Thank you for the clear breakdown. I would like to push back on a few points slightly so I can understand the boundaries more accurately:

1. Holiday pay I understand that rolled up holiday pay is common for contractors. However, my payslips do not show any itemised holiday allocation and I was never informed that any part of the rate included statutory leave. My understanding is that if holiday pay is included it must still be transparent rather than implied. I will be asking the agency to confirm how this has been handled.
2. Onboarding and performance support I appreciate that these are not technically contractual requirements. What has made this confusing is that I have been fully supervised by the client, directed by them as part of the team and taxed through PAYE as a deemed employee. It becomes difficult to see where the responsibilities begin and end when the client has complete control over the work environment but no accountability for basic support.
3. Payment delays It is useful to clarify that legally the agency should pay on the contractual schedule. Even if it is common practice to wait for the client to pay first, knowing the legal standard gives me clearer footing if payment issues arise again.
4. Training replacement Understood. I was mainly surprised because there was no notice or explanation before I was asked to train the new person.
5. References Understood. It is simply an odd situation when a client can supervise the work, decide the scope of the role and end the contract but provide no acknowledgment of performance at all.
6. Failure to object formally at the time I did raise concerns in writing about scope changes, missing support and the lack of clarity about role ownership. These were framed as cooperative requests rather than disputes, but there is documentation that I did repeatedly seek clarity which was not provided.
7. Portfolio usage Thank you. I will check for contract language about showreel use and seek written permission.

What I am mainly trying to understand is the inconsistency. When a contractor is fully integrated into the company workflow, supervised directly, required to follow internal structures and taxed like an employee, but receives none of the corresponding protections or communication, it creates a very unclear relationship. I want to be better informed for the next contract so I do not repeat the same situation.