The Work Programme New Thread

KevInChester

I heard an advisor having a go at somebody with obvious learning difficulties threatening him left right and centre with sanctions, and telling him if he didn't comply (signing up to free courses on his own initiative - he was nearly in tears explaining how he tried but they wouldn't let him as he didn't qualify). He was also told if he didn't do everything he was told he would be made to go in 5 days a week for 4 hours a day. I wanted to say something there and then, the advisor was talking so loudly everybody could hear... thinking I should make a complaint in writing.

If this thing is for our benefit and to help us, why are they threatening extra hours of attendance as a punishment? Obviously they know it's rubbish, if it were good I'm sure people would actually volunteer for the additional help eh.

Modster

LadyMissA wrote: »

So what are you going to do then?

I am going to phone the head office in the morning and tell them an outline of whats been going on and also tell them that I wont be attending the 9-5 appointment they have booked me in for on friday and that I need details of whom I need to make a formal complaint to. Also wont be attending the WP till something is done about my advisor.

john539 wrote: »

You should speak to the manager & tell them what this advisor has said & threatened you with.

If it continues, tell them you're making a formal complaint & are being victimised for not signing consent form, which you are perfectly entitled to do.

Then tell them you'll take your complaint to the Independent Examiner if they don't stop victimising you.

A lot of these advisors are cowboys, that's why they & these private companies are used.

If you have a little hitler like this, you need to complain so it's on the advisor's record & their job is on the line.

LadyMissA wrote: »

You have to put in a formal complaint to the provider first then if you are not happy you then put one into the ICE as per the info the JC should have give everyone when they were refered.

If the ICE upholds your complaint the WP provider gets FINED!!!

Thanks for the info.

john539

Modster wrote: »

I am going to phone the head office in the morning and tell them an outline of whats been going on and also tell them that I wont be attending the 9-5 appointment they have booked me in for on friday and that I need details of whom I need to make a formal complaint to. Also wont be attending the WP till something is done about my advisor.

Thanks for the info.

Also complain, they have unfairly singled you out & are dealing with you in a different way to other people, when you haven't done anything wrong.

Ask them to put in writing why this is happening.

Modster

john539 wrote: »

Also complain, they have unfairly singled you out & are dealing with you in a different way to other people, when you haven't done anything wrong.

Ask them to put in writing why this is happening.

I intend to, they keep rubbing me up the wrong way and it doesnt take much for me to lose my cool but I have done quite well not to react to keep myself right and go down the correct channels. I will post on here tomorrow after I speak to them on the phone.

LadyMissA

Modster wrote: »

I intend to, they keep rubbing me up the wrong way and it doesnt take much for me to lose my cool but I have done quite well not to react to keep myself right and go down the correct channels. I will post on here tomorrow after I speak to them on the phone.

Just get an email address for the Operations Director and then email them a blow by blow account of what has happened. Type this up tonight so you can send it right away in the morning and hopefully get a reply that day.

Modster

Just got off the phone with the manager at the main office, told him whats been going on and he talked me through the complaint procedures. In regards to me attending the 9-5 appointments 5 days a week starting on friday he said I will have to take it up with the manager at the office I attend as failing to attend could affect my payments even though this has cleary been done because I wouldnt hand my CV over.
I asked him did I need to hand a CV over and surprise surprise his answer was "no".
Also told him I was a bit hesistaint to take it up with the manager at the office I attend becasue I dont think I will stand a fair chance as all the staff seem to be right up each others a$$e$ (in politer terms of course).
The manager at my office is currently in a meeting (probably with Mr Nescafe) so I will ring back shortly. Refused to leave a message or contact number as I dont want to give them any heads up before I talk to her.

(Postman just came with a big envelope full of appointments all marked with MUST ATTEND)

KevInChester

That is disgraceful practice. Still at least you have the paper proof that they want you to go in for this amount of hours, and they can be pushed into having to state what they expect to do for you. As it is, this is obviously a punishment and is IMO tantamount to bullying.

Depending on who is the overall provider of the WP you are on, (if it's not that company, say G4S etc) you may wish to complain to that company as well. Good luck.

imatt

Modster wrote: »

I asked him did I need to hand a CV over and surprise surprise his answer was "no".

[FONT=&quot]I would get this confirmed in writing or at least in an email. Make a note of time, date as well as this chaps name and his head office address. Get as much ammo as possible to fight with and armour to defend yourself with.

It's good to see people standing up for themselves. Because as you are referred to as a customer / client by the W2W sector, the DWP, Jobcentre + and the government, it is high time people sent to these providers started acting like customers and clients within a business to customer environment.

After all, if you were a customer of a restaurant and you were served a very poor meal, you'd demand your money back. Or at the VERY least you'd promise not to eat there again whilst telling as many friends, relatives, neighbours and work colleagues about your poor experience.

Sadly, within the W2W sector, too many clients are afraid to complain within and industry that offers precious little in the way of flexibility or choice.

These W2W companies are an unregulated, privatised form of shadow state. Little surprises me about them anymore.[/FONT]

LadyMissA

Modster wrote: »

Just got off the phone with the manager at the main office, told him whats been going on and he talked me through the complaint procedures. In regards to me attending the 9-5 appointments 5 days a week starting on friday he said I will have to take it up with the manager at the office I attend as failing to attend could affect my payments even though this has cleary been done because I wouldnt hand my CV over.
I asked him did I need to hand a CV over and surprise surprise his answer was "no".
Also told him I was a bit hesistaint to take it up with the manager at the office I attend becasue I dont think I will stand a fair chance as all the staff seem to be right up each others a$$e$ (in politer terms of course).
The manager at my office is currently in a meeting (probably with Mr Nescafe) so I will ring back shortly. Refused to leave a message or contact number as I dont want to give them any heads up before I talk to her.

(Postman just came with a big envelope full of appointments all marked with MUST ATTEND)

The manager? What manger at the main office? All providers have a Managing Director or an Operations Director and you needed to talk to one of them and put it all in WRITING on an email

You have not made a formal complaint at all and as far as taking it up with the centre manager goes that's rubbish as I thought you were getting in touch to make a complaint which to be fair you have not done.

You need to get the bit about handing over your CV in writing to prove you do not need to do so, so have you got this bloke to email you that or write a letter to you?

If this is the case that they say you dod NOT have to hand over a CV then the 5 days a week is an unfair punshiment for something that you do NOT have to do! Tell them that!

Who is paying for your travel to this provier 5 days a week?

Who is paying for things like drinks and food while you are there?

Modster

Just spoke to her and told her am writing a formal complaint no matter what the outcome of this phonecall is. She never saw that getting me in everyday or risk losing my money as a threat till I explained that my next appointment was going to be on the 13th June till I refused to give my advisor my CV and then the shi!t hit the fan. She asked me my concerns about giving my CV in and said its optional and I didnt want any jobs being applied for in my behalf cause if I didnt go for them it would look bad on me and am more than capable of doing it on my own anyway. She said she would give me her word that no jobs would be applied for without them being passed by me first (going to get this in writing).
She wanted to know when my last interview was and when I told her she said something is clearly wrong with my CV, I responded by saying your talking to me like am the only unemployed guy in the world, my CV is bang up to date and everything from work history and education cleary listed, it aint easy finding a decent job these day especially when there is so few of them.
Said asked if I threatned my advsior in anyway I said no but I did use the "F" word a couple of times as her agressive and unprofessional tone caught me unaware, she asked if I could please not swear at her staff and that she speak to her to find out her side of the story and find out why she has got me in for these amount of hours.
As it stands with them for now, she has cancelled my all day appointments and booked me in to see herself in 2 weeks time.
She also asked If I could email my CV to her by 12pm today, that would only be possible after I get in writing about not applying for any jobs without them running it by me first so that aint gonna happen today.

Funny thing is, when I asked for a letter to be sent for my next appointment she said she cant cause she is literally just leaving the office so why the urgent need for my CV then?

Got a rough copy of my formal complaint written out, just need to type it and its good to go.