This blog is moving to Word Press, which I think is more user friendly to use (both for me and site readers)

I intend to make all new posts from now on at the new, Word Press, site:

https://improvebpcollege.wordpress.com/

A copy of existing posts and comments has been imported from here to there (Word Press has an excellent Import facility).

Update: "Independent investigator" still on Solicitors' roll/regulated by SRA, but does not hold a practising certificate

(Post made at 0926 UK BST time on 14 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

This is an update on my previous posts (here and here).

Having made enquiries of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the position of the "independent investigator" from View HR Ltd is more complex than it seems from the View HR website (which states that he/she is a "former" lawyer - solicitors who are no longer on the roll have to describe themselves as "former" solicitor):

He/she is still regulated by the SRA, and still on the roll of Solicitors, but does not currently hold a practising certificate.  I have asked the SRA when this member stopped holding a practising certificate.

Until now, I was under the impression (from the View HR website stating that he/she is a "former HR and employment lawyer") that he/she was not regulated by the SRA.  I have also asked the SRA to clarify what regulations/code of conduct someone on the roll of Solicitors but without a practising certificate is subject to.

I do not believe this changes the position that without a practising certificate, the investigator was not entitled to be a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and hence to hold himself/herself out as one.  The ELA seem to have agreed (or the member himself/herself), since within 3 days of my querying the person's entitlement to ELA membership, that membership has ceased.

Bogus solicitors: what the Solicitors Regulation Authority says about them

(Post made at 1457 UK BST time on 8 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

This is what the solicitors' regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has to say about bogus solicitors (see http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/fraud-dishonesty/bogus-fake-solicitors.page)

Bogus solicitors

It is a criminal offence for someone to call themselves a solicitor or act as a solicitor if they are not on the roll of solicitors. We call these people "bogus solicitors" and we may prosecute them. We publish alerts about bogus solicitors.

Bournemouth and Poole College paid a fake "Employment Lawyer" to investigate our formal complaints

(Post made at 1039 UK BST time on 8 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

The short version of my earlier post is:

My wife and I made two detailed formal complaints to the Bournemouth and Poole College last year about in our view very poor treatment (in her case, of her after 13 years of very dedicated service, and in my case, of schools, some staff, and children including one with a disability) at the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians.

The College appointed an "independent investigator" from an outside firm (View HR Ltd) who has been falsely claiming membership of the prestigious Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) for at least the last two years, by falsely claiming to them (and to the world via their ELA member page) that they were a practising current solicitor when they have not been since at least June 2016.

Claimed to be a practising solicitor but was not. Was not entitled to be an Employment Lawyers Association member

This fake "Employment Lawyers Association" member then, rather like a fake "doctor" who examines only one leg and pronounces that all is well, conducted an extremely unprofessional "independent investigation" in which they effectively only looked at one side of the evidence (the College/CYWM's). (Along with many other procedural irregularities).

The fake employment lawyer gave the College and CWYM a clean bill of health and said that after their "exhaustive investigation" the College would not consider an appeal.

The ELA appears to have acted swiftly and professionally

I contacted the ELA with my concerns about the membership qualifications of this View HR Ltd "investigator".

Three days later this person was no longer a member.  

How much did the Bournemouth and Poole College (a registered charity) pay this fake ELA member/VIew HR Ltd? 

The "independent investigator" who did such a questionable job investigating our complaints about Bournemouth and Poole College was not a current solicitor so was not entitled to be an Employment Lawyers Association member

(Post made at 0055 UK BST time on 8 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

The investigator (from ViewHR Limited) who in my opinion did such a questionable job of "independently investigating":

• my wife's complaint (about the way the College and Centre for Wessex Young Musicians had treated her), and 
• my complaint (mainly about poor treatment by the College and Centre for Wessex Young Musicians of other schools, some members of staff and some children including one with a disability)

was a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) both at the time of the investigation and until a few days ago.

Incorrect claim on his/her ELA member page that he/she was a practising solicitor. Was an ELA member despite not being entitled to be one

Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) members self-certify that they are practising solicitors or barristers who spend at least 25% of their time practising employment law (see the bottom left of https://www.elaweb.org.uk/membership).

The hourly rate advertised by Bournemouth and Poole College is £28. It was only £18 just over a year ago, effectively on a zero hours contract

(Post made at 1754 UK BST time on 4 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

Further to my post of yesterday, the Bournemouth and Poole College / Centre for Wessex Young Musicians is currently advertising for a permanent Wessex Starter Strings / Wessex Middle Strings Conductor, after having had a succession of "guest coaches" since mid May 2017.

Centre for Wessex Young Musicians rate for staff as low as £18 per hour

The hourly rate in the advert is given as £28.

I mentioned yesterday that I was glad the rate had gone up.  Why?

Extract from Protocol (agency) payslip during 2017

Because the rate paid to the previous "permanent" WSS/WMS Conductor (can it really be "permanent" if it is effectively a zero hours contract, with zero notice period?) was only £18 per hour.  Presumably this was also the rate paid to the Fanfares Conductor, and the Theory Class Lecturer - and presumably they too will now be getting the new rate of £28 per hour, instead of only £18 per hour (fairness should probably demand this).

Bournemouth and Poole College is advertising for a new Wessex Starter Strings/Wessex Middle Strings Conductor

(Post made at 1842 UK BST time on 3 Sep 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).

An advert was placed last Wednesday (29 August 2018) at  https://www.educationweekjobs.co.uk/jobboard/cands/jobview.asp?v=7841343.

For some reason the closing date is only a week later (Wednesday 5 September 2018, so now only 2 days away).

A copy of the advert is shown below. I'm glad that the rate seems to have gone up & that admin work is no longer being expected. I hope the Bournemouth and Poole College and Centre for Wessex Young Musicians will treat any new occupant of the post better than the WSS/WMS Conductor from Sep 2004 to May 2017 feels she was treated (see here). In particular, will the post still have no notice?

Jane and I genuinely wish any new occupant of the post all the very best: the children and their parents are wonderful and it was a joy to make music with them.