Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus – The Customer Journey to the Work Programme

Linda Germon Southern England Group Provision Manager

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• The Government wants to Get Britain Working

• This will require the support of all our partners, employers and providers who have the expertise and local knowledge to give individuals the tailored support they need to find work

• Get Britain Working is the ‘umbrella’ title for a new model to help people off benefits into work and includes:

– More flexible Jobcentre Plus Offer

– Get Britain Working Measures and the

– Work Programme

Background

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Jobcentre Plus Offer

• Greater focus on diagnosing claimants’ individual needs

• More flexibility and responsibility for Jobcentre Plus advisers

• Raised expectations of claimants’ commitment to finding work

• Extending range of digital services

• District Managers flexibility

– Flexible Support Fund

– autonomy to use resources as needed locally

– provision could vary not only at District level but down to site level

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Get Britain Working Measures

• Work Clubs

• Work Together

• Work Experience

• Enterprise Clubs

• New Enterprise Allowance

• Mandatory Work Activity

• Sector-based work academies (to be launched August 2011)

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Additional Support available

• Support Contract

– modular jobsearch support

• Work Choice

– to support those with disabilities

• Support for people dependant on drugs and or alcohol

• Mental Health

– network of Mental Health Co-ordinators in each JCP District

– mental health awareness training for JCP advisers

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• A key part of the pre-Work Programme offer for JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants from day one of their claim

• Jobcentre Plus - light touch skills screening

• Next Step – in depth assessment and careers and skills advice

• No ring-fenced skills budgets for individual programmes

• Working with colleges, training providers – responsive to local need

• Focused on preparing active benefit claimants to move quickly into work

• Working with employers and NAS to maximise apprenticeship take-up

• Skills Funding Agency European Social Fund provision

• Skills Conditionality – due to Go Live 1 August 2011

The Skills Offer

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Universal Credit

– will make sure that work pays

Incapacity Benefits Reassessment

– Trials began October 2010

– Reassessment exercise is on track to be completed by Spring 2014

Lone Parent Obligations

– From April 2011 lone parents with a youngest child aged seven and over

– New Welfare Reform Bill – the age threshold will be reduced to the age of five

Contribution based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

– Introducing a time limit of one year for contributory based ESA

Pension Reform & Equalisation

– From 6 April 2010 the age for when women receive their state pension started to increase

The Changing Welfare Agenda

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DWP European Social Fund

• To fund voluntary access to the Work Programme for Income Support and/or Incapacity Benefit claimants who would otherwise be ineligible for the Work Programme

• To support people in worklessness households with complex needs overcome barriers to employment

Convergence (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly)

• Will mirror above and;

• Delivers motivation, confidence building, personal development through social enterprise (until December 2011)

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• Referrals to the new Work Programme started 13 June in the South West

• Local provision designed & delivered by providers

• Radical change to payment by results and performance measures

• Will help people with a wide variety of needs

• Forms a coherent package complementing Jobcentre Plus support and Get Britain Working measures

• Previous complex array of contracted provision ends

The Work Programme

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Work Programme eligibility

Claimant Group Time of Referral Basis for referral

Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants aged 25+

From 12 months Mandatory

JSA claimants aged 18-24 From 9 months Mandatory

JSA claimants who have recently moved from Incapacity Benefit

From 3 months Mandatory

JSA claimants who are seriously disadvantaged by one or more factors

From 3 months Mandatory or voluntary depending on circumstances

All Employment Support Allowance (ESA) claimants

At any time Voluntary

ESA (income related) Work Related Activity Group

When claimants are expected to be fit for work within 3 months

Mandatory

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Successful South West Work Programme Providers

Prospects & Working Links

Devon & Cornwall

Dorset & Somerset

JHP & Rehab Jobfit

Wiltshire & Swindon

Gloucestershire & West of England

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Working at Local Level

Jobcentre Plus and Work Programme Providers are working locally to:

• Understand individual Provider Customer Journey

• Define joint working with Strategic Partners

• To agree co-location and outreach

• Agree a joint strategy for working with employers

• Working together

– to share Labour Market Information

– to understand local economic position

– to recognise the full range of support available from partners

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Contact Details

Group Provision Manager: Linda GermonTel: 01626 325418Mob: 07795 267357Email: linda.germon@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk