Work Program - Jobsearch Problems - Lots of Problems!

rsmithuk

I am wondering if anybody else has had a problem with there provider relating to going into the office to do Jobsearch?
My provider is in Yorkshire and last year you were able to come in 5 days a week to search for jobs using the phone, internet and post and if you kept your bus ticket you would get your travel refunded, this changed around November time were you couldn't no longer get your fare back.
In November they changed it so the only time you could walk in to do jobsearch was on a Monday and Friday and you had to ask your advisor to book you an appointment to come in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday which they won't do.
Anyway in a few weeks the start of April they are changing it so you can't just call in and do jobsearch at all unless your advisor makes an appointment.
The advisers attitude is really bad and when you talk to them it goes over the top of there head and they always talk about clients behind there back.
I really can't understand why you cannot come into the office any day without an appointment to search and apply for jobs, they should be encouraging you to come in and use the services anytime as long as the computers are not full but they aren't!!
Like me there are lots of people who really want a job and doing there best to get one its horrible to keep going down the Jobcentre to sign on every 2 weeks, and to go use the providers services, the staff seem to think you like going in to the office.
It looks now that you are going to be able to book an appointment to do jobsearch once every 2 weeks surely this can't be right can it?
I would love anybody to get in touch and let us know when you are allowed to go do jobsearch if its open so you can go in anytime.
There's alot of people who don't have internet access, printing, phone and send out mail so they need to come down and use there provider but they are now going to restrict it.
Also they close the office whenever they want close early because they supposedly hit there targets for the month. Usually they say we only just got an email a few hours ago saying we can go home early and close at like 3.30pm.
They know that people (clients) know they could go down on a Monday and Friday between 10.00am and 5.30pm which are the opening hours to do jobsearch but they decide oh we will close today meaning Friday then the number of people who come down and the doors are locked so they wasted there money on the bus which they wouldn't get back anyway and they weren't even able to get in the office, i cant understand why they don't close on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday when only people with appointments are going to the office do you understand what i mean?
They also say they are closing because of staff training when they have 1 hours training every morning so why close early when the opening hours are meant to be 10.00am - 5.30pm
You can't use the library as its closed for major work, it costs like 20p a piece of paper to print out cover letters and CV's etc.
Internet cafes cost a lot to use them and your JSA doesn't go far as it is.
Even on the appointment days you go by and the computers are mostly empty so why cant you go use them its stupid!.

I am awaiting anybodys replies to see what it's like in other offices around the country to do with the work program.

Thanks

imatt

rsmithuk wrote: »

I am wondering if anybody else has had a problem with there provider relating to going into the office to do Jobsearch?
My provider is in Yorkshire and last year you were able to come in 5 days a week to search for jobs using the phone, internet and post and if you kept your bus ticket you would get your travel refunded, this changed around November time were you couldn't no longer get your fare back.
In November they changed it so the only time you could walk in to do jobsearch was on a Monday and Friday and you had to ask your advisor to book you an appointment to come in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday which they won't do.
Anyway in a few weeks the start of April they are changing it so you can't just call in and do jobsearch at all unless your advisor makes an appointment.
The advisers attitude is really bad and when you talk to them it goes over the top of there head and they always talk about clients behind there back.
I really can't understand why you cannot come into the office any day without an appointment to search and apply for jobs, they should be encouraging you to come in and use the services anytime as long as the computers are not full but they aren't!!
Like me there are lots of people who really want a job and doing there best to get one its horrible to keep going down the Jobcentre to sign on every 2 weeks, and to go use the providers services, the staff seem to think you like going in to the office.
It looks now that you are going to be able to book an appointment to do jobsearch once every 2 weeks surely this can't be right can it?
I would love anybody to get in touch and let us know when you are allowed to go do jobsearch if its open so you can go in anytime.
There's alot of people who don't have internet access, printing, phone and send out mail so they need to come down and use there provider but they are now going to restrict it.
Also they close the office whenever they want close early because they supposedly hit there targets for the month. Usually they say we only just got an email a few hours ago saying we can go home early and close at like 3.30pm.
They know that people (clients) know they could go down on a Monday and Friday between 10.00am and 5.30pm which are the opening hours to do jobsearch but they decide oh we will close today meaning Friday then the number of people who come down and the doors are locked so they wasted there money on the bus which they wouldn't get back anyway and they weren't even able to get in the office, i cant understand why they don't close on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday when only people with appointments are going to the office do you understand what i mean?
They also say they are closing because of staff training when they have 1 hours training every morning so why close early when the opening hours are meant to be 10.00am - 5.30pm
You can't use the library as its closed for major work, it costs like 20p a piece of paper to print out cover letters and CV's etc.
Internet cafes cost a lot to use them and your JSA doesn't go far as it is.
Even on the appointment days you go by and the computers are mostly empty so why cant you go use them its stupid!.

I am awaiting anybodys replies to see what it's like in other offices around the country to do with the work program.

Thanks

It does seem a shambles, does it not? If you were in my neck of the woods in Leeds, I'd suggest you use the job shop five mins from where I live. It has free computer access with modern facilities and knowledgeable and friendly staff. Do you have a similar facility where you are?

Poor service from the Work Program and the W2W sector in general is pretty much a given. However, if you feel strongly about the level of service given (or not in your case), make an official complaint. Especially with regards to advisers making comments about clients behind their back. Highly unprofessional! After all, these are private firms. As such you have the right to at least a decent level of service and the right to complain just as you would if you were dealing with any other business.

I am awaiting anybodys replies to see what it's like in other offices around the country to do with the work program.

The problem is that the level of service within the Work Program is very hit and miss at best. Some clients do receive a decent level of serve. However, this is often down to the the fortune of having a switched on adviser.

Overall, the Work Program is failing due to over ambitious targets, poor facilities, too many poorly trained and motivated staff and a rigid, blinkered and ideological approach by the current secretaries of state for Work and Pensions and Employment.

rsmithuk

Hi,
Thanks for your reply, i am in Bradford and there's no where else to use the computers such as this provider, Everything was fine you see until they started changing their rules and opening times.
I found out yesterday of a member of staff after asking why they are changing the rules and i was told the reason you will be no longer able to call in on a Monday or Friday without an appointment is due to some di**heads coming in and using it as a social club and its ruined everything for all the legitimate clients.
She said that i probably helped and encouraged more people into work and helped finding work as i help a lot of people when i am down here people prefer to ask me as the advisers say there always busy or come up to me and ask me if i can help so and so as they are busy.
I have made a complaint and the managers are useless as i said before they don't really listen and say is there only a few of you who complain, me and this other lad!
We are trying to get lots of other people to complain and to head office about the office and managers and advisers as this will be much better that 1 or 2 people doing it.
Going to contact MP's DWP secretary of state and shadow as you should be encouraged to go in and look for jobs anytime.