Agency and temporary workers

Well agency or not, and even with prior 'appropriate' training - the H&S onus is with you so you would still need to assess their skills to ensure Regs are adhered to. You are responsible for Risk Assessments too.

So I don't think you should or even can, just rely on someone's paper qualifications.

I mean if employing a secretary even with a fistful of RSA's - surely you'd do a timed typing test - audio and copy, as well as a dictation/transcription test if they were required to do shorthand - before offering them the job - wouldn't you?

They'd still need to be trained in corporate layouts, forms of address etc, so why would anyone doing any job be any different?

If you go for a job as a driver then you would expect a driving assessment prior to confirmation of offer.

Your business is not exactly the same as any other business - it may indeed be very similar - but it's not the same, is it?

How can an agency be expected to take that on board? - unless of course your specific contract with them specifies such training which I daresay would cost you even more than the normal fees. But yes, I'd expect you to tell them not to send anyone without this or that qualification or however-long experience.

So if you specified a 60 wpm audio typist, I wouldn't expect you to pay for her to get the the training or the certificate!

To what level are employers legally obliged to train Agency Staff or does the onus on training agecny staff remain with their respective Agency.

IE: if your asking an agency person to undertake porterage work should you train him/her alongside your staff, or should you ask the Agency to pay for the training or only send someone who has received appropriate Manual Handling Training?