However it should be remembered that if service user trainers are not working
regularly or are new to training the issue of payment can be made problematic
by the complexity of the benefits system.
Some service users can face the loss
of benefits when declaring income from paid work.
This is because payment
may be viewed as evidence of fitness to work.
Unfortunately even doing work
on an unpaid basis that might have been paid can effect ‘fitness to work’.
Other welfare benefits are reduced if the claimant earns more than a certain
amount of money and this may be a disincentive for service users to accept paid
work (they may be no better off for having been paid).
This is a complex subject
and one that is individual to each person.
Therefore it is always advisable to
seek expert advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau or via a welfare rights
advice service.
The Standards We Expect project issued letters of contract to each trainer it
worked with.
These simply explained what each side should expect of the other.
They were signed by both the project and the trainer (see appendix 5).
CHECKLIST: PAYING THE TRAINERS
What is the right amount of money to pay the trainer?
Can you find out what other trainers are paid?
Could trainers who are service users lose welfare benefits or have money
problems because they take part?
Where can service users find out more about how payments might affect
their benefits?
Will you have a written contract with the trainer(s) for the training?
5) Working out a programme for the training
Making a Change
Page 9
TOP TIP: You will need a programme for each bit of
training.
A programme shows what a trainer will
do, and when.
You should find out what help your trainer needs
with this.
If there are lots of trainers you could hold
a meeting with them.
To help trainers in the development of the programme for their workshop the
Standards We Expect project arranged a one-day meeting for all the trainers
(the project used 14 different trainers in total).
The aim of the session was to
provide background information and discuss how to deliver the training (see
appendix 3 and 4).
This meeting enabled the different trainers to meet together
and benefit from each other’s experience and perspectives.
The trainers were
also able to share particular exercises and useful approaches to the training.
Afterwards we circulated notes of the meeting including individual trainer’s ideas
about how to deliver the sessions, in the form of draft programmes (see
appendix 6).
The trainers’ fees were set to include their time spent attending
this meeting.
The cost of trainer’s travel to and from the meeting and related out
of pocket expenses were met by the project.
Each pair of trainers then devised their own programme for the 2 day workshop.
