APPENDIX 42
Visit to South Wales 5-6 March
NOTES OF THE VISIT
WEDNESDAY
5 MARCH
JOBCENTRE PLUS,
MERTHYR TYDFIL
Linda Badman, District Manager, Jobcentre Plus,
Eastern Valleys
— Jobcentre Plus was not due to be
rolled out in the Eastern Valleys District until 2004-05. There
was therefore a lack of resources and Incapacity Benefit claimants
attended work focussed interviews as volunteers.
— Customer perception was vital and
the message that there are vacancies and that unemployment was
lower must be impressed on IB claimants.
— Research had been undertaken locally:
30% did not participate; 15% had eventually been seen by a Personal
Advisor.
— Overcoming perceptions had been difficult.
Many IB claimants are dealt with almost entirely by mail and it
is hard to coax them into JCP offices. There had been a minimal
response to Jobcentre Plus initiatives. Overcoming employer perceptions
had resulted in greater employer participation.
— Intervention was difficult given
the current lack of resources, but was considered to be a worthwhile
investment.
— Partnership working had at times
been problematic because of the contract requirements. There was
too much competition between contracted companies in the same
geographical area. Payment by results also gives problems. The
Welsh Assembly was the lead body in the allocation of European
Social Funds.
— There should be greater financial
incentives for those eligible for the New Deal for 50+. A greater
mandate to intervene and simplification of the IB process would
also be helpful.
— Large numbers are claiming IB because
they believe they cannot work, but a large proportion could be
helped. The jobs market had changed faster than the perceptions
of customers.
Discussion with customers and providers
Work Preparation
— Work Preparation helps those with
more challenging support needs back into work. Many of whom have
been unemployed for a considerable time. Cases are referred by
Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs).
— A key issue addressed by Work Preparation
is negative attitudes towards work brought on being out of the
labour market for long periods.
— Participants undertake voluntary
work placements to slowly reintroduce them to work. Placements
are unpaid, but travel costs are covered and employers may receive
help from JCP to cover disability-related employment costs.
Access to Work
— More than half of the clients who
were helped by Access to Work were in employment, around a third
were entering work and 8% were self-employed.
— One of the main problems identified
with Access to Work was getting hold of the equipment.
Job Brokers
— Voluntary participation in NDDP means
that the number of people coming foward is relatively low, but
volunteers do tend to be highly motivated. However, a common misperception
is that there are no jobs available.
— Participants are recruited through
marketing activities, Jobcentre Plus and recommendations from
family and friends.
— Clients can have multiple disabilities
but many do not regard themselves as disabled. Barriers to work
can be self-perceived, clients often have low self-esteem and
with support can be made work-ready.
— Financial barriers also need to be
surmounted and advisers do use the Adviser Discretionary Fund
to finance the gap between benefits and work.
— Participants have informal meetings
with job broker, an action plan is agreed and they both work together
to enable the participant to move into employment. Contact and
support continues after the participant has found a job.
— Employers do need to be educated
to see peoples' abilities, not disabilities. Also, linking NDDP
with community development is very important.
MERTHYR TYDFIL
INSTITUTE FOR
THE BLIND
— The Institute provide supported rehabilitation,
training and employment, as well as encouraging progression into
mainstream employment.
— Although the budget per participant
has decreased with the change from Supported Employment to Workstep,
advantages of Workstep are: it can offer flexible and tailored
support; and it can improve the opportunities for client progression
through training and development.
Thursday 6 March
REMPLOY BRIDGEND
— Remploy is an important part of the
intermediary labour market and Workstep is a form of rehabilitation
for disabled people.
— Workstep needs to be more individually
centred. Employment programmes such as Workstep and Access to
Work are not sufficiently flexible to allow people to move around—a
convergence of programmes is needed.
— The benefits system is not flexible
enough and hampers individuals' development in employment. The
hours gap between 8 and 16 hours in work is too wide for many
to cross.
— Remploy now relies less on JCP for
recruiting clients and more on direct marketing. But reaching
disabled people is a problem.
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