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Last updated: 30 March 2010
The Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting was launched by the Cabinet Office on 15 July 2008.
The Joint Statement aims to improve the quality of services delivered under Government contracts by raising the skills of service providers' employees and by helping to ensure fair treatment. It has been developed and agreed by the following organisations in partnership with Government and as part of the work of the Public Services Forum.
It is important for Government to work with social partners to lead by example in making progress on improving the nation's skills and progress towards Government's target to ensure almost all that adults (95%) have basic literacy and numeracy skills by 2020.
This Joint Statement will give many of those who work on Government contracts the opportunity to develop basic skills they may currently lack. In addition, the Joint Statement will also ensure that those employees can access information on skills, trade unions and advice to help them in their life at work. This is particularly relevant for those employees who have little knowledge about their rights at work, or where to go for advice.
The Joint Statement Review Steering Group undertook a six month review of the implementation of that commitment and their final report and recommendations for increasing awareness and building capability for implementation of the Joint Statement is now available:
On the basis of good progress recorded in their report, the Joint Statement Review Steering Group recommended exploring further the potential for the development of the principles of the Joint Statement into health and local government.
Sector task groups have been working through the practicalities of implementation and, as a result, the Joint Statement has now been incorporated into the NHS standard contracts for mental health and learning disability services, ambulance services and acute hospital and community services.
The provisions will be incorporated into all affected new and re-let NHS contracts. Further information to support implementation of the Joint Statement in the NHS will shortly be available on the Social Partnership Forum website (hosted by NHS Employers).