Work Programme... Need advice please

LadyMissA

Seabadger wrote: »

Absolutely - no jobs, no income (not quite true as there's a small attachment fee this year and next). It's still around 50% of the payment levels for New Deal, and that was a shorter programme.

Well that's what they have told me and like I have said the WP is not working and I haven't seen anyone since AUGUST!!

Seabadger

LadyMissA wrote: »

Well that's what they have told me and like I have said the WP is not working and I haven't seen anyone since AUGUST!!

That does seem pretty ridiculous. What sort of action plan did you agree to, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm very involved in the WP in some respects, but not really in an operational / front-line capacity.

LadyMissA

Seabadger wrote: »

That does seem pretty ridiculous. What sort of action plan did you agree to, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm very involved in the WP in some respects, but not really in an operational / front-line capacity.

Action plan? Only set home work to do which I have done - still wating for an office to call me as I have been transfered to a different office and then back again to the other one. Was told to wait for them to contact me, so I am doing what they have told me.

GotToChange

I heard "news" of some other new "getting people [back] into work" plan yesterday; it sounded as though there will be some kind of programme of assisting in the removal of barriers to work for the unemployed (which I take to mean some form of pushing people into non-existent voluntary roles in the first instance) - and, get this; the help will be offered "on a voulntary basis".
So, this could in point of fact mean that people working voluntarily will be assisting people into voluntary positions. (And of course note that voluntary means ... UNPAID.)

Does anyone see the stupidity of this?

Seabadger

They should have at least given you an agreed set of commitments outlining their responsibilities, and a named worker.

LadyMissA

Seabadger wrote: »

They should have at least given you an agreed set of commitments outlining their responsibilities, and a named worker.

I have only had the assesment and the home work set, not seen anyone after that. There was a bit what they would do for me in the 4 weeks between appointments but guess that haven't done that as not seen anyone since.

The homework is the action plan

They are a real joke and can't even opperate an appointment system as it seems to be a first come first served thing so I am biding my time and hope I get a job 1st then will put in a complaint. I hear they get fined if the compliant is upheld.

Seabadger

GotToChange wrote: »

I heard "news" of some other new "getting people [back] into work" plan yesterday; it sounded as though there will be some kind of programme of assisting in the removal of barriers to work for the unemployed (which I take to mean some form of pushing people into non-existent voluntary roles in the first instance) - and, get this; the help will be offered "on a voulntary basis".
So, this could in point of fact mean that people working voluntarily will be assisting people into voluntary positions. (And of course note that voluntary means ... UNPAID.)

Does anyone see the stupidity of this?

The only major employment news I can recall this week is the introduction of compulsory community service (undefined) for people who have been through the 2 year Work Programme and come out without a job. It's 6 months at 30 hours per week and despite the rhetoric, strikes me as being mostly punitive in nature.

Seabadger

LadyMissA wrote: »

I hear they get fined if the compliant is upheld.

It depends on how far it's escalated - the financial penalties only kick in if it gets as far as the Independent Case Examiner, from what I recall - i.e. you'd have to exhaust Seetec's own complaints process first.

LadyMissA

Seabadger wrote: »

It depends on how far it's escalated - the financial penalties only kick in if it gets as far as the Independent Case Examiner, from what I recall - i.e. you'd have to exhaust Seetec's own complaints process first.

I will be complaining to them and they wont have an answer so it will be escalated

GotToChange

Seabadger wrote: »

The only major employment news I can recall this week is the introduction of compulsory community service (undefined) for people who have been through the 2 year Work Programme and come out without a job. It's 6 months at 30 hours per week and despite the rhetoric, strikes me as being mostly punitive in nature.

I also heard/read about that particular project - loved the title of the headline, which went something along the lines of "l/t unemployed will be forced to do voluntary work" - or some such, without mention of the glaring oxymoron right there in that sentence.

I assure you that I heard the discussion that I mention - it will have been on Radio 4, which I have on both at home and in my car. Please don't ask me to find or quote it directly - I am not imagining it or makiing it up. It will probably come under a similar heading to the programme of "mentoring" the families who have had little work or chance of (due to varying reasons), to be headed up by that Godawful woman from A for E.

Question - is it really (as upthread) to be known as "community service"? In which case, what will what is now known as "community service" (i.e. work done in restitution for an offence.....) be called? Or is it the case that unemployed people and those who have committed a crime will all come under the same umbrella.