DWP employment waiting list

qadsey

Chris-x1 wrote: »

I've been with the department for a few weeks now at the AO Grade. I had applied to so many other, better paid, jobs during the period of recruitment for this Grade. From application deadline to job starting it was about 7 months. I also applied for an EO grade job got from the DWP vacancies list on the other side of the country from where I am currently living about 13 weeks ago.

Naturally I accepted the first position that came my way which was the AO offer. About two weeks into the job the EO letter , which is a permanent role and nothing to do with the current JCP recruitment to tackle recession overload!, asking me to attend an interview. I went up and thought I gave a good account of myself and 16 days later I got a letter through telling me I was successful and would start subject to pre-recruitment checks. Does anyone know if it's possible to ring Newcastle and get them to use my existing checks and clearance as I'm already working for the department?

I haven't had any contract as yet so I'm covered in terms of moving offices as I've just signed a probationary acceptance letter and nothing else. Sounds a bit confusing but the EO post is infinitely more attractive in terms of what the role is so I'd like to take it and get out of the AO asap so they can cover my position and get someone off a waiting list and into work.

Hello I hope you are ok. Im starting the AO position in a few weeks so I just wanted to get an idea of what the job is like and what are the duties and is there much pressure in it?

di3004

Good luck to everyone.;)

My son was a Temp AA for Carers and Pensions for the DWP up until April 09, however he was given an extension prior to that, he started last July 08 and he was lucky to have been given this extra contract to April of this year, he loved it and got on well with everyone, and was also doing the overtime on the weekends when required, just hope he has this chance to get back in again.

Anyway, he is now going for a perm position as an AA, and have been sent the online 75 min test, he has until tomorrow to do this and will be completing this - this afternoon, so we must just hope that the server does not go down, please with my son luck, thank you and we wish everyone else luck as well.;)

Cheers.:beer:

Chris-x1

The AO position is fairly straightforward really and the severity of the role depends on what your office is like. Some offices are in areas badly affected by the economic downturn and as a result they are pushed for resources and quite stretched. On average I'd say I see about 30-40 people a day and the highest I've seen was 50.

You basically take them through their jobsearch and record it on the system as a record for their entitlement to benefit. You use the system to search for appropriate vacancies and submit them where applicable. Then you input the evidence onto another system to record evidence and that's it. All within a timeframe , Office dependant, of about 4 minutes. Of course there are other clerical aspects to the job and a few more duties you may be asked to do but nothing that won't be explained to you first.

Majix

NottinghamGirl wrote: »

Hi all,
I've been reading some of the threads and while some make me happy to hear, some make me worried so I'm in mixed emotions at the moment .

I went for the test for an AO on 7/7/09 and passed, and came back for the interview 2 days later. I recieved a leter 2 weeks to the day of the interview on Thursday 30th July. I was very happy to hear that I had been successful, but also a little underwhelmed at hearing that there was a waiting list. I feel as though I am unsuccessful in the job at the moment as I was given no indication to an estimated time. As I said I only recieved the letter 2 days ago and I will be ringing Newcastle on Monday, but does anybody know the waiting times for Nottingham at the moment? And also is the waiting list mandatory for everybody and so is it possible I could still be offered a position straight away? All my CRB forms etc were completed on the day. I anyone could give me some advice I would be very grateful.

Thank You
:j

As far as i'm aware, everyone in the Birmingham area has been put on a waiting list until everyones results & checks are in - only way to be sure is to call dwp and try to find out your position in the list. Its a silly procedure cos they could end up losing some good people who are high up the list, simply cos they dont 'wait' and find some other job.

NorthLincs88

Hello, just thought I would post about my current experiences within the dwp! I started in July at the EO grade.

I was told on the phone I was going to be a Personal Adviser, which I was really looking forward to! However all is not what it seems with the EO grade, as two days into my training I was transferred to the Floor Manager position. Remember that at any time, if you are an EO, you will be expected to work in any position and anywhere in the country as you are 'a mobile grade'.... actual quote from my contract.

Training for EO is usually 3 weeks and AO is 2 1/2 weeks! However I only received two weeks of training and then was chucked into the job! Overall the floor manager role is the most demanding role within JCP. You have to have an exceptional level of knowledge of all benefits..not just JSA, and your people skills are constantly put under pressure, due to the vulnerable nature of many of the customers!

Anyway just a note to everyone on the EO grade....if you are ever given the option of Personal Adviser or Floor Manager, I would 100% opt for the PA role. It is far less stressful and is a much easier job to contend with when you are new to both JCP and the benefit system as a whole. The floor manager role is an absolutely impossible task to contend with, unless, like myself, you are spending all your time outside of work (on evenings and weekends) trying to learn as much benefit knowledge as possible...because the 'route way'/training for this role isn’t very specific at all!!!


Overall I would say anyone who is looking at the AO grade will absolutely love there role, as either a fortnightly job review officer (FJR), or diary officer (DASO) as both roles are interesting.

Anyway good luck to everyone who is starting or waiting to start! I’m sure you will love it (as long as your not floor manager lol)

Is anyone out there a new floor manager to? I would love to here what your experience has been like!

lili2008

Oh no that's got me a bit worried. My initial interview was for a PA but the letter doesn't mention that, just EO/Band C. I definitely don't want to be a floor manager.

Well, I'll just have to try to negotiate that one tomorrow. And on that note, GOOD LUCK to all who start tomorrow!! I've got my outfit sorted and my paperwork in the handbag. All I have to do now is sit here and fret a bit, and try to get a good nights sleep, which will hopefully not be full of anxiety dreams like last night. Urghhh...dreamed I couldn't find the office and was wandering round streets I thought I knew, but turned out to be somewhere I didn't know at all. I don't need Freudian analysis to interpret that .

Rugeyes

60227. I recieved my DS in the post this week from dwp..seems my checks took longer than most?? Also had a medi-check assess.. done on friday. So hopefully my pre-employment are all now complete. Or is there more in this gruelling tale?

I think i'm starting to grasp the concept of this merit list system, though I doubt It applies to everyone.
The way I see it, you and me are on this list prior to pre-employment checks. Its a combination of the test, interview and application results.. Etc. Now once the checking team complete my checks they STILL cannot tell me my position on the merit list until those candidates ABOVE me have also graduated from Dwp pre-employment checks. This means that until those above me have been cleared all available jobs lay vacant until an angry jcp manager, desperately in need of staff, calls newcastle..then the list is reshuffled. some are noted as 'not interested'- and moved down, others are promoted- and made offers. The process is as lengthy as it is tiresome.. Patience. Grr..

little_moon

slowboy wrote: »

I was part of that IRC, got the 'call' last week, had to turn it down because I had accepted another post. I asked why the long wait and the response was something about the irc covered the whole of Devon and Cornwall and it was difficult to match people to specific job centres.
Try getting hold of the person dealing with this irc at a local level and ask why the hold up.

can you tell me more of what you know. Where was the post they offered you. Did they mention where training was.
I have been waiting since April too.
It is so frustrating.
Please help i would be grateful for anything else you know.

samr_2

lili2008 wrote: »

Oh no that's got me a bit worried. My initial interview was for a PA but the letter doesn't mention that, just EO/Band C. I definitely don't want to be a floor manager.

Well, I'll just have to try to negotiate that one tomorrow. And on that note, GOOD LUCK to all who start tomorrow!! I've got my outfit sorted and my paperwork in the handbag.

Yeah, good luck to everyone starting this week
Hope it will prove to be worth the wait for everyone. :T

Not looking forward to the deciding what to wear part.
I wore jeans everyday in my last job. :rolleyes:

lili2008

samr wrote: »

Yeah, good luck to everyone starting this week
Hope it will prove to be worth the wait for everyone. :T

Not looking forward to the deciding what to wear part.
I wore jeans everyday in my last job. :rolleyes:

In my last 'proper' job, me too, and in the brief working periods in between being unemployed I've worn a very simple M&S uniform and, er, 12th century peasants rags (I was an extra on a film). So all this formal wear will be a bit of a pain.