Applicants participating in the HOPS Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) have an obligation to work within UK legislation (for example the UK Immigration Rules, Health & Safety). This document is issued to inform and help applicants meet their obligations under UK employment.

Attention is drawn to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

1. HOPS LABOUR SOLUTIONS (HOPS)
HOPS is a department of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (England & Wales), and is based at the YFC headquarters at Stoneleigh Park. HOPS is a Home Office (Immigration and Nationality Directorate) appointed Operator of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

2. SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS SCHEME (SAWS)
The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme (SAWS) provides farmers and growers in the UK with a source of overseas labour to meet their unmet demand for seasonal workers. The scheme enables participants from the countries to meet the required work authorisation criteria to work in the UK, learning something of the culture and language during their stay and earning money in the process. The scheme is managed by the Home Office, which appoints Operators to administer the scheme on its behalf. HOPS is one of the appointed scheme Operators.

3. BACKGROUND
The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme (SAWS) originates from the immediate post-war years and has essentially been a cultural exchange scheme that has sought to facilitate the movement of young people from across Europe to work in UK agriculture and in particular to help with the harvests. The principles and features of the Scheme have remained largely unchanged since its inception.

Requirements for participation on the SAWS

4. HOW APPLICANTS QUALIFY AS PARTICIPANTS OF THE SAWS
a) Applicants MUST be aged 18 or over on the date of arrival in the UK. Note: there is no upper age limit. SAWS participation involves being away from home for a long period and also hard physical work; therefore applicants should carefully consider their suitability for overseas work. For some applicants, if still in full time education, deferring application for one year will enable them to better prepare for the demands they will face.

b) If applicants are not in full time education or have recently graduated from university they should supply at least one of the following documents:

A copy of their Diploma/Degree/Masters Certificate
A copy of the highest qualification awarded to date
A copy of any other relevant qualification.
- Driving licence
- Tractor driving licence
- Mini bus driving licence (category D)
- This list is not exhaustive

c) If applicants are full time students they should supply the following document:

Official documentary Education Evidence that they are a student. The documentary Education Evidence must state:-
Full name and date of birth of the student.
The name of the University/college attended and the name of the faculty issuing the document.
The signature of an official from the University/college and the official stamp endorsing the document.
Authorisation from the University/college for the applicant to be absent for the period of participation.
The name of the course the student is undertaking.

d) Generally, there are no special skills, experience or attributes required by those undertaking the seasonal tasks on a farm. However, farmers and growers seek participants who have some experience of working within agriculture or horticulture and to be able to speak and understand the English language.

e) Farmers and growers employing the participants of the SAWS have a preference that the participants they employ have experience of, or are studying an agricultural or horticultural subject.

f) Applicants should be able and willing to stay and work in the UK for a period that the farmers have requested and that is stated on their work permit, a maximum period of 6 months.

g) Applicants should equip themselves with a suitable REPATRIATION AND / OR TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY before travelling to the UK. Most employers insist that applicants purchase the NFU Mutual Insurance as offered by HOPS as a condition of their employment. Please click here for details of the NFU Mutual Insurance summary of cover. For further details, please see point 21.

h) All Applicants must have an active email address; details of which should be given on the application form.

i) Applicants must answer all questions and sign the application form.

j) The In-Country Representative will give applicants a HOPS Pre-Employment Medical Questionnaire. All questions must be answered and the form signed by the applicant. Any written answers must be written in English or translated into English. If the ‘yes’ box to any of the questions is ticked, HOPS may require additional information from the applicants doctor to determine if the applicant can do the work they have applied to do. It does not necessarily mean that the applicant will not be able to work in the UK. It may simply be that the employer has to make special arrangements for the applicant, for instance, a diabetic may need facilities to safely store their insulin etc. and be given leave to treat themselves at appropriate times of day. Applicants must retain copies of the completed questionnaire to give to their employer in the UK when they arrive. Please click here to download the pre-employment medical questionnaire.

k) If applicants wish to be on a farm with their girlfriend/boyfriend/partner, please ensure that they apply to the same Operator of the SAWS program and that the application forms are fixed together before sending to the HOPS Office.

l) Do not copy the application form, or use a form that has been allocated to another person.

PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM, ONLY IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE AND ARE HAPPY WITH THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT.

m) If an application is NOT accepted, it will be for one (or more) of these reasons:-

Parts of the application form are not completed correctly.
The details on the application form are not acceptable, for example if the applicant is not yet 18 years of age.
The application form is not signed.
Supporting paperwork has not been enclosed with the application.
Your conduct was not appropriate in previous years
You are deemed not to be a suitable participant for the relevant position

If the application IS accepted:-

The participant will receive an official invitation letter from HOPS, enclosing:

Your SAWS Workcard. You will need to give your Work Card to your employer temporarily to allow them to make a copy, which they must keep. This is your Workcard and should NOT be kept by the employer, unless for safe keeping.
Details and travel directions to the farm.Participants are advised NOT to buy any travel tickets unless they have received a Workcard.

n) When participants enter the UK they will need:-

SAWS Workcard – this is a valuable document – DO NOT LOSE IT.
Another copy of the Education Evidence or other supporting document, if you are a student to give to your employer.
Copy of the HOPS Pre-Employment medical questionnaire to give to your employer.
All of the HOPS booklets and papers you were given with the application form and with the Workcard.
The Welcome Letter from the farm and the pink documents as supplied by HOPS containing farm details and directions.
A sleeping bag, warm clothes and boots to work in (including clothing suitable for cold or wet weather).
MONEY for travel and food for the first 7 days, a sum of approx £75.00 - £100.00 Sterling is recommended.
Participants should have a TETANUS injection before leaving for the UK. All workers on farms are advised to have this immunisation.

o) Applicants apply for jobs as offered by HOPS. Details of the type of work and the duration of the job will be provided for you to help with your choice. Do NOT apply for a job that you do NOT want to do or if you know that you will be unable to remain for the full term of the job. If you wish to extend your period of work in the UK, it may be possible for you to apply for a transfer. HOPS cannot guarantee to be able to find participants a further placement, in which case they MUST return home.

p) SAWS Participants

a. The Work Authorisation rules allow the participants to work legally only on a HOPS registered farm and not organise their own work elsewhere.

b. The SAWS Workcard is a Work Authorisation Document; however this document is only valid for your employment by the named employer on the Workcard.

c. If the participant leaves the employment of the employer recorded on the Workcard to work elsewhere, without the authority of HOPS, it will be recorded that the applicant is no longer participating on the SAWS and the participant will be reported to Work Abuse. The consequences of working anywhere other than where Work Authorisation Documents permit will result in ‘on the spot fines’ for both the employee and employer.

d. It is illegal for you to work anywhere other than a HOPS registered farm and you MUST have supporting Work Authorisation Documents for your employment on that farm.

5. PARTICIPATION RECRUITMENT
As the scheme Operator, HOPS is charged with the responsibility of recruiting suitably qualified and skilled candidates to participate in the scheme and therefore be employed, on a temporary basis, by a UK farmer or grower for a maximum period of 6 months.

Information about In-country Representatives

6. IN-COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
The ‘In-Country Representatives’ prepare and assist applicants and may give assistance to each candidate during the application process. HOPS audits In-Country Representatives annually.

7. THE ROLE OF IN-COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
In-Country Representatives are expected:-

To market the HOPS programme to potential recruits.
To support the recruits during the application process.
To be the first point of contact for HOPS during the application process.
To provide the potential participants with the information regarding dates and type of work that is available, where these jobs are and to give any assistance required in deciding when and where the participant may work.
To collate the application forms, ensuring each application form is complete and is accompanied by the relevant supporting documents.
To return to the HOPS office via electronic correspondence and also to ship via secure shipping the hard copies of the completed application forms to the HOPS office.
To distribute to applicants SAWS Workcards when these are shipped to the In-Country Representatives.

Charges that In-Country Representatives may make to applicants

In-Country Representatives may NOT charge applicants for the recruitment or selection process.
Charges may however be levied for specific services offered by the In-Country Representatives. For example this may include the booking of travel tickets to the UK and onward travel within the UK, English lessons, the secure mailing of completed application forms, supplying translation services. This list is not exhaustive.
In-Country Representatives must issue a detailed receipt to any applicant paying them for any services. Each item should be listed separately. This is to be audited annually by HOPS. Participants MUST keep a copy of this receipt, it is advised that they take one copy with them to the UK and leave one copy in their home country. The receipt should clearly detail exactly what the applicant is paying for. E.g. Travel, Insurance. This list is not exhaustive.
For details of the SAWS In-Coutry Representative charges please click here

Information about Farmers & Growers

8. HOW FARMERS AND GROWERS QUALIFY TO EMPLOY PARTICIPANTS UNDER THE SAWS

All farms employing participants under the SAWS must be registered to one of the Scheme Operators.
Farms should provide accommodation (usually on farm) with facilities for the resident participation (for which the farm may make a modest charge each week). This charge should be in line with the current AWB Orders. HOPS inspects the accommodation and facilities annually to ensure that it is of a suitable standard.
Farms are expected to provide a reasonable prospect of 39 hours of work per week for each participant. It must however be noted that on occasion, due to unforeseen circumstances (for example extremes in weather, seasonal variation or reduced customer demand), there may be very little work for short periods of time.
For SAWS participants - the work participants can undertake must be seasonal and agricultural work on a farm or horticultural holding. This can include some pack-house work packing only the produce harvested on the holding. Participants cannot work in a pack-house that packs bought-in produce only.
Farms are expected to operate the business within all UK legislation, including employment legislation, health and safety legislation etc.
The SAWS participants are the direct employees of the farmer or grower and will be paid directly by the farmer or grower. HOPS is not the employer.

Information about work & wages

9. TYPE OF WORK AND WAGES AVAILABLE TO APPLICANTS APPLYING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SAWS ADMINISTERED BY HOPS

Type of work
a) A wide variety of manual agricultural tasks will be available to participants recruited by HOPS. However, the vast majority of seasonal work within the agricultural industry is within the fruit sector (currently 58% of placements) and vegetable sector (currently 20% of placements). Therefore, predominantly, the tasks that can be expected are planting, hand harvesting, on-field packing and general crop husbandry/ maintenance of fruit or vegetable crops (edible produce).

b) There are also a limited number of placements available in other sectors, for example, potato grading, tomatoes, salad crops, flowers and plants.

c) Generally, there are no special skills, experience or attributes required by those undertaking the seasonal tasks on a farm. However farmers and growers seek participants who have some experience of working within agriculture or horticulture and are able to speak and understand the English language.

d) Work is usually manual and unskilled.

e) There are some seasonal jobs that will involve the operation of agricultural machines and vehicles. Participants wishing to be considered for these placements should already have some experience of the agricultural machinery/vehicles and the safe handling of them. These participants must hold a full driving licence and must bring this document with them to the UK, together with a verified translation (into the English language) stating the participant’s name, home address and the category of vehicle the licence permits him or her to drive.

f) Where participants are expected to drive vehicles on the road, they will be asked to demonstrate, in person, to their employer (the farmer or grower) that they are competent to drive vehicles safely on the UK’s roads. In addition, they should have a good command of the English language in order to understand road and safety signs.

Wages
The wages paid to all workers in the agricultural industry are subject to legislation set out in the Agricultural Wages Board Orders (AWBO) that are currently in force. There are different Orders in force in different geographic regions of the UK.

Bank Accounts
It is normal for the employer to pay the total amount earned either as a banker’s cheque or an International Money Order. This is for security reasons as it is unsafe for participants to travel home with a large amount of currency without insurance. Alternatively, wages may be transferred to your home bank account. This may carry a commission charge and it is therefore recommended that transfers be made periodically through the season rather than weekly. HOPS advises that all participants open a bank account prior to their departure for the UK. Please ensure that the bank in which you open the account has a SWIFT code.

Pay slips
Every participant will be issued with a pay slip when they are paid. It is very important that participants keep all pay slips issued to them, as evidence of their earnings should there be any disagreements in relation to wages. HOPS takes accusation of underpayment very seriously, however HOPS cannot take any action without documentary evidence.

Deductions from wages and other charges
Participants of the SAWS should expect some deductions to be made from their wages. These may include any of the following:-

National Insurance.

ALL participants on the SAWS will be required to make National Insurance Contributions. There will be NO exceptions.

Income Tax.
- Full time students may be exempt from PAYE and will need to complete a P38(s) tax form upon arrival at the farm. As soon as the earnings of a student employee go above their Personal Allowance, the employer will need to start deducting PAYE tax from your payments to them. If they do not reach the tax Personal Allowance threshold at the end of the employment then they are entitled to claim back some of the tax at the end of financial year. This can be done via the tax office in the UK.
- Non-students will not be PAYE exempt and will have to pay PAYE from the day that they start work in the UK. If they do not reach the tax Personal Allowance threshold at the end of the employment then they are entitled to claim back some of the tax at the end of financial year. This can be done via the tax office in the UK.
Charge for accommodation. This is usually deducted on a weekly basis and will be recorded on the payslip.
Deposit – Most farmers and growers providing on-farm accommodation will require participants to pay a deposit against damage to the accommodation and facilities. Deposits are returned to the participant when they leave the farm providing no damage is done and the accommodation is left in a clean condition.
Each farm will write to participants with full details of all deductions before they travel to UK if there is sufficient time. Please provide an email address for this reason.

Whilst on the farm

10. LENGTH OF TIME A PARTICIPANT CAN EXPECT TO WORK ON A FARM AND REMAIN IN THE UK

The maximum period of time a SAWS participant can work in the UK is 6 months (26 weeks).
SAWS - Right to Work will be granted for the same dates as those recorded on the SAWS Workcard. Any participant wishing to extend his or her stay up to a maximum of 6 months is able to do so, providing work is available.
The average period of time that work is available for participants is 22-24 weeks. Most jobs are available for up to 6 months.
It is sometimes planned that applicants have 2 work placements in succession.
It is very important that participants stay working on the farms for the whole time that the farmers have requested. Participants who leave their work placements early when work is still available will not be invited to participate in the SAWS again.

11. HEALTH & SAFETY
The employer has a prime responsibility to ensure all employees are safe without threat to their health when working. The employer has a duty to ensure all employees are trained in safe working practices.

Training is provided on farm as part of the induction programme.

12. WORKING TIME REGULATIONS
The Working Time Regulations implement the European Working Time Directive. The basic rights and protections that the regulations provide are:

A limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work. An individual worker may agree to work more than 48 hours a week. If so, he or she could sign an opt-out agreement to agree, which they can cancel at any time.

Example of opt-out agreement
I ( name ) agree that I may work for more than an average of 48 hours a week. If I change my mind, I will give my employer
( amount of time – up to three months ) notice in writing to end this agreement.
Signed…….............. Dated …………………………………

Employers must record their working hours including when on piecework.
Employers cannot force a worker to sign an opt-out. Any opt-out must be agreed to. Workers cannot be dismissed or subjected to detriment for refusing to sign an opt-out.
Employers must keep a record of who has agreed to work longer hours.
It is unlikely that many workers will be offered more than an average of 48 hours work in a week.
A right to 11 hours rest a day.
A right to a day off each week.
A right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than five and half hours (rest break of at least 30 minutes). Rest breaks are not counted as working time and workers do not have to be paid during rest breaks. Employers must make sure workers can take their rest breaks, but are not required to make sure that they do take their rest breaks.
A right to paid holiday, which if not taken will be accrued and paid at the end of the employment. The amount of holiday pay depends on how long you work at the farm.
Further information is available from the Employment Relations page of the DTI Website: http://www.berr.gov.uk / or ACAS 08457 47 47 47.

13. TYPE OF CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT A PARTICIPANT MAY BE ISSUED WITH BY A FARMER OR GROWER (THE EMPLOYER)

This may be detailed in the Welcome Letter that some farmers send to all participants
All participants should be given written pay details and a statement of employment particulars (contract of employment) when they start work at the farm.
Many of the jobs available to SAWS participants will be offered on a “zero hours” basis, this means that there is no guarantee of work or continuity of work. It means that an employer is not obliged to offer work to a participant every day. In reality most participants are offered work 5 or 6 days/week throughout the season. Should there be a low amount of work for a period of more than 10 days then HOPS will make every attempt to find work with an alternative HOPS registered employer.
Some of the jobs available to SAWS participants will be based on a fixed term contract, usually the finish date will the same as the finish date recorded on the SAWS Workcard, or when the work at the farm ceases, whichever is the sooner.

14. IF WORK AT A PARTICULAR FARM BECOMES SCARCE (UNPLANNED, FOR EXAMPLE DUE TO A CROP FAILURE OR POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS) the following will apply:-

HOPS will use its best endeavour to find alternative work placements for the affected participants. This may include arrangements for the temporary loan of participants to work on nearby HOPS registered farms.
Participants may be asked to accept a short period of reduced or perhaps no work if it is clear that full work will soon become available. In these circumstances employers will be asked to suspend accommodation charges.
In extreme circumstances it may be that there is NO work available and in such cases participants will be required to return home.

Transfers

15. IF PARTICIPANTS FAIL TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE SAWS, the following applies:-

Although you may apply to join the SAWS and may be offered a work placement by HOPS, we do recognise that, for some applicants, the experience may differ from your expectations and you may find it difficult to continue to participate in the scheme. By far the majority of participants enjoy their work experience on a UK farm and it may be that with further explanation, and more encouragement, you will too.
If you are experiencing difficulty in participating in SAWS, for whatever reason, then we would strongly recommend that you speak to your work supervisor on the farm in the first instance. The farm should understand that you may be homesick; and in some instances may be able to offer alternative work if that which you are currently being asked to perform is unsuitable or difficult for you. Furthermore, if you cannot participate in the scheme due to illness, then your work supervisor should be able to help you obtain medical attention.
Participants’ behaviour at the farm - We expect all participants to be of good behaviour on and off the farm. We also expect participants to act towards the Employer, his staff and the other HOPS participants at the farm in an honest and friendly manner. If you cause ANY problems on or off the farm, or if you do not keep the farm rules, or the UK law, then you may be dismissed by the farmer and asked to return home. The facts may be reported to the (word removed), Work Abuse and your University (if applicable).
If the above courses of action are not applicable, or do not work for you, then the farm will contact the HOPS office for further guidance. We may be able to find you an alternative employer, more suited to your requirements and expectations. If this is not acceptable then you will need to make arrangements for your removal from the SAWS and departure from the farm.

16. TRANSFER SYSTEM
This is a system whereby participants of SAWS can apply to HOPS to move to another farm. This system also helps farmers and growers who have the capacity (both work and accommodation) to employ more participants to get extra labour quickly. In most cases your employer must give permission for you to transfer to another farm.

If work has finished at the farm and a participant has been in the UK for less than 6 months, s/he should apply to HOPS for a transfer to another farm. If another job can be found for the participant, new paperwork will be issued. The new documents will be an official extension to their right to work in the UK.

17. PARTICIPANTS THAT ABUSE THE RIGHT TO WORK
Participants can work ONLY for the business named on the Workcard and for the dates recorded on the Workcard – up to a maximum of 6 months. Employers of SAWS participants are obliged to inform the scheme Operator (HOPS) if any participant leaves the farm without notice or under suspicious circumstances. This information will be logged on the Home Office database system and the participant will be reported to Work Abuse.

Returnees

18. PARTICIPANTS RETURNING TO SAWS FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Participants are able to participate in the scheme as many times as they would like. Participants returning to the scheme must meet the normal criteria to participate, i.e. they must be 18 years of age or over.

If an applicant wishes to reapply either in the same academic year or the following year, they must first wait a minimum of 3 months before reapplying. It is not possible to issue another Workcard to an applicant if they have not waited at least 3 months before reapplying. This is a Home Office ruling.

19. INVITING NAMED PARTICIPANTS TO RETURN TO A FARM FOR A SECOND YEAR
HOPS operates a system whereby farmers and growers can invite named participants back to the farm for another season. These participants are known as ‘Returnee applicants’.

At the end of the year HOPS asks all farmers and growers to consider if they would like to invite any participant back to the farm for the following year. Often the very best workers only are invited back to work for the farm for another season.

If this is the case HOPS will issue a new application form for collection from your In-Country Representative for the subsequent year.

Accommodation

20. TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION THAT IS PROVIDED BY FARMERS AND GROWERS
There are many different types of accommodation provided by farmers and growers ranging from caravan accommodation to a farm cottage or a farm hostel.

It is usual for participants to share all facilities, so they must expect some communal facilities. However, where reasonably practical, separate ablutions (toilet and bathing facilities) are provided for men and for women. In some instances, particularly on small farm units, accommodation may be shared by both genders. In this case specific space will be reserved for each gender to ensure some level of privacy.

In many cases, accommodation is single sex and provision for co-habiting couples is not always possible. It is important that co-habiting couples note that they may not be able to share accommodation whilst participating on the SAWS.

There will be NO accommodation available for dependants. (Whole sentence removed).

The most common form of on-farm accommodation is provided in mobile homes or static caravans – with space provided for food preparation/eating, ablutions, sleeping and resting. It is usual for groups of 4 or 6 participants to share a mobile home or static caravan.

Another common form of accommodation is provided in a portable structure (such as a portacabin) that is furnished for sleeping and resting. Often, the food preparation and ablutions will be provided on other specifically equipped units adjacent to the sleeping/rest units.

HOPS will visit each farm annually to check the accommodation provided is of a suitable standard.

Insurance

21. REPATRIATION INSURANCE
All applicants must equip themselves with suitable insurance. They must provide paper based evidence of insurance upon arrival at the farm, if you have purchased your insurance policy independently, rather than the NFU Mutual Policy offered by HOPS, the document MUST be translated into English. HOPS will also need a translated copy for their records. Participants arriving with no insurance cover are expected to immediately buy suitable cover for the duration of their stay in the UK or to immediately leave the HOPS.

The basic insurance must provide the following cover:-

Repatriation to the participants’ home country in the case of serious illness or injury and in the case of death the repatriation of the body or ashes. This cover should extend to paying for the door-to-door travel from the UK hospital to the participants home or local hospital.
In the case of a serious illness or injury requiring repatriation, a letter from the Consultant Doctor leading the medical treatment in the UK hospital should activate insurance.
It is strongly recommended that the insurance also provides provision for the participants’ Next of Kin (members of the immediate family) to travel to the UK in the case of serious illness, injury or a death. This cover should extend to paying for the door-to-door travel to the UK hospital and return door-to-door travel home and the costs of accommodation and living expenses whilst in the UK. It should also cover the provision of the services of an interpreter in the hospital if required.

HOPS is able to offer participants the opportunity to purchase repatriation insurance cover provided by the NFU Mutual Insurance. Most employers require participants from HOPS to have the NFU insurance as a condition of employment. Please click here for details of the policy. It must be noted that participants are required to equip themselves with suitable insurance and the use of the cover provided by HOPS is not mandatory. Please note that following research, HOPS, HOPS registered employers and HOPS In-Country Representatives are confident that the NFU Mutual Insurance represents the best service and value for money available to participants. It is, therefore, highly recommended that all participants equip themselves with this insurance.

Cancelling your application

22. CANCELLATION POLICY

Applicants may cancel their application or participation at any time.
All cancellations MUST be made in writing (letter, fax or email) to HOPS at the address recorded above and by no other means.
Applicants who cancel their application BEFORE they travel to the UK, and BEFORE the Workcard has been issued will have NFU Insurance fee (if applicable) refunded to them in full.
Applicants who cancel their application BEFORE they travel to the UK, but after the Workcard has been issued will have NFU Insurance fee (if applicable) refunded to them in full.
Applicants who cancel their participation in the SAWS AFTER they have arrived in the UK and started work will NOT have any fees paid for any services refunded.

Refund of fees

All bank charges/fees are to be paid by the applicant.
Refunds will be made as soon as it is reasonably practical after notification of the cancellation.
If applications are made via an In-Country Representative, the refund payment will be sent direct to the in-country representative and in the interest of reducing the bank charges, refunds will be sent in one payment only – all refunds due to applicants from a single in-country representative will be sent together.

Cars & driving

23. CARS AND DRIVING IN THE UK
Cars
Before buying a car participants MUST seek permission to keep a car on the farm from the employer. Please note, not many farmers allow cars on their farms. If the farmer does agree, he will ask to see all the documents that car owners MUST HAVE concerning the car – these are a current MOT certificate, a current Tax disc and an Insurance Policy before a car can be driven on the road. The Insurance Policy will cost several hundreds of pounds. If you purchase a car without the permission of the farm, you will be asked to dispose of or remove the vehicle.

Driving licences
Participants are advised to bring a driving licence with them if they plan to buy or hire or drive a car while they are in Britain.

What the law requires: The Law allows "a person resident outside the United Kingdom who is temporarily in Great Britain", to "drive in the UK during a period of 12 months from the date of entry into the United Kingdom" provided that s/he holds an international driving permit or a domestic driving permit from a country outside the UK. We are advised that the date of entry should be the first original date of entry to the UK.

Driving in the UK

It is strongly recommended that all drivers purchase a copy of the "Highway Code" which is available from newsagents for around £2.50.

Complaints

24. COMPLAINTS
HOPS recognises that, for the majority of applicants participating in the SAWS, this will be the first long stay away from home. As such it will be an exciting, learning experience; but we also recognise that it can be a traumatic experience for some participants.

We want all participants to gain the most from their work experience: from learning about British agriculture, learning about our culture and earning money in the process. We are here to help you get the most from your stay in the UK.

If you have a concern about your work placement, the work you are undertaking, the wages you are earning, your accommodation, your access to social and cultural facilities then please discuss these with your Supervisor on the farm on which you are working in the first instance.

If the farm is unable to resolve your concerns satisfactorily, then the next stage is for you to contact the HOPS office, usually by telephone. If your complaints are concerning wages, you must make the complaints IN WRITING and attach photocopies of your payslips together with precise details of the number of hours you worked EVERY DAY. We will then agree with you a suitable course of action to address your concerns. It is essential that participants retain all of their payslips for this purpose.

We will need to discuss all complaints with the host farm – however please note the details of the participant making the complaint will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with the host farm without your permission.

Data Protection & Disclaimer

25. DATA PROTECTION/SECURITY
Use of Personal Information. All details supplied to HOPS by farmers & growers, participants and partner organisations will only be used to administer the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

The information will only be shared with:-

The UK Home Office (for example the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, The Immigration Service, Police Service)
Any other government department, local government department or statutory body with an interest in the SAWS
Any individual or organisation working under contract to HOPS
The participants that are registered to HOPS
The third party organisations that HOPS works with in partnership
The farmers and growers that are registered to HOPS

HOPS may share aggregated demographic information with our partner organisations, for example overseas Universities. This is not linked to any personal information that can identify any individual person.

Disclosure of Information. Personal details will only be used by HOPS, and shared with the parties recorded above. HOPS will NOT disclose this information to anyone else without first obtaining written consent from the individual concerned.

Mailing addresses and email addresses. HOPS will not send unwanted mail, junk mail or email messages, nor knowingly pass addresses or email addresses to any third party engaged in such activities. Furthermore HOPS takes every precaution to minimise the risk of computer viruses using stored email address lists to send unsolicited email.

Questions concerning the way HOPS uses personal information should be directed to the HOPS General Manager via telephone, post, fax or email.

26. DISCLAIMER
HOPS Labour Solutions has used its best endeavours to ensure that the content, layout and text of this document is accurate, complete and suitable for its stated purpose. It makes no warranties, express or implied, that compliance with the contents of this document shall be sufficient to ensure safe systems at work or operation. HOPS Labour Solutions will not be liable to pay compensation in respect of the content or subsequent use of this document for any purpose other than its stated purpose or for any purpose other than that for which it was prepared except where it can be shown to have acted in bad faith or there has been wilful default.