Use of a dictaphone (JSA job diary)

SJI85

Hi everyone,

This sort of follow on from the thread I created about my referreal to a DM but thought I'd make a new thread.

Can someone confirm that customers/claimants are allowed to use their own preferred method of presenting their job search activity when they have sign on appointments? I do believe reading this in black and white in a DWP document.

As a result, I assume recording a job diary onto a dictaphone is suitable, especially for a person with dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty? The diary will be exactly how it would be if written down (activity, amount of time I spent on that activity, and full details of job applications).

As far as I can remember my JSA does not state I need to provide written evidence, though I will check.

Even if not normally allowed I feel it ought to be for those with SPLD or other disabilities. Seems a reasonable adjustment.

candlelight2012

I think given the coherence of your above post that there is no need for you to use a Dictaphone.

Your written communication is great

SJI85

candlelight2012 wrote: »

I think given the coherence of your above post that there is no need for you to use a Dictaphone.

Your written communication is great

I'm not denying my written communication is great. It is my strength (I have a degree in Philosophy and Politics after all!).

The difficulty is that, due to dyspraxia, I have a severely reduced writing speed and general difficulties with writing. It is the act of writing, rather than literacy skills, which is the problem. That I have difficulties due to dyspraxia (and other conditions) means I'm protected under the Equality Act 2010.

Up until now I have used a word processed diary without any problems. However there is always the risk of technical problems which could result in the loss or corruption of the file (and back up), or that means that I'm unable to print it off. This is what happened last week and the jobcentre didn't allow me to present my diary orally (largely from memory).

I'd therefore like to record my job search on a dictaphone and use this as a back up, should I be unable to provide the word processed version for whatever reason.

It's really just about giving myself added protection, and not giving the jobcentre the ammunition.

sazaccount

Hi,

Just a thought can you not e-mail the word document to yourself every time you update it so you always have a copy to access at eg local library or internet cafe to print (my local taxi office has computers to access e-mail and print of documents you may have something similar near you), smart phone (if you have one can open it in the job center and show them if all else has failed) or see if you can upload it to a cloud server dropbox or something similar.

Or copy and paste the writing onto an email and send it to yourself you can check for corruption before sending.

I also have dyslexia and found using a dictaphone hard going and confusing maybe it was just me as I was given one for my under grad lectures.

hope this helps

sazaccount x

StormyWeather_2

You could email the doc to yourself every time you update it, then print it off at the job centre or library. Also print off application confirmation emails.

xposted with sazaccount.

SJI85

sazaccount wrote: »

Hi,

Just a thought can you not e-mail the word document to yourself every time you update it so you always have a copy to access at eg local library or internet cafe to print (my local taxi office has computers to access e-mail and print of documents you may have something similar near you), smart phone (if you have one can open it in the job center and show them if all else has failed) or see if you can upload it to a cloud server dropbox or something similar.

Or copy and paste the writing onto an email and send it to yourself you can check for corruption before sending.

I also have dyslexia and found using a dictaphone hard going and confusing maybe it was just me as I was given one for my under grad lectures.

hope this helps

sazaccount x

StormyWeather wrote: »

You could email the doc to yourself every time you update it, then print it off at the job centre or library. Also print off application confirmation emails.

I was led to believe that I can't print anything off in the jobcentre due to security concerns. This is what a manager informed me. A member of staff I saw yesterday did say otherwise.


I know I email the doc to myself (and have done similar things in the past with things like university work). But nothing is foolproof and I'm still concerned something may go wrong. I can think of circumstances which could happen which, although rare, would still mean I may be unable to present the job diary for the full fortnight.

I'm perfectly happy using a dictaphone, and can use one quite well (I still have my old one from when I was an undergraduate). I'm just wondering if the jobcentre will find this acceptable. After all, the DWP do state that evidence can be in the form the customer prefers.

Hopefully I'll get clarification from them today, or at least some point this week.

SJI85

In case anyone is interested, it was confirmed to me today that recording use of a dictaphone is an acceptable method of recording a job diary as I suspected.

candlelight2012

That's good to know.

I'm glad you got a positive outcome

busy_mom_2

There is no written law dicating how you provide your evidence, picking on on some other, you can emila yourslf then show the e-mails. You can print at your local JCP but only from the customers computers, the adviser one cannot accept any disks or memory sticks.
Do you use UJ? Many will greatly disagree with this but you can record everything on there, give DWP permission on the morning you attend to sign and then remove when you come home if giving permission is a problem. Or store it all on UJ then print you activity either at home or as soon as you get to your JCP if you worried about the permission to view your account.

SJI85

busy_mom wrote: »

Do you use UJ? Many will greatly disagree with this but you can record everything on there, give DWP permission on the morning you attend to sign and then remove when you come home if giving permission is a problem. Or store it all on UJ then print you activity either at home or as soon as you get to your JCP if you worried about the permission to view your account.

I was told today that, should I refuse to give the JC access to my account, but still wish to show them my job activity on UJ, I can go into the room and print off my job diary in the jobcentre which I wasn't actually aware of.

I previously used UJ and provided the jobcentre with access (rather stupidly I felt if I have nothing to hide...). However, after one horrible experience with an advisor who went through every part of UJ and picked on me for how I did certain things (including not updating certain details, or providing a public CV which I am under no obligation to do without a JS Direction) I withdrew consent. It was clear that she was trying her best to find a reason to raise a doubt and potentially get me sanctioned. I didn't want to give them the ammunition. Plus there were security concerns.

But I found UJ too cumbersome and restrictive, particularly the character limit. I do find word processing far easier and quicker. I'm happy continuing to do.

But, as I should be starting a new job and signing off, this is probably all quite irrelevant now

StormyWeather_2

Can they insist you have a public CV? I don't like the idea of that.