Query regarding working directly

[dtprice]

Hi Folks,
A contact in a Primary Care Trust in the South West has just asked me if I'm interested in going to do some interim management & consultancy work with them.
I'd like to do this but have only ever had contracts through agencies before. I'm assuming that I'll give the Primary care trust a quote for daily rates, then they riase a PO and I'll invoice them for work at whatever period we agree-on, but what I wanted to know was, is there extra paperwork that I should be raising too ?
I was thinking along the lines of some form of contract between me and the PCT in terms of core hours, no of hours to work in the day, bank holidays, termination periods, payment terms, etc.
Do I have to do this if I'm in a "just keep feeding me POs and I'll keep giving you invoices for IT Consultancy" type setup ?
I wouldn't mind a bit of advice from any you chaps who have or are working directly with a client to know what you did.
Thanks.
DTP

[malvolio]

You need a contract to clarify deliverables, and, more importantly, payment terms and terminations. They need not be hugely complex but they exist to cover both sides when things go wrong (which they will, this is the NHS oafter all...). Using POs is good but each one represents a contract for services but subject to the TRust's default trading rules, so you may as well have everthing clearly defined to your advantage.

PCG do some solid ones (The Direct Client ones are members only, sadly, but you are a member, of course.). You then invoice them directly at whatever frequency and they pay you. Except there will likely be 30-90 days between the two events...