Jobplan Workshops (Hansard, 30 March 1994)

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mr. A. G. Johnson to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 30 March 1994: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about arrangements to monitor Jobplan Workshops and the nature and handling of complaints about their delivery. I am replying in the Chief Executive's absence. It may be helpful if I explain that Jobplan is designed to help people who have been unemployed for some time compete for jobs and opportunities. During the workshop, which lasts for one week, clients are able to take a fresh look at their situation, review their strengths and skills and set themselves clear and achievable job goals. The workshop was developed to accommodate people with varying experiences and backgrounds. During the workshop, people have the opportunity for personal reviews as well as undertaking group work. Since April 1993, over 270,000 people have attended Jobplan. Jobplan is delivered by organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors on the Employment Service's (ES) behalf. Contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering exercise. A full specification is issued to all prospective contractors. This specification, and a manual which sets out how the programme is to be run, forms the basis against which subsequent monitoring and assessment of the provider is undertaken. At the end of each workshop, management information is collected and sent to the ES. This covers the number of people 816W who have taken part in the workshop and the action they have decided to take at the end. This information is used by people in the ES to assess the performance of the provider and the value for money that is being achieved. Participants are issued with review sheets at the end of the workshop and invited to comment on the delivery of the workshop. These provide us with further information about the quality of the workshop. A schedule of monitoring visits is drawn up for each contract to ensure that workshops are inspected regularly. We will observe workshop sessions and assess whether the provider is delivering the workshop to the appropriate standard and quality. The findings of these visits are discussed with the provider and their leaders and where remedial action is required, the provider will be asked to take the action within a specified time. We will later review to ensure that any problems have been put right. As part of the Citizens Charter we have established, in the Jobseekers Charter, a suggestions and complaints procedure which enables people to comment on the quality of the service they have received. Providers are contractually obliged to follow the principles of the Jobseekers Charter, which amongst other things, requires them to have posters and leaflets on display so that people who wish to complain or make suggestions may do so easily. The responsibility for answering these lies initially with the provider who is required to reply to the person within seven days. Should someone who has complained feel that their complaint has not been satisfactorily answered, they can approach our local managers for redress. Where complaints are made to the provider or to the local manager the focus is on setting things right locally. We do not collect statistics centrally but, of course, the contract managers pay close attention to the number and nature of complaints when workshops are re-tendered. In some cases complaints are also made through an MP or directly to the Secretary of State for Employment. We have central statistics on these. Since April 1993, seven people have written to complain about the standard of delivery of the workshop and three have written to say that they felt that the workshop was not helpful to them. I am sure you will agree that as a proportion of the 270,000 people who have taken part, this number of complaints is remarkably low. I am also encouraged that a number of people who have attended workshops have written to say how useful the workshops have been in their search for work and how positive they found the experience. I am attaching a sample of the comments that have been made about Jobplan. I hope this is helpful.

What people say about Jobplan Very helpful—I was lost and stranded until I attended Jobplan. I was dubious about what Jobplan could offer but found the workshop of immense benefit to me—full marks—it was just what I needed.

"The personal interview was the most helpful thing I've had. There are courses I didn't know about and I've applied for one of them." I found it to be rewarding and enlightening and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking work. I wish this had been offered to me a year ago. It's a lot better than I thought. I'm glad we can make choices for ourselves. I was really nervous before I came here, but now I'm glad I was told about it.