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10 July 2006 : Column 1591W—continued
Contact Centres are responsible for Jobseekers Direct and the contribution that service makes to the overall performance targets. In 2004/05 the Contact Centre target was 885,870 points, performance was 32% below profile with 602,295 points being achieved. In 2005/06 the target was 707,187 points, performance was 9% below profile, with 643,615 points being achieved.
For 2004/05, there were a number of factors that contributed to the Contact Centres network (Jobcentre Plus Direct) failing to achieve the Job Entry Target;
New staff were recruited and had to be trained. There was a dip in performance whilst these staff became fully effective.
Some slippage in the rollout of the new Jobcentre Plus model meant that, for a limited period, job entries were captured at Jobcentres instead of through the contact centre network.
In 2004/05 Contact Centres exceeded the target for Customer Service achieving 84% against a target of 81.6%. In 2005/06 performance dipped to 62.4% against a target of 81.2%. This was the result of the difficulties Jobcentre Plus Contact Centres experienced in responding to customer calls during the summer months of 2005. Robust plans were put in place to improve levels of customer service and as you know 96% of calls made to our First Contact service i.e. customers calling to make new claims to working age benefits, are now answered. This has resulted in significant improvements in the Customer Service target in recent months, with a reported 74.2% achieved in Quarter 3 and 80.8% in Quarter 4.
In addition to contributing to the two national performance targets, Contact Centre performance data is collected and measured through a set of internal Key Management Indicators. This information is collected on a centre-by-centre basis, as well as nationally, allowing Jobcentre Plus to continually monitor performance.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action is being taken to stabilise the performance of Jobcentre Plus. [76508]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what action is being taken to stabilise the performance of Jobcentre Plus. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
During 2005-2006, Jobcentre Plus worked to a set of challenging objectives, including a commitment to improve the ease with which our customers could access our services, and to increase the numbers of people moving into work.
Performance against job entry targets was closely monitored throughout the year at all levels of the business and improvement plans were initiated where any delivery unit fell below agreed standards. A job entry national action plan was introduced in September 2005 to address the shortfall in job entry performance in three main areas:
improving adviser performance—managers were advised how to improve adviser productivity and individual adviser improvement plans were implemented to support advisers;
increasing Jobcentre Plus access to vacancies—a national campaign publicising Jobcentre Plus services to targeted employers was launched; and
process management—for example senior management monitored progress against the plan on a weekly basis.
These measures will be further reinforced by the new Job Outcome Target, implemented nationally on 10 April following a pilot phase which ran from January 2005, which reduces the administration burden of the previous target so allowing staff to focus more attention on delivering the jobseeker's allowance interventions and the job outcomes that flow from them.
It is true that a number of Contact Centres experienced some difficulties in maintaining service levels during the summer of 2005. Immediate steps were taken to tackle the problems, through the recruitment and training of staff coupled with some process and management adjustments. These measures have allowed us to bring performance back towards expected levels and the network is now delivering sustained performance with almost 95 per cent. of all calls being answered.
Jobcentre Plus has learned from its experience of Contact Centre management, in particular on forecasting demand and ensuring that sufficient staffing is in place to deal with that demand. These were implemented successfully to meet the expected peak of claims in January 2006.
In addition, we have put action in hand to address temporary delays in processing claims, occurring in the wake of individual elements of the restructuring of Jobcentre Plus, including the launch of a National Action Plan on 30 January. Senior Operational Managers provided a formal assurance at the end of February that they were complying with all elements of the National Action Plan. To support the action plan, the Key Management Indicators which monitored Actual Average Clearance Times in 2005-06 have been converted to specific Jobcentre Plus Targets for 2006-07 .
I believe that, during 2005-06, Jobcentre Plus again proved itself to be a strong delivery organisation. We have met the challenges we faced last year and we go into the next operational year a stronger organisation with clear plans to deliver our performance targets.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will announce the provisional allocation of his Department’s early release money for 2007-08 to Jobcentre Plus and other departmental businesses. [80286]
Mr. Jim Murphy: In line with previous years, it is proposed that an indicative allocation of early release funding will be shared with Jobcentre Plus and the other departmental businesses in December 2006.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data is (a) collated and (b) published on the performance of each Jobcentre Plus district. [80291]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what data is (a) collated and (b) published on the performance of each Jobcentre Plus district. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Collated information on Jobcentre Plus district performance is published quarterly on the Jobcentre Plus website (www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk). The most recent data is for the period ending 31 March 2006 and consists of performance against:
the Job Entry target, which measures performance in helping people into work;
the Customer Service target which helps us to measure our service to all our customers; and
the Employer Outcome target, which measures how quickly and effectively employers’ recruitment needs are met.
From 1 April 2006 the Job Entry target was replaced by the Job Outcome target. From 1 April 2006 we also introduced the Average Actual Clearance Times target to measure and monitor how long it takes to process benefit claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit. Clearance times performance in respect of each of our Benefit Delivery Centres will be available on the Jobcentre Plus website during the summer.
I hope this is helpful.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that more staff in Jobcentres are trained to deal with clients suffering from mental illness. [83302]
Mrs. McGuire: All Jobcentre Plus staff who work directly with customers are provided with training and development during the first three months in their role to ensure they deal professionally with all customers including those with a mental illness.
Specifically, for dealing with customers with a mental illness, we have developed a two day learning event, with the co-operation of specialist organisations such as MIND, for all Advisers to equip them with the specialist skills they need.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the introduction of strengthened fortnightly job reviews for jobseeker’s allowance claimants. [76513]
Mr. Plaskitt: The 2006 Budget announced the introduction of strengthened Fortnightly Job Reviews (FJRs). These put greater emphasis on claimants to show that they are fulfilling their responsibilities by being available for and actively seeking work.
Discussing with claimants what they have done to find work has always been a regular feature of FJRs. The more people look for work, the greater their chances of success.
However, following significant investment in the modernization of Jobcentre Plus services, people now have faster, easier access to jobs through, for example Jobseeker Direct (our telephone-based job search and matching service) and the Internet. As a consequence, proportionately more time at fortnightly jobsearch reviews can now be used to check people are actively seeking work and making best use of all available vacancy sources and to take action, including possible benefit sanction, against those who appear not to be fulfilling their responsibilities. Matching and submitting people to jobs will still be a feature of some jobsearch reviews, primarily for those who appear to need more help in identifying and applying for jobs.
The strengthened FJR is also supported by a revised and simplified Jobseeker’s Agreement, which sets out individual job goals and responsibilities, and by a revised interview after 13 weeks on JSA. The 13 Week Review will ensure that claimants are prepared to take any suitable job from then on (some restriction to any usual occupation is permitted until that point) and that
where previous jobsearch appears insufficient or ineffective they are submitted to suitable vacancies to test their continued eligibility for JSA.
Judicial Review
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions an (a) individual and (b) organisation has applied for a judicial review of decisions of his Department in each year since 1997; and what the outcome was of each case where proceedings have been completed. [80492]
Mrs. McGuire: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Long-term Unemployed
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is for involving the long-term unemployed in service to the community. [81451]
Mr. Plaskitt: The valuable contribution voluntary work or paid participation in regeneration work can make to the community and the potential benefit it can bring for the individual is recognised by the Government. Such participation can help unemployed people to keep in touch with the labour market and enable them to develop skills and experience, with the possibility that it may help them find paid employment.
Jobseekers can do unlimited voluntary work without it affecting their benefit, as long as the usual entitlement conditions are met. Cases are decided on an individual basis according to the regulations, and people are required to report their participation in voluntary work. Jobseekers are exempt from the normal requirement to be immediately available for employment, being required only to be available at seven days notice, although they will be required to be available for interviews on being given 48 hours notice, if they are currently engaged in voluntary activity. Similar rules currently apply to Incapacity Benefit claimants and will apply when we introduce the Employment and Support Allowance.
By putting such easements in place we are trying to ensure entitlement conditions for benefits do not place unnecessary barriers in the way of undertaking voluntary work. However, this must sit within a benefit system that targets support at those who are not in full time remunerative work, and welfare to work policies that envisage full participation in the labour market for those who are able to do so. The current rules aim to strike a balance between allowing benefit recipients to pursue voluntary activity that can be of benefit to the community, while encouraging them to retain a clear focus on moving off welfare into paid employment.
We have improved the rules about expenses paid to volunteers to ensure all expenses incurred or to be incurred are disregarded when assessing claims to benefits. Also, volunteers who find a job are given a week to re-arrange their voluntary activity before taking up their employment.
Mesothelioma
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons attendance allowance is not paid automatically to people with mesothelioma who are awarded 100 per cent. industrial injuries disablement benefit. [68474]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Constant attendance allowance is paid where a person is assessed as being 100 per cent. disabled for the purposes of industrial injuries disablement benefit and it is determined that the person requires constant attendance for the necessities of life due to that disablement.
All people now diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma are given an automatic assessment of 100 per cent. disablement, in most cases without the need for a medical examination to determine the extent of their disablement. This is because of the prognosis expected from the disease.
However, not everyone with mesothelioma will require constant attendance at the time of the claim for benefit. That is the reason why entitlement to constant attendance allowance is not decided automatically, but is considered separately according to the needs of the individual, and payment made if appropriate.
We have commissioned a review of the current industrial disablement benefit scheme. The scheme was introduced in 1948 and may no longer meet the needs of our modern society.
The review will look at all aspects of the scheme and all the options for the future. We intend to publish a discussion document later this year when we will engage fully with stakeholders and other interested parties.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total amount recovered by the Compensation Recovery Unit was from compensation payments made in respect of mesothelioma cases in the last three years. [79111]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 20 June 2006]: Details of the total amount recovered under the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act in respect of mesothelioma cases in the last three years are in the table.
| Financial year | Amount recovered (£) |
| Source: Figures produced by the Compensation Recovery Unit. | |
Migrant Workers
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Trades Union Congress on the impact of Central and Eastern European migrants on (a) wage levels, (b) terms and conditions at work and (c) access to benefits. [71900]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Ministers have not met the Trades Union Congress to discuss these issues.
Ministerial Flights
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to ensure that all flights undertaken by Ministers and officials in his Department are carbon neutral; and if he will make a statement. [81394]
Mr. Plaskitt: All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases Certified Emissions Reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
The Department has put in place a mechanism to collect air travel data, and is currently incorporating carbon offsetting into its financial systems.
Mystery Shoppers
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what use is made of mystery shoppers to evaluate departmental performance; and if he will make a statement. [80290]
Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 8 February 2006, Official Report, columns 1191-92W.
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