Work Programme

john539

Here's information from the DWP Provider Guidance.

See items 14 & 15 on page 4 about consent form & Annex 1 for a copy.

Also see items 9 & 10 on page 2 about why they need consent form.


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pg-chapter-5.pdf


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/supplying-dwp/what-we-buy/welfare-to-work-services/notices-to-providers/generic-prov-guide-ch-5.shtml

This consent form has been designed to ensure that DWP is compliant with DPA requirements for the purpose of contacting employers and cannot be altered. This consent form will not entirely cover the responsibilities of the Provider. Therefore to comply with Data Protection legislation, Providers must have a customer declaration and ensure that this declaration is included in the customer's induction pack which gives authority for the Provider to collect, process and share customer information. The declaration should be completed and signed by the customer and kept on file by the Provider.

It is important to remind a customer of the DWP confidentiality statement which they signed when they first made a claim to benefit. However, a customer's signature which only acknowledges awareness of the DWP Confidentiality Statement does not constitute "consent" at all and does not enable any sort of data sharing or disclosure. It simply provides a degree of assurance that DWP will handle personal data fairly and lawfully.

There is no specific legislative "enabler" which gives a provider the ability to gather or share customer's information with a third party, for example an employer or another training provider, for the purpose of placing the customer into training/work and obtaining outcome-related payments from DWP. The informed consent of the individual must be obtained beforehand, in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Your organisation needs to make it clear to customers that giving consent is voluntary and that refusal to give consent or withdrawal of an existing consent will not affect any benefit they may be entitled to.

Authorisation to contact an employer to obtain evidence of employment must be expressly stated by the Provider and consented to by the customer before any information disclosure takes place.

LadyMissA

john539 wrote: »

Here's information from the DWP Provider Guidance.

See items 14 & 15 on page 4 about consent form & Annex 1 for a copy.

Also see items 9 & 10 on page 2 about why they need consent form.


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pg-chapter-5.pdf


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/supplying-dwp/what-we-buy/welfare-to-work-services/notices-to-providers/generic-prov-guide-ch-5.shtml

unless you have been shown all thise by the job centre how would anyone know the rules etc. The providers will just tell lies to people to get them to sign stuff.

I dont give them permission to give out my NI number to people however

john539

LadyMissA wrote: »

unless you have been shown all thise by the job centre how would anyone know the rules etc. The providers will just tell lies to people to get them to sign stuff.

I dont give them permission to give out my NI number to people however

People at the providers & jobcentre, if any, won't know lot of this yet anyway.

It just means you can be more confident in what you decide to do.

Most people may not be bothered about signing consent form anyway.

LadyMissA

john539 wrote: »

People at the providers & jobcentre, if any, won't know lot of this yet anyway.

It just means you can be more confident in what you decide to do.

Most people may not be bothered about signing consent form anyway.

well I am prepared for 'threats' tomorrow so we will see

LadyMissA

ok went for my appointment for 9am. Thought I'd be there 2-3 hours like the letter said but was there 40 mins!!!

What a bit of a joke. Basically just went through an initial assesment to see if I am work ready and what job/s I was looking for. Produced a print out and was like the first half of the job seekers agreement.

Was told I have another appointment in 2 weeks to I can do the full assesment and be set a 'task' to do like homework. Then I will only need to go there once a MONTH and they will call me in the 2 weeks inbetween to see how I am going.

Not that impressed so far as it will be 6 weeks till I get an appointment with someone after this inital start today.

DebiT

LadyMissA wrote: »

ok went for my appointment for 9am. Thought I'd be there 2-3 hours like the letter said but was there 40 mins!!!

What a bit of a joke. Basically just went through an initial assesment to see if I am work ready and what job/s I was looking for. Produced a print out and was like the first half of the job seekers agreement.

Was told I have another appointment in 2 weeks to I can do the full assesment and be set a 'task' to do like homework. Then I will only need to go there once a MONTH and they will call me in the 2 weeks inbetween to see how I am going.

Not that impressed so far as it will be 6 weeks till I get an appointment with someone after this inital start today.

Just out of interest, who were the providers?

DebiT

john539 wrote: »

The providers want & NEED people to sign the consent forms to help get their fees from DWP. The DWP have lumbered the providers with this, as DWP know legally they cannot force people to give informed consent.

So they will "encourage" people to sign them & tell them they really need to sign, they should sign, they must sign. It's difficult to argue with in the seconds you have to look at these forms.

But the consent forms make it clear you do not have to sign.

The consent forms also make it clear you can withdraw consent at any time by writing to the provider.

The providers are getting consent forms signed straightaway, so it is done, out of way & forgotten.

But they could wait to get consent when you get a job, but then they know you might not agree, as you know you are leaving & they will then have problem getting their fee.

The best tactic for someone who does not want to sign a consent form is to say you want to think about it or that you would prefer to leave to when you get a job, as that's when it's used.

Exactly right John. People can get more information about this here http://www.workprogramme.org.uk/
People are not being told by their JCP that they do not have to give permission to providers for their data to be used. This is a major flaw in their system, and until it is rectified, anyone can refuse to give their permission without being sanctioned. Once you refuse to give permission, the provider does not want to know as they cannot then claim money from the DWP for you.

LadyMissA

DebiT wrote: »

Exactly right John. People can get more information about this here http://www.workprogramme.org.uk/
People are not being told by their JCP that they do not have to give permission to providers for their data to be used. This is a major flaw in their system, and until it is rectified, anyone can refuse to give their permission without being sanctioned. Once you refuse to give permission, the provider does not want to know as they cannot then claim money from the DWP for you.

Ok true but the bloke had a MASSIVE attitude with me this morning asking me why did I not want to sign so I said that it said on the form that I didn't have to so why give the option. He then said they would not have a complete file to report back to the JC. He then went on to say 'what do you want us to do for you so I said 'maybe you can tell me, I have no idea. I don't even know what you do'! He then asked me then if I was ok so I told him I didn't like his attitude all because I wouldn't sign the form.

He then said if they found a job they could not put me forward for the job if I DIDNT sign the form so to stop him going mental I signed it but I told him of they call me with a job thats not suitable I will just tell them no they can't put me forward at all and I dont want to be in the situation where some company has all your details when you do not even want to work there!

dark_lady

After signing it you could have written "signed under duress" making sure that part of those three words run through the actual signature so that they cant then doctor it afterwards.

LadyMissA

dark_lady wrote: »

After signing it you could have written "signed under duress" making sure that part of those three words run through the actual signature so that they cant then doctor it afterwards.

If they have not done anything for me in 3 mths I will be putting in an official complaint!