jobcentre on watchinga4e.blogspot.com

Watching A4e: Jobcentre Plus Support contract winners

2009 Jobcentre Plus Support contract winners The winners of the JCP Support contracts have been announced. These are to support what the Jobcentres do for people who are newly unemployed or threatened with redundancy. Or if you prefer, they are to do what Jobcentres should be doing if they had enough staff. Of the 24 contract areas, A4e has won 6, more than any other provider. Next is JHP Group with 4 areas, and then Ingeus (formerly Work Directions) with

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/10/jobcentre-plus-support-contract-winners.html (94.0kb)

Watching A4e: October 2009

is even greater. Jobcentre Plus has been overwhelmed by the numbers of newly unemployed, and have had to take on more staff. But this is a temporary measure. On the basis of public-sector-bad, private-sector-good, JCP Support contracts are in place, with private companies offering the kind of support to claimants that they would once have expected from the Jobcentre itself. The Conservatives promise an even smaller role for Jobcentre Plus. Their "Work Programme" will see

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html (119.5kb)

Watching A4e: March 2010

professional to the Jobcentre. Here, it picked up the fact that most of the local job vacancies advertised are either not local at all or are entirely spurious. Figures for vacancies are being fiddled with "speculative" jobs. Zero hours jobs are still being advertised in disguised form, although outlawed. It was said that many employers will not advertise vacancies through the Jobcentres because they are seen as serving the bottom end of the skills market; and private recruitment

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html (135.3kb)

Watching A4e: September 2009

mention of the New Deal or Jobcentre Support contracts, but all we got were a couple of cliches about how the Bill was "to take forward more support" for people looking for work and, "We're a society that cares for people." Either the omission was deliberate, or it reflected the irrelevance of these hugely expensive contracts. This morning the Guardian reports the results of a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses, called "The Jobcentre is not working" . Again, there is

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (126.0kb)

Watching A4e: July 2009

impacted upon the role of Jobcentre Plus and both provider and customer experience of outsourced employment programmes? • Will the customer charter proposed by DWP ensure that customers, Jobcentre Plus and contractors know what they can expect of employment programmes? • Will contract management in the prime contractor model be transparent and effective in monitoring quality throughout the supply chain, and in maintaining a role for sub-contractors? If anyone wants to

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html (147.2kb)

Watching A4e: The next privatisation?

be the contracting-out of Jobcentre Plus. The JCP Support contracts would seem to pave the way for that. Any thoughts? Posted by historian at 08:49 Labels: JCP Support 2 comments: Ex-Civil Servant said... If Jobcentre Plus are contracted out to the private sector what will happen to the permanent Jobcentre staff who are enrolled in the Civil Service final salary pension scheme? If they were to choose

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/09/next-privatisation.html (95.4kb)

Watching A4e: A Brief History of Welfare-to-Work

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/10/brief-history-of-welfare-to-work.html (103.1kb)

Watching A4e: Flexible New Deal - no choice

said... Ignore what Jobcentre Plus says. You will never get a choice to which one you want to choose. You CAN however, request a change of provider (just like you could change your New Deal provision type at anytime on New Deal - although the Jobcentre refuses to allow this in most cases - as I learnt). 13 January 2010 08:04 Milly Tant said... Thanks Historian for the research and explaining, in detail, why provider choice will not be available to

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010/01/flexible-new-deal-no-choice.html (70.2kb)

Watching A4e: File on Four

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010/03/file-on-four.html (66.5kb)

Watching A4e: Don't mention New Deal

Do individual jobcentre know what Flexible New Deal is? I ask because in December an appointment for a "FND Stage 3 Subsequent Review" was made for this Friday at Leith jobcentre.Thus far they have not explained or given me anything in writing about FND, or of course, what happened to Stages 1-2.But come Friday, I will arrive with a list of questions in case they neglect to tell me more about FND.I have heard of this happening to others. Anyone else had the same

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010/01/dont-mention-new-deal.html (71.2kb)

Watching A4e: August 2009

only refer them back to the Jobcentre after a specified period of absence. They were subjected to what was called, wrongly, "tough love" and told that, "There isn't one of you in this room that can't go out and get a job tomorrow and that is a fact." That's rubbish, but a great many viewers would believe it. But as if to demonstrate this, the five remaining women got work trials with Poundland and four of them stayed, on minimum wage. Emma Harrison was allowed to deliver the mantras

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html (154.7kb)

Watching A4e: November 2009

and can be read on the Jobcentre Plus website. It "was developed by ERSA, the representative body for independent providers of publicly funded welfare-to-work programmes and is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, including Jobcentre Plus, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)" and was launched by Jim Knight MP. All the providers, including A4e, have signed up to it. "It includes commitments from

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html (139.0kb)

Watching A4e: FND Results

if you don't do this the Jobcentre will know you've signed off. The only reasons to refuse to get the form signed are i) you don't want the provider to get the outcome payment or ii) you don't want the employer to know that you've been on a programme. 21 April 2010 11:19 Milly Tant said... Historian: Ingeus gave me the impression that they would not be informed by the Jobcentre when a client signs off when I queried that the Jobcentre

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010/04/fnd-results.html (68.2kb)

Watching A4e: Don't mention New Deal

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/09/dont-mention-new-deal.html (94.9kb)

Watching A4e: January 2010

was referred to FND by his Jobcentre adviser and told he was going to A4e. He expressed a preference for the other provider in the area, but was told he did not have the choice. His protests were ignored. In looking for the original description of FND I came across the Flexible New Deal Regulations 2009 and found that, while the intention was " to drive up performance through larger, longer contracts and through competition driven by customer choice", they had run into two

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html (111.7kb)

Watching A4e: Inquiry into contracted employment programmes

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/07/inquiry-into-contracted-employment.html (65.5kb)

Watching A4e: Two Memoranda

and can check with the Jobcentre that the client is off benefit. Para 3.11 states "A4e encourages whistleblowing as it serves as another important mechanism for identifying fraud. A4e has strengthened its whistleblowing procedures to encourage other staff members to disclose concerns about malpractice. A4e also believe that an independent body acting as an Ombudsman for the industry may be an effective way of regaining a sense of openness and accountability in the industry. As more

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-memoranda.html (98.2kb)

Watching A4e: "Our Shared Promise on Customer Care"

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/11/our-shared-promise-on-customer-care.html (96.8kb)

Watching A4e: Benefit Busters, episode 1

under the direction of the Jobcentres. Concentrate on real skills training and on addressing the issues which hinder people from being able or willing to work. Lots more could be said on this point, but I would urge you to look at the figures. 21 August 2009 02:51 Previously Anonymous said... Apologies if I come across as pompous, most definitely not my intent. Merely trying to observe from the other side of the fence.I'm all for public challenge but I do

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/08/benefit-busters-episode-1.html (130.5kb)

Watching A4e: Good news from the Tories

effectively mean the end of Jobcentre Plus, where bureaucrats design training programmes for the unemployed." Presumably Lord Freud thinks private companies can design better programmes than "bureaucrats" - and I did speculate recently that JCP would be next for privatisation. As the article says, this plan is based on the American model. People like Lord Freud are evangelical about the role of private profit in getting the jobless into work. Good news for A4e and all the other

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/10/good-news-from-tories.html (103.1kb)

Watching A4e: Why it's so hard to claim job outcomes

for Employment and the Jobcentre to place candidates." Great news for people who get work. But if the agency places A4e clients as "flexible" staff, without guaranteeing them 13 weeks work, they can't be claimed as job outcomes. Posted by historian at 06:05 Labels: A4e , Barker Ross , New Deal , Veolia 9 comments: New Deal Scandal said... The problem is... it is rather difficult to bring a fraud

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-its-so-hard-to-claim-job-outcomes.html (107.5kb)

Watching A4e: A quiet time

complaint to your PA at the jobcentre, even if you feel they will not take your complaint seriously because THEN you can contact your MP.The important thing is to follow the correct complaints procedure - so you don't give the provider any ammunition to use against you. And don't be afraid to stand up for your rights. Dignity and self-respect! 19 April 2010 07:27 Milly Tant said... Last time I signed on (I'm on FND) the clerk asked "who

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010/04/quiet-time.html (70.6kb)

Watching A4e: A disappointed customer

services provided by Jobcentre Plus and private contractors such as A4E after trying to hire staff." It describes the experience of "Richard Cook, director of London-based Champion Communications" who "said he had two vacancies and had approached A4E for help but had been left disillusioned by the experience." The A4e office was not prepared for that sort of enquiry, asked whether he could take on non-graduates, but didn't ask what his business did. "He does not know to this day

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/11/disappointed-customer.html (97.9kb)

Watching A4e: May 2010

criticises the attitude of Jobcentre Plus; but is most scathing about A4e. "Dealing with A4e made me feel like Alice in Wonderland. Their glossy full-colour brochure promises positive thinking and cool break-out spaces; in reality, it is a chaotic, greyish office in Archway where no one seems to have a clue what's going on." She describes her experience: "My A4e coaches seemed nice enough. But the basic equation went like this: I would recount to them my efforts to find a job, and when I

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html (133.7kb)

Watching A4e: February 2010

a number of reasons. The Jobcentre Plus website says: " The help is tailored specifically for each person taking part in the programme." But instead what's happening is "creaming and parking". Inevitably, if you pay by results, i.e. job outcomes, contractors will cream off the clients most likely to get jobs and park the ones who have little motivation or who have serious problems. The economic situation has meant serious financial problems for the contractors. "As providers were

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html (111.4kb)

Watching A4e: Medex and the care home industry

Jobcentre Plus Leicester Community Legal Advice Centre Blog Archive ► 2010 (44) ► March (18) New business and old What a good idea! Accountability File on Four More tweets The Good News and the Bad News New Deal on the BBC Tweeting about India What next? Famous, Rich and Jobless, Part

http://watchinga4e.blogspot.com/2009/10/medex-and-care-home-industry.html (99.1kb)

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