like the company teacher booker, but for my area, not London. 

I'm not looking for making big money as the business. The main thing is to secure my own income as a supply teacher, without the awful pay offered by agencies. I'm trying to search everywhere about all the legal issues I need for this and no one seems to know/responses are very vague. Does anyone know who I should be asking about this? My last answer was an accountant, but would they know all the education specific and requirements? I don't mind paying for meeting with an accountant if that is the right person. 

It's things like the school want safer recruitment, but can you provide that evidence about yourself?
I have a DBS on the update service but it was done by an agency, can I still use that in this capacity?
If I was to run others through the books, can they be self employed?

If you are paying for the update service then I believe you can use the DBS check for any role which requires the same DBS level certification.  So if it were in relation to teaching children but the job was teaching at risk adults, it probably wouldn't cover the situation.  If only a basic DBS were required but yours is enhanced, again I think it wouldn't be acceptable.

JGB1955

I was (in a previous life) a school administrator.  There is absolutely NO way I would contact an independent supply teacher agent, when tasked at 07:30 in the morning to find someone, before I even got to work.  It takes a LONG time to be established, and our local LEA has a long list of reliable supply teachers, without going 'off-piste'.