attitude issue from someone at the Job seeker's allowance representatives

ab1982

boymuzz1 wrote: »

"Do not bother to reply to me"

:wave:

No worries x

red_devil

If the jobcentre was a private business they wouldnt have any customers. They are only there to belittle you, order you around and hope you sign off.

Gone are the days when the centre tried to help you. Horrible places.

BigAunty

tomtontom wrote: »

You seem to misunderstand the purpose of the Jobcentre OP. They're not there to treat you with kindness, they are there to ensure you fulfil your agreement and you maximise your chances of finding work - no more, no less. They are administrators, not counsellors or givers of hugs.

You've still told us nothing that demonstrates you have been treated with rudeness or disrespect.

I know that the OP may not have exactly proved their case about the member of staff. And you are right that the DWP staff are not there to counsel and give hugs.

However, there is a total obligation on the part of all civil servants, to be respectful, to not show bias or discrimination, to have integrity, and there is annual training on this.

I actually have a current job description for DWP vacancies in JC operations as a Work Coach and Decision Maker.

"We are looking for people who can provide excellent customer service, can demonstrate good communication skills....You must have a clear commitment to, and where possible, show examples of delivering an effective service to customers.

Each of the roles require a sensitive appreciation for the complex challenges people face ...we are looking for people to join...who have the skills to help us deliver the public service people need, have the ability to build positive relationships; and are committed to provide a professional public service."

The whole recruitment is geared up towards sifting out those who can't prove competency in this area.

By rights, there shouldn't be a single employee in the JC displaying negative customer behaviour and poor attitude.....

tomtontom

BigAunty wrote: »

I know that the OP may not have exactly proved their case about the member of staff. And you are right that the DWP staff are not there to counsel and give hugs.

However, there is a total obligation on the part of all civil servants, to be respectful, to not show bias or discrimination, to have integrity, and there is annual training on this.

I actually have a current job description for DWP vacancies in JC operations as a Work Coach and Decision Maker.

"We are looking for people who can provide excellent customer service, can demonstrate good communication skills....You must have a clear commitment to, and where possible, show examples of delivering an effective service to customers.

Each of the roles require a sensitive appreciation for the complex challenges people face ...we are looking for people to join...who have the skills to help us deliver the public service people need, have the ability to build positive relationships; and are committed to provide a professional public service."

The whole recruitment is geared up towards sifting out those who can't prove competency in this area.

By rights, there shouldn't be a single employee in the JC displaying negative customer behaviour and poor attitude.....

I'm well aware of the role of a JCP advisor, thank you But there is nothing in the OP's post to suggest he was treated without respect. The OP's only grounds for complaint are that he didn't like an instruction he was given.

duchy

If the OP has "teaching experience" (yet has only just graduated so no teaching qualifications) and this experience was gained in the school holidays so maybe not teaching in the sense most people expect) then there's no reason why he couldn't do some form of youth volunteer work or even paid session work.

Most graduates with a past work record tend to get some interviews as work ethic is something valued and these "lots of jobs" the OP has done in the last few years should be ensuring he at least gets seen so it would seem the OP is either not mentioning them on his CV or is applying for jobs he is completely unqualified or unsuitable for or there is something seriously wrong with how he is presenting his applications.
A hundred applications a week (so presumably not such a niche field ) and 100% refusal implies one of the three is going on - and all are things the OP can address and change.

BigAunty

red_devil wrote: »

If the jobcentre was a private business they wouldnt have any customers. They are only there to belittle you, order you around and hope you sign off.

Gone are the days when the centre tried to help you. Horrible places.

'Tis quite weird how out of step with reality it is in some respects.

In the past, when jobs were more plentiful and recruitment agencies were few in number, it did little more than display vacancies on cards and let claimants sign on with little in the way of intervention and pressure.

Now, when the job market is much more competitive (more obligation for single parents to return to work, immigration, zero hour contracts, more graduates, less opportunity to park people on incapacity benefit, and so forth), there is very high conditionality, rules and pressure.

BigAunty

boymuzz wrote: »

is it normal to be treated like this by JSA because they don't want you there?

The DWP are currently recruiting hundreds of staff to work for them in JC settings (Decision Maker, Work Coach) etc.

Suggest you look out for these vacancies and apply. That way you can help change the culture of the organisation from within.

There are usually regular large recruitment campaigns for other civil service customer facing roles with the HMRC and other organisations.

Just to let you know though, from my personal experience of applying for civil service jobs, it is impossible to apply for 100 plus per week, more like 1 or 2 a week.

The civil service use lengthy complex competency based application forms where you often also have to provide them with full work and educational history.

These competency based questions are insanely difficult to draft and the applicant must stick to very strict framework to answer them, also within the strict formula and balance of the STARR structure (situation, task, action, results and reflection).

The civil service vacancies I've seen ask for up to 6 competency statements to be entered (even for the lowest admin grade) with an interview in front of a panel that may last up to an hour. Many of their vacancies also require a timed online test or telephone test interview.

One govt vacancy that I saw, and considered applying for, wanted 6 competency statements, 6 essential criteria and 5 desirable criteria addressed, full career and educational history. The supporting statements alone would take around 3,000 words to draft.

Good luck with that.

red_devil

BigAunty wrote: »

'Tis quite weird how out of step with reality it is in some respects.

In the past, when jobs were more plentiful and recruitment agencies were few in number, it did little more than display vacancies on cards and let claimants sign on with little in the way of intervention and pressure.

Now, when the job market is much more competitive (more obligation for single parents to return to work, immigration, zero hour contracts, more graduates, less opportunity to park people on incapacity benefit, and so
forth), there is very high conditionality, rules and pressure


Thats the horrible Tory government for you. They want to make it hard so you sign off.

mattcanary

red_devil wrote: »

BigAunty wrote: »

'Tis quite weird how out of step with reality it is in some respects.

In the past, when jobs were more plentiful and recruitment agencies were few in number, it did little more than display vacancies on cards and let claimants sign on with little in the way of intervention and pressure.

Now, when the job market is much more competitive (more obligation for single parents to return to work, immigration, zero hour contracts, more graduates, less opportunity to park people on incapacity benefit, and so
forth), there is very high conditionality, rules and pressure


Thats the horrible Tory government for you. They want to make it hard so you sign off.

And the internet.
It is far easier to control people through the internet and technology in general, than it is through cards in jobcentres.

BuzzyBee77

boymuzz wrote: »

Hi,

Today I had the second meeting with someone at job center.

My first meeting was great, the guy was really understanding, empathetic and treated me like a valuable part of society. However, today I had a different lady and she was so cold and an absolute a******, she had a bad tone and when I asked her for her email for when I have any questions, she refused to give it to me. I felt like she had some personal vendetta against me, and half way through she decided she wants me to come into the jobcenter and apply for jobs there for 1 hour/week, despite having an active history in the jobshop site (100+ jobs applied for in a week).

Should I complain about her?

Sounds like my adviser who does a fine line in being patronizing and condescending!.
Took voluntary redundancy from my previous job due to company takeover, have been signing on since July, she hints that my benefit will be stopped in December and says why I am seeing her and not someone else?? Unpleasant woman also called me a 'good girl' for remembering my NI number. I am 38!. Hopefully I will get a temp Christmas job soon or I will be tempted to make a complaint.