Further information from DWP (PC 01D)
LOCAL SERVICE
As part of the modernisation programme, there
have been a series of boundary changes to the existing clusters
in Local Service in order to better align us with local authority
boundaries throughout the country and achieve a better distribution
of work. The aim of this was to facilitate referrals and partnership
working and enable us to deliver a more efficient service to older
people.
The existing Local Service network of 165 clusters
was re-organised into 133 clusters, with the new structure determined
through analysis of a mixture of factors eg pensioner population
and the number of local authority relationships a cluster has.
No one factor was given more weighting than another and the new
clusters were designed to ensure an even distribution of workload.
You will be aware there is a commitment for
The Pension Service to reduce headcount as part of the overall
Department for Work and Pensions Efficiency Challenge announced
by the Chancellor In February 2004. As a contribution to this
commitment, Local Service has reduced staffing levels from 3,075
at 31 March 2004 to 2,675 in 1 October 2004.
All management posts in the new Local Service
structure were advertised to the existing 188 Local Service Delivery
Managers. Thirty three chose not to apply and seek employment
elsewhere in the Department. A further 22 were unsuccessful in
their application for the Local Service Delivery Manager posts
and were also made available for redeployment elsewhere within
the Department.
We have defined procedures for managing sensitively
those people who became available for redeployment, and these
procedures have been subject to Trade Union consultation. Eleven
of the Local Service Delivery Managers available for redeployment
have now found alternative employment.
The Pension Service
1 November 2004
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