Dwpeople May 2008 Complete Magazine

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MAY 2008

dwpeople Getting to know you Finding out what makes millions of DWP customers tick A real eye-opener Community 5000 helps staff to see things differently Roar of approval The trio who entered the Lions’ Lair – and lived to tell the tale!

Street wise Pensions reform offers better deal for mums and carers Your DWP staff magazine

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Right at the heart of IT As one of DWP’s oldest and most important buildings closes, David Hall takes a nostalgic look back at a historic site Left: Part of the DWP Lytham St Annes site.

DWP’s site at Lytham St. Annes (LSA), which closed its doors last month, has been at the heart of developing the Department’s IT systems for over 20 years.

Robert Millin, head of IT service management, jokingly descibed it as “perhaps not our most impressive looking office accommodation!”

Robert Millin, head of IT service management division, says: “So many of our current IT systems were designed, tested and delivered from LSA. In many ways the site was the birthplace for DWP’s IT revolution.” LSA has been a key IS/IT provider for the Department, producing the systems we all rely on daily to support customers and staff, including the Income Support Computer System (ISCS), Customer Management System (CMS) and the Job Seekers Application System (JSAPS).

A Premium Bond While the LSA site may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing department building, it can lay claim to witnessing a genuine slice of British history.

Robert is keen to point out that the work of the LSA site over the years in DWP terms shouldn’t be underestimated. “LSA was perhaps not our most impressive looking office accommodation, but the immense work that went in to improve the IS/IT of DWP over the years is a testament to the people who worked there. “This work will continue regardless of locale but in many ways this truly is the end of an era in the Department’s history.” All LSA staff are now safely housed at the Peel Park site in nearby Blackpool.

“On regular Tuesdays every month the general public would descend upon the site to sit in the ERNIE lounge,” says Larry Mccaffery of CIT service delivery. “The wait for the number announcement was always an exciting moment!” During the site’s heyday LSA also held a glitzy Miss Premium Bonds contest each year, which lasted well into the 1970s.

ERNIE in his heyday, circa 1956

Way before DWP arrived, the first Premium Bonds draw happened at the site in Lytham St. Annes on 1 June 1957. For over 40 years LSA continued to be the home of the premium bonds draw and the famous ERNIE predictor.

Away from the glamour of ERNIE, the LSA site generated a feeling of genuine camaraderie amongst the 900 DWP staff who worked there through the years. Tom Lund from The Pension Service says: “There was a genuine community feeling about the place, with a yearly sports day, and a regular newsletter. LSA will be much missed.”

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Contents

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News in Brief News from across the Department

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Levelling the playing field Pension reform for women and carers

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Putting customers first Finding out what makes millions of people tick

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RM with a view DWPeople tackles this hot topic

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For the cause Miriam Smith does her bit for charity

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Team of the month Woolwich Jobcentre Plus is cream of the crop

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Lean shapes up DWP Find out how Lean is having an impact

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Letters Staff views including how to get a job as a skiver!

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Roar of approval Intrepid trio survive the ‘Lion’s Lair’

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Busted! Meet the dodgy referee and the market con-man

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Taking a healthy lead A little help to kick-start a healthier lifestyle

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Quiztime Win a £15 voucher with our crossword

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A real eye-opener The latest news from Community 5000

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Getting the EU party started Marking Europe Day

DWPeople – Whilst every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, DWP cannot accept any liability. The acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by DWP. The advertising for DWPeople is managed by Landmark Publishing Services, 2 Windmill Street, London W1T 2HX. Tel: 020 7692 9292. All locations in DWP should receive enough copies of DWPeople to share around.

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News in Brief

PDCS appoints directors THE Pension, Disability and Carers Service has appointed its directors. Find out more at http://intralink/1/pdcs/about/DWP_ T391652.asp

Excellence at DWP CIPR have compiled candidates for their annual ‘Excellence Awards’ and the Department has achieved two major nominations. DWP internal communications has secured a place in the Planning, Research and Evaluation category, while Jobcentre Plus has made the shortlist for the Special Award for eNewsletter and Magazines. Prizes will be presented later in the year at the London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel.

Goodbye RM password! FIND out about upcoming changes which mean staff only need to log on once. http://intralink/home/news/headlines/ 2008q2/20080429_goodbye_rm.asp

Pathways to Work INCAPACITY Benefit customers in England, Wales and Scotland can now get even more help to find work. http://intralink/home/news/headlines/ 2008q2/20080428_on_the_right.asp

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They are the law THE former Law, Governance and Special Policy Group (LGSPG) has relaunched as Legal Group. A new intranet site gives staff clearer signposting to who they are and what they do. The group works with ministers and colleagues, providing expert assistance and a wide range of services, including security and data protection, governance and legal services. Legal Group also advise colleagues throughout DWP and provides an in-house legal service for the Department of Health.

Director general Richard Heaton

For more information about what the new group can offer, visit the Legal Group intranet site (via the DWP intranet A-Z).

DWPeople – the results are in MANY thanks to everyone who took part in the DWPeople readership survey. We received over 4,000 responses and look forward to bringing you the results in the next issue. In the meantime, congratulations to the winners of the prize draw

who each receive a £15 Marks and Spencer voucher – they are: Lorraine Bird, Liz Lindsay, George Adams, Morag Mackay and Stephen Littlewood.  Look out for the June issue to find out what the results are and what DWPeople will do about it.

Removing the barriers A NEW intranet site to help staff deal with customers who have specific communication barriers is now available online.

This includes information and guidance on various topics such as written communications in alternative formats and using interpreters.

The pages provide simple and easy access to current guidance and practical information on helping people with hearing impairments or speech difficulties and those customers whose first language is not English.

The new site will continue to be updated to give our customers a more consistent service. To access the pages go to HR Homepage > Diversity and Equality and select Customer Service.

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News in Brief

Age of enlightenment The theme of the day will be different generations living and working together and events will take place with schools and youth groups, involving organisations like Age Concern. MINISTER of State for Pensions Reform, Mike O’Brien, has announced new plans for DWP’s Older People’s Day activities.

Mike O'Brien said: “Older People's Day will celebrate the huge contribution older people make to our society and economy.”

Older People’s Day is on 1 October and DWP is preparing for it by developing a coordinated programme of activities as part of its older people strategy called ‘Full of Life.’

Last year’s celebrations were a great success and this year DWP hopes to build on that achievement with the help of staff to develop a bigger programme of activities.

Mike O’Brien added: “We want staff to take part on 1 October and would like them to send in their ideas on how they would like to get involved.”

Staff can send ideas for local or national ways to promote and celebrate Older People’s Day to: [email protected]

Promoting Employ ability

Live and Direct DIRECTGOV colleagues were welcomed into the DWP fold at a reception in London on 23 April.

DWP is encouraging businesses to recruit disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.

Permanent Secretary Leigh Lewis said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome new colleagues. Working together I know that we can all make Directgov even more of a success than it already is.”

The Employ ability campaign targets small and medium-sized employers with a range of communications. Employ ability uses real-life stories of disabled people such as Neil Shepherd, a computer science graduate with Asperger Syndrome.

The Government's flagship digital service moved to DWP on 1 April. Directgov will continue to operate as an independent cross-government business, but will report to Joe Harley, CIT Director General and Chief Information Officer within DWP.

Bringing together the widest range of public service information and services in one place, Directgov will eventually become the single point of access for people who want to access government services online. For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk

Do you have any news for inclusion in DWPeople? Email your story [email protected]

His employer was pleased to hire him when his skills and attitude shone through at the interview. Find out more at www.dwp.gov.uk/employability

May 2008 | dwpeople | 5

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Feature

Putting customers first Catherine Chan reports on the DWP team that is getting to know the people we serve

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I don’t understand why I need to tell you all this information again

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Having a birthday isn’t a change of circumstance – why all the rigmarole?

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Why do I have to ‘claim’ something I’m entitled to?

OVER THE course of a year, DWP staff handle more than 300 million customer contacts. With such a big figure it’s easy to forget that every number represents an individual, often asking the Department to help them during the most difficult periods of their lives. And whether they’re looking for work, finding out about pensions, claiming disability benefits or sorting out their child maintenance – no two customers are the same. The Department set up the Customer Insight team to help understand its customers better. It’s much more than crunching the numbers – it’s about going deeper and learning about customers’ priorities, behaviours and experiences. Katherine Courtney heads up the team which operates across the whole of DWP. She says: “This is the first time that the Department has set up a specific team to find out more about the people we serve. The Customer Insight team works directly with customers, staff and delivery partners to build up a picture of who our customers are and how we can meet their needs more appropriately. “We’re going to use this information to shape the way we deliver services. At the moment, the Department expects customers to fit in with the way we do things – we’d like to change this so our customers’ needs come first and we fit around them.” One of the ways the Customer Insight team is doing this is by looking at our customers’ lifestyles, rather than seeing

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them in the context of a particular service or business. For example, the Pension, Disability and Carers Service would previously have targeted people approaching pension age with the same generic information about state pensions – regardless of their personal circumstances. Customer Insight uses a different approach by starting with the needs, preferences and behaviours of this group and then designing more tailored products and services based on their findings. The team is also focusing on DWP’s relationship with other government departments, and trying to create closer working practices. DWP is collaborating with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to look at common problems experienced by disabled customers and how these can be resolved. Katherine adds: “We have already received an enthusiastic response from staff, via both the intranet site and at the conference held in March (see right). It’s clear that staff are going to play a really important role in our work – this is an opportunity to change the way we do things and help DWP to deliver the services that our customers deserve.”

Find out more about Customer Insight at: http://intralink/1/ corp/sites/customer insight/index.asp

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Feature How can DWP do things better? DWPeople asks two customers…

PETER Wilson injured his arm at work. For the last six years, he has been claiming Disability Living Allowance.

“I wanted to change careers but I didn’t know where to begin. Someone suggested that I speak to Jobcentre Plus so I gave them a call. “Previously, I was a mobile hairdresser so I had lots of regular customers. I’ve also got two young children so working for someone else would be a big change for me and I would have liked to have discussed this a bit more. “It’s great that DWP wants to make things better for customers and appreciates that we’ve all got different lifestyles.”

“I think it’s great that DWP is talking to its customers about how to improve things. “For me, the Department can improve by being more upfront about what people are entitled to. Unless you ask, you don’t always get all the information you need – and most members of the public don’t know all the types [of benefits] on offer.”

Staff views

CATHERINE Morley was working as a mobile hairdresser but wanted a career change to fit in with her family commitments.

THE Customer Insight conference brought together 130 members of staff from across the Department to hear more about the new team’s work. Here’s what four people thought of the event:

Jamie Murray Sheffield Jobcentre Plus

Karen Taylor Bristol Jobcentre Plus

“I’m here to understand what Customer Insight is and how we’re going to use the findings to improve services at Jobcentre Plus. There’s always some scepticism among staff when you launch a new initiative and this event is helping to reduce that. The bottom line is, we’re trying to make the customer’s experience better.”

“The event has helped to confirm some things I knew about Customer Insight already and it’s been good to link it with my own experiences. For example, I have dealt with crisis loans and it would be helpful if customers only had to give their details once. It was great to hear about the Tell Us Once project, which is going to help us achieve this.”

Sam Huggons Pensions Client Group, London

Delegates at the conference

“I wanted to know more about Customer Insight and to learn about how it impacts on the work I do. It’s been helpful to come here today and find out more about the plans for working with people nearing state pension age.”

Beccy Russell DWP Business Strategy

“I’m particularly interested in the work we’re doing with Customer Insight and the services that we offer through the Directgov website (known informally as the My DWP project). The crucial thing about Customer Insight is making sure we deliver on what our customers tell us.”

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Feature

For the cause Laura Turvey hears how Miriam Smith went the extra mile for charity RUNNING a sweaty 10km, taking a bath of beans, auctioning yourself to the highest bidder or simply digging deep into the pockets – just some of the lengths kind-hearted folk traditionally go to in order to help out a charity they feel passionate about. But Miriam Smith from the Disability and Carers Service in Lancashire wanted to go one step further (or 6,800 miles further, to be precise) to do her bit.

Working with children

Miriam says: “In March this year I had the privilege of travelling to the Philippines with a team of nine volunteers to work with Ministries Without Borders Philippines Incorporated (MWBPI) for two weeks.” Miriam and her team travelled to Cavite, a province just south of Manila, where the charity has an office, accommodation for visitors, a maternity unit and a baby unit.

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“There are no state benefits for people who are out of work in the Philippines. Basically, if they don’t work they don’t eat, so providing employment is a very important service,” says Miriam. MWBPI provides employment for several midwives in their maternity unit and support for the vast majority of Filipinos who can’t afford to pay for maternity care. “There are normally two options: either delivery at home by their husband or unqualified neighbour, or go to the state-run hospital where they can share a bed with four other women and stand in the corridor while in labour,” explains Miriam. During her visit Miriam spent a lot of time working with children who were sponsored through their early education by MWBPI. This early start gives them a better chance of succeeding once they begin school at seven years of age. She says: “We were delighted to meet a young lady called Josephine who had originally been sponsored by MWBPI and had just completed her teacher training. She was about to start work in April and without the help of MWBPI she would probably never have had an education at all.” Miriam also spent many hours in the baby unit looking after the 12 abandoned babies ranging in age from ten days to two years. “We worked alongside the Filipino ladies that MWBPI employs to take

Miriam feed ing 1 old Dexter 0-day care of the babies, playing with them, feeding them and just enjoying giving cuddles,” says Miriam. During her second week, Miriam travelled to the island of Mindoro where another centre was under construction. This will provide a camp for youngsters from the Cavite slums to enjoy the pleasures of country life. Miriam says: “Thanks to the generosity of my DCS colleagues in Preston and Blackpool I was able to donate more than £500 to this project, an amount which will go a long way in the Philippines.

Donating clothes to the children “The whole experience was very rewarding and I hope to maintain contact with the country and keep some involvement with the many projects going on there.”

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Feature

Lean activities shape up DWP DWP has been running Lean initiatives for nearly a year. Catherine Chan meets some of those who have been involved since day one FOR SOME staff – including Annie (see right) – the Lean concept is still a bit of a mystery. Here’s a quick guide to what they’re all about:

What is Lean?  It’s about continuously improving the experience for customers and staff, and getting frontline staff involved in this.  Each initiative looks at a particular process or service. For example, in Newcastle, they are looking at the handling of Jobseeker’s Allowance claims.  Staff and customers make recommendations on how the process or service can be improved.

Dear DWPeople, months ses over the past few es oc pr an Le t ou ab I’ve read a lot that it concer ns vague understanding a g vin ha m fro art ap but, tually have no idea what it ac ll sti I s, ing th do we improving how ase? anyone enlighten me ple means in practice. Can mpton Jobcentre Plus Annie Peacock, Littleha

Case study: Disability and Carers Service, Preston THIS pathfinder project was a landmark for DWP, as it was the first time Lean techniques were adopted in the Department. The team’s aim was to improve the way Carer’s Allowance is delivered.

What’s good about it?

Anne Broom was one of the team involved. “Lean is all about applying common sense – getting rid of waste and removing any steps that we don’t need or that don’t benefit the customer directly. You can’t argue with that.”

 Frontline staff are involved from the beginning. As the experts, staff are best placed to improve services.  Customers also get a say in how services can be improved.  Lean techniques are helping DWP to streamline its processes and improve the customer experience.  Lean is changing the culture of how the Department works.

Before they started using Lean techniques, a Carer’s Allowance claim would go through a process with approximately 60 steps. The team looked at each of these to decide if they were necessary or helpful for the customer – 35 steps were seen as no longer needed. The team then tested the new 25 step process to make sure it works before putting it in place.

The Lean project is part of the DWP Change Programme, which is changing the way the Department works. For more information visit http://intralink/1/corp/sites/change programme/index.asp

Anne says: “Putting Lean into practice has not always been easy. But we are in it for the long haul and it is definitely worth persevering so we can reap the longer term benefits.”

Anne Broome (right) and part of the Lean project team (above)

Lessons learned  Quality checks have been brought in at key stages of the process so mistakes don’t get passed on  Claims are dealt with in date order so customers are treated fairly  Daily meetings are held to discuss performance and improvements  The layout of the office has been changed so staff can view information on whiteboards  Staff have better links with Jobcentre Plus and communicate using more modern methods such as email rather than fax.

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Feature

Roar of approval A CLEVER switch of titles did nothing to tame the judges in the Lions’ Lair. The concept – borrowed from the BBC’s Dragons’ Den – was to scrutinise people with ground-breaking ideas for the future of the Department. DWP’s Philip John, Kathie Lindsey and John McGregor were selected from hundreds of nominated candidates and put under the spotlight by the ‘Lions’, about their suggestions.

They were among an elite selection of candidates from departments across government. The Lions included none other than regular ‘Dragon’ and entrepreneur, Peter Jones. Other challenging judges included Government Communications Permanent Secretary, Howell James, and Ernst & Young’s head of government services, Robin Tye.

CIVIL SERVICE LIVE EXCLUSIVE

DWP trio survive the Lions’ Lair! The venture was part of Civil Service Live – an event designed to encourage innovation among civil servants. It took place over three days at the QEII conference centre in Westminster and proved an excellent chance for various departments to show how successful new ways of working have been. John Pinching caught up with DWP’s three innovators.

FLUSH OF INSPIRATION Kathie Lindsey Job: Jobcentre Plus Admin Officer, Bristol Idea: To put hippos (not literally) in toilets across the Department. The eureka moment: “I used to be known as the ‘brick lady’ because I had an idea to put house bricks in cisterns to save water. I then heard about ‘hippos’. They are heavy-duty plastic bags that are placed in the cistern and save nearly 50 per cent of water per flush! This would be both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In the Lair: “The presentation went well and most of them gave the thumbs up. Peter Jones was quite rude about it. 10 | dwpeople | May 2008

He didn’t really understand why you couldn’t just adjust the water flow. I have been invited to London to promote the idea to a minister, so I’m really pleased.”

15 minutes of fame: The ‘Brick Lady’ checks out her performance

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Feature

GETTING THE MESSAGE Philip John Job: Jobcentre Plus Admin Support Officer, Bristol Idea: It’s simple – but aren’t the very best ideas? This involves reminding people by text message that they have an appointment. The eureka moment: “At jobcentres a great deal of time and money is wasted due to ‘fail to attends’*. I thought a simple text message, which gives details of the date and time of the appointment, may make everyone’s life easier. We had a short trial that proved very successful.” In the Lair: “To be honest I don’t really know much about the technology so they told me to go out and do the necessary research. I think they were all quite surprised that we weren’t doing this kind of thing already. During my presentation Jones told me that he

Contract claws: Peter Jones (far right) reads the riot act – with the intention, presumably, of delivering it already knew what an SMS was and to get on with it!

Philip John makes his case

“I'm confident that the idea will be used nationally.” *A common Jobcentre Plus term used to describe people who fail to attend.

MAKING UP THE NUMBERS John McGregor Job: DWP Project Management, Newcastle

hoping it will become a standard facility across Jobcentre Plus.”

Idea: At last, a facility that works out benefit arrears with 100 per cent accuracy!

In the Lair: “It was filmed in exactly the same warehouse they use on TV. We were all made to wait in a room before facing the Lions. Those that went first

The eureka moment: “At work my performance was suffering because of a glitch in the system, which happened when the programme was updated in the 1990s. Consequently, many of the figures were incorrect and had to be worked out manually, and that can take ages. Initially, for my own benefit, I used my spare time to create a failsafe system on Excel. When it worked my manager decided that everyone in the team should use it. Now I’m

never returned, so we couldn’t find out what to expect. I have to admit, facing the Lions was pretty terrifying. Peter Jones asked some difficult questions but, at the bar afterwards, he was a completely different person.”

Sofa, so good: John (left) chats with an ideas champion May 2008 | dwpeople | 11

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Taking a healthy lead As DWP launches a new wellbeing package for staff David Hall gets some lifestyle advice from the Department’s healthy team finalists Stepping up Barnsley Child Support Agency Caseworker and union learning rep Margaret Mcnicholas has organised a 12 week stepometer programme with the help of her local SportActive group. This helps colleagues set goals, monitor the number of steps walked and increase activity levels.

Small change, big difference Jobcentre Plus, Marches District Debbie Mason is health leader for both her team and the local district, having helped set up a healthy champion in every office.

Margaret says: “We asked lifestyle advisers from our local leisure centre to do blood pressure checks and speak to individuals about improving their lifestyle. Since then, some have joined the gym and others have started the stepometer programme.“

Debbie says: “There are 17 champions in total. We share tips, health information and good news stories on our website.”

Top tip: “Talk to health advisers about getting a check-up and finding the right exercise programme for you.”

Top tip: “It’s the small things that make a difference – try and fit as many healthy initiatives around work meetings and events.”

An accredited walker, Debbie recently introduced healthy walks into management meetings, organising routes with local groups in the area.

One stop health shop DWP has launched a new package of fresh ideas to boost staff wellbeing and you can find them all in one place. The new wellbeing portal has links with the Right Corecare helpline and support for managers and staff on healthy living. Staff will be able to look at wellbeing case studies and use Askwell – a new interactive health tool that has information, downloadable fact sheets and links to dozens of recognised health sites. You can access the wellbeing portal via the DWP Employee Benefits site.

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Feature ! Healthiest team

We are the champions Shared Services Networking is the key, explains Lynne Atkinson from the shared services wellbeing at work team. Lynne and her colleagues have developed a network of wellbeing champions, encouraging staff to make healthy choices in food and lifestyle.

A winning combination Newcastle Appeals Team, The Pension Service This team were judged by DWP staff as being the best example of a healthy team in the Department. Wendy Cronin says: “We believe a good working environment is key to wellbeing and our ongoing initiatives include supporting each other to lose weight, eat healthier and take regular exercise.”

Top tip: “By supporting each other to achieve your goals you can shape a healthier and happier team.”

Local heroes Livingston Jobcentre Plus Personal adviser Lorna Paul is involved with the Healthy Working Lives scheme. Lorna says: “This scheme is available in any Scottish workplace. We regularly meet colleagues from West Lothian council, Inland Revenue and the NHS to plan joint events and keep healthy issues on the agenda. “Through the scheme, I got in touch with our local leisure centre to organise some ‘taster’ sessions for team members to try out different activities. It’s been a real hit!”

“The network ensures each location has access to healthy living events and visits from nutritional experts who can supply advice, support and basic health checks.”

Top tip: “Arrange lunchtime walking sessions with the cooperation of your local authority.”

A healthy mix Makerfield Benefit Delivery Centre Wellbeing is an ongoing concern at Makerfield thanks to team member Janet Liversidge's Support Team. Janet says: “We run pilates classes at lunchtimes, have a weekly fruit bowl scheme, and a regular ‘plodders’ group, led by trained walkers. “We’re also looking at healthy lifestyle issues, including arranging alcohol awareness sessions.”

Top tip: “Talk to your workplace health co-ordinator and colleagues about healthy initiatives in your area.”

Top tip: “Make it fun. If traditional exercise isn’t for you, look into other activities. We even tried pole-dancing classes!”

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Feature

A real eye-opener Simspecs help David and Lucy to see things from a new perspective

Laura Turvey hears how staff have been getting stuck in to help DWP achieve its Community 5000 goal A WARM fuzzy glow has surrounded DWP as its staff continue to show their caring sides and give something back to the communities they work in.

“Community 5000 is an opportunity to get to know our customers as individuals and find out more about their lives and the difficulties they face.

The Department introduced Community 5000 last year to give staff the chance to spend a day with voluntary and community organisations, and since then staff nationwide have been jumping at the opportunity to get involved.

“Staff can learn new skills in a modern and practical way. At the same time, customers get to put a face to DWP, and see the dedication and commitment of our staff outside of the normal working environment.”

By taking part in Community 5000, staff not only provide help and support to organisations that work with DWP’s customers, they also get the opportunity to experience customers’ lives first-hand.

So far, more than 1,500 staff at every level across the Department have taken part in the programme. A further 700 are planned to take part over the next two months. The placements have included lending a helping hand at hospices, working with the homeless and taking part in environmental

Project manager Sally Shields says: 14 | dwpeople | May 2008

projects with disabled people. And between April and July a total of 34 DWP staff will be taking part in a series of events taking place with Action for Blind People. The national charity works with blind and partially sighted people to help them transform their lives. Each year they support more than 24,000 people and work to inspire change and create opportunities for blind and partially sighted people so that they are treated equally to sighted people. Since April, two DWP staff members have visited Action for Blind People in Manchester each week to learn about the organisation’s valuable work first-hand.

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Benefit delivery expert Lucy Bowles and finance decision support officer David Hindley recently attended one of these events to get a better understanding of what life is like for DWP’s customers. Lucy volunteered to take part in the event after seeing the opportunity advertised on the intranet’s Regional News pages. “It was a really good opportunity to get involved in a volunteering project in an area that I have limited knowledge of,” explained Lucy. “I have a benefits background and have not worked within the Customer Service Directorate so I was looking forward to gaining hands-on experience of how customer service skills are applied to an area that requires a more personal approach. “I wanted to find out how we can help people that find it harder to get the support they need to find training and jobs suitable to their abilities and skills.” David added: “I was already aware of some of Action for Blind People’s work as they are one of our European Social Fund (ESF) employment programme providers, so I was really looking forward to understanding more.” During the jam-packed day the pair visited a customer on a home visit, tested out the latest assistive technologies, took part in visual awareness training and helped out on the national helpline. Lucy said: “We visited Joyce, a partially sighted older lady who has just been kitted out with assistive technologies to help her use her laptop and surf the net. “She was using a magnifying glass to read the screen before Action for Blind People stepped in to help her out. She’s still getting to grips with the kit but she can navigate through the web a lot easier already.”

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The afternoon’s visual awareness training session gave Lucy and David the chance to see things from a different perspective. Equipped with simspecs, which simulate a range of visual impairments, the pair got a snap shot of what life can be like for partially sighted people. Donna Waring, action co-ordinator for Action for Blind People, ran the session. Donna has been blind since birth and gave the pair lots of helpful advice, tips and lessons learned from her experiences. In one shocking example Donna highlighted the need for awareness of life from a blind person’s perspective. She explained: “A car stopped beside one of my blind friends and, trying to be helpful, the driver told my friend that she was clear to cross the road. As my friend began to cross, a car came from the other direction and ran her over – the driver had not looked both ways and his engine had actually masked the sound of the other car coming.

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Helpline training with Cathy

Lucy takes on the helpline

new kit Lucy and David get to grips with the

“Incidents like this could be avoided by simply understanding blind people better.” David said: “It was a really interesting session and I learned a lot. Even the small things that I take for granted on a daily basis can actually be a real obstacle for someone with a visual impairment.

Donna demonstrates the full kit

“I realise now how important it is to do simple things like announcing your arrival and departure from a room and tucking in your chair when you leave the table. “The event has given me a new outlook on life.”

Jack the guide dog maintains a watc hful eye

Find out more about Community 5000: http://intralink/1/corp/sites/ employeebenefits/volunteers/ index.asp Find out more about Action for Blind People: http://www.action forblindpeople.org.uk/ Getting to grips with braille

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Feature

Levelling the playing field Catherine Chan reports on the changes that will give future pensioners security in retirement WHEN it comes to state pensions, millions of women across the UK are losing out. For many, having children or caring for relatives come first – and saving for retirement is just not a priority. But putting pensions on the backburner is not an option either, as more people live longer and want to enjoy a good quality of life in their later years. DWP plans to make the system fairer for future pensioners, with women and carers getting better entitlements. Head of state pensions Evelyn Arnold says: “Women are more likely than men to have family commitments such as looking after children or caring for elderly relatives. This means their working patterns are more likely to be disrupted and they may not be able to save as much as they’d like for retirement. “At the moment, women normally need to make National Insurance contributions or be credited for 39 qualifying years to get a full basic state pension. Only 35 per cent of women reaching state pension age today manage to do this. The Pensions Act 2007 is reducing the number of qualifying years to 30 for both men and women – we predict that around 75 per cent of women reaching state pension age in 2010 will do so with a full basic state pension. “That’s more women entitled to more money, and fewer spending their retirement in financial hardship.”

16 | dwpeople | May 2008

Many women are also carers and, for the first time, this important role will be properly reflected in their state pensions. New weekly National Insurance credits are being introduced for people getting child benefit for children aged under 12. This change means government is contributing to the pension pot rather than deducting from the total number of qualifying years. A new credit will also be available for carers who spend at least 20 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person. Evelyn adds: “The Pensions Act also means the state pension age will

gradually increase to 68 for both men and women by 2046. In all, the plans will mean things are fairer for everyone and give people and opportunity to prepare for their retirement.”

For more information about pension reform, visit: http://intralink/1/ pension/client/reform/ dwp_m328577.asp

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Feature The Pensions Bill – what’s in it for women and carers? ANYONE reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2010 will only need 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions to qualify for a full basic state pension. By 2025, more than 90 per cent of women will get the full entitlement. Thanks to new measures, between 3.5 and 4 million women should be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension scheme to help them save for retirement. For many women, this will be the first time they do so. Carers – including parents and those who look after the severely disabled people – will receive weekly National Insurance credits. This recognises and rewards the role of caring in society.

ue! c s e r e h t o t P W D THE Department has been helping thousands of people to get their pension finances back on track. The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) helps members of collapsed occupational pension schemes. In December 2007, the Government announced that 140,000 people who lost their pensions would receive help from FAS. Members were told they could expect to receive 90 per cent of their accrued pension from the scheme’s normal retirement age. This news was warmly welcomed by those who thought their pension plans were in tatters. Since then, the Department – which administers FAS – has vowed to offer more support to those who are too ill to work. Pensions Minister Mike O’Brien announced that individuals in poor health could get help from FAS five years before their scheme’s normal retirement age. There are also plans to speed up payments to those affected.

Case study: a real result ANNA Smith’s husband contributed to his workplace pension scheme for 32 years. In 1997 – one year before he was due to retire – the scheme was wound up. Mr Smith died in 2005 and never received a penny; his widow should have received funds too but was left empty-handed. Pension scheme members now receive help from the Financial Assistance Scheme. FAS is responsible for collecting information on former members and assessing how much they should be receiving – a tricky task as some of the records have gone missing. Anna contacted the FAS unit and was told about the difficulties in tracing the records. Fortunately she had kept papers relating to her late husband’s pension and was able to hand over copies. Further checks were needed to make sure the papers were legally sound and matched the information that FAS staff had found. She is now receiving £3,369.60 a year from FAS and arrears worth more than £10,000. It was a real result for Anna, who generously gave some of her back-payment away to charity.

* Names have been changed to protect the customer’s identity.

Find out more about the Financial Assistance Scheme at www.dwp.gov.uk/fas

May 2008 | dwpeople | 17

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Feature

RM with a view

SINCE asking staff for their views on RM, DWPeople has been inundated with questions about the system. Several staff enquiries have been chosen and senior managers answer the questions below:

John Pinching selects some of your RM questions Q.

TIME OUT

ually about RM it us Whenever I read ay DWP w e it improves th concerns how es, tim of The majority people spends money. t en er ff three di s ire qu re it , er howev plete t places to com in three differen t any en tm as the Depar routine tasks. H f time? af st ct RM has on idea of the impa John Culkin ns Communicatio s Leed

majority of transactions within RM A. The require an individual to instigate the transaction and an individual with the correct authority to authorise. Providing these are completed correctly, and in a timely manner, the transaction should be processed without the need for more intervention. We recognise however that some transactions are more complex than others, and as part of the RM review are looking at the more complex transactions to identify improvements. Teresa Kelly, head of Employee Services

18 | dwpeople | May 2008

Q.

SLOW TRAIN

Recently we had to book a block of six training cours es on RM an d had to do each one ind ividually, whic h was not on annoying bu ly t time consum ing. Is there any way RM could be set up to book a block of train ing sessions? Sandra Shack Jobcentre Plu s Liverpool

are aware of the desire to block-book A. We training courses on RM and have been investigating the possibilities for doing this. Unfortunately, delivering this change would mean significant customisation, which would have wider impacts on the standard running of the system. We have considered whether the overall impact of making this change is significant enough to outweigh the cost and system impact of doing so and concluded at this stage that we will not commission this change. We do, however, continue to keep these types of questions under review as part of the RM improvements. Bev Peary, senior HR business partner

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Feature Q.

part of the ongoing review to improve RM we are currently A. As considering options for improving the look and feel of RM.

RM looks a ve ry dated packag e – more ‘80s than 21st Century.

Teresa Kelly, head of Employee Services

Q.

THEM AND U.S.

we have se explain why Can anyone plea RM – terminology in to use American glish? e the Queen’s En couldn’t we us John Barnett orate DWP HR Direct rtise y Centre of Expe lic Po Employee

Q.

Teresa Kelly, head of Employee Services

PHONEY

RM do not contact me via telephone or email, when I raise a service request, so why are my personal contact details requested in the first place? Mary Harrison Pension Centre Birmingham

online. We recognise the problem that you describe, in that the option to request an alternative method of response is indicated on the service request, but not available. A Lean review of the current process has been instigated in order to make improvements to the process for handling queries. Teresa Kelly, head of Employee Services

Q.

gain all day trying to You can spend the g in tt ge hile only access to RM, w source Re g in us you for nk ha ‘T ; ge sa es m e system Unfortunately th t. en em ag an M n later.’ . Please try agai sy bu tly en rr cu is limited? Why is access so ) about 20 others Mrs T Leese (and Leader BDC MA Team Wrexham

Q.

NES FAMILY MISFORTU

last year, pment exercise lo ve de a in rt I took pa Ramsgate. regular trips to RM but which involved penses through ex re ca ild ch ion" on I claimed "family deduct a e se to ed ris ly losing was surp I was not actual gh ou lth A . lip income. my pays ent looked like em rs bu im re e th money, t my tax would work ou Therefore HMRC me than I'd sis of more inco d award. credits on the ba re lting in a duce su re , ed iv ce re actually lone parents? her ‘attack’ on Is this yet anot atch Emma Cumberb us Pl e tr Jobcen Ashford

present all service request responses are A. At electronic, enabling you to track their progress

SAGE WE GET THE MES

Keith Walton Jobcentre Plus Strategy London

is an American A. Oracle product and a conscious decision was made to use the standard terminology to reduce initial and ongoing costs.

TIME MACH INE

A.

The taxable nature of expenses is not changed by the introduction of RM, and the calculation is the same as in the previous system. Family care expenses are classed as gross/taxable earnings and therefore will increase your taxable pay accordingly. The RM payslip merely reflects the actual position in a more visible way and picks up this information automatically from i-expenses. Bev Peary, senior HR business partner

encounter the ‘RM busy’ screen when overall usage is very high. This A. Staff may be as a result of extremely high levels of users logged into the system (for example on on-line pay slip day), or when necessary routines are being run within RM (e.g. payroll runs or financial reports). We recognise that when reduced access is invoked it can be very frustrating for users, and there are a number of initiatives currently underway to improve the overall performance of RM, as you will have seen in Leigh Lewis's improvements to RM update. These include looking at better ways of running these key routines, including where possible, limiting them to run overnight. In the mean time, the ‘RM busy’ screen does ensure that the system keeps running with the users logged in at that time, and reduces the risk of the system overloading and no one at all being able to log in. As we address and improve the performance of RM we will all see this screen less often. Sandra Robinson, Employee Services Director

Look out for more information about RM on Headline News

May 2008 | dwpeople | 19

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Achieving the best

F O M A E T

THE

MONTH Team of the Month

The DASO team (from left to right): Jaqui McAteer-Dean, Sandra Hibbert, Fola Ajala, Chris Stone, Pat Williams and Eileen Cassettare

Laura Turvey hears how the Woolwich Diary Admin Support Officers have helped their district come out on top THROUGHOUT history some of the most popular, powerful and influential people have only succeeded because the people in the background have made it possible for them to do so. Take Madonna, where would she be without her team of fitness instructors, vocal coaches, make-up artists and hairdressers? Or Bill Clinton – whose wife Hillary has gone from supporting her husband 20 | dwpeople | May 2008

as US president to actually becoming a presidential candidate herself. For the staff at Woolwich Jobcentre Plus it is exactly the same story. The team of eight Diary Admin Support Officers (DASO) are the backbone of the office – providing vital support and assistance so that the Jobcentre’s Lone Parent and Specialist Incapacity Benefit Advisers can deliver an excellent

service to their customers. The team’s hard work has helped the South London district achieve the top rating nationally for its Incapacity Benefit intervention delivery target. Pat Williams, Lone Parent Booking Team DASO, said: “We work closely with advisers and customers to ensure our advisers conduct as many interviews as possible and

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customers have access to all the information they need to help them return to work.” The team works closely with customers to make sure individual needs and extenuating circumstances are dealt with to get the best possible outcome for the customer. Team member Sandra Hibbert said: “I recently helped a customer who was claiming Income Support and had been diagnosed with cancer. “She was worried that she could not afford to pay for the regular fares to the hospital for treatment out of her benefits. I explained that she should visit the hospital finance department with proof of her benefit and she would have her fares reimbursed. “She was delighted and really grateful for the help.” The unique make up of the DASO team with four full-time, three parttime officers and one term-time officer creates an additional challenge of managing time and workloads around the team’s varying schedules. “We discuss our workloads and

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arrange them to suit each other,” adds Pat. “Our team is able to change job roles as and when required and work closely with each other to make sure we maintain a high level of service to our customers.”

Page 21

Vox pops

The team’s flexible working arrangements helps the DASOs to achieve an effective work-life balance. Incapacity Benefit DASO, Chris Stone, said: “Working part-time allows me to find the time to fulfil my commitments of looking after my granddaughter one-and-a-half days a week and giving support to my elderly relatives.” The team is now adapting to significant changes to the conditions for benefit across both of its customer groups. Team leader Fola Ajala said: “We’ve already been through a huge learning curve and taken on different challenges that have been thrown our way.

Jacqueline McAteer-Dean Diary Admin Support Officer

“We all have smiles on our faces and enjoy the work, while delivering a professional service to our customers and meeting our team targets.”

“These changes to the conditions of benefit are generating an extra workload – but we see this as a challenge which we look forward to conquering.”

Are you the next Team of the Month? DWPeople wants to hear from those teams that have demonstrated at least one of the key DWP values: • Achieving the best • Respecting people • Making a difference • Looking outwards In no more than 300 words tell us: • Who is in your team, what you all do, why you should be considered and which of the DWP values your team have demonstrated.

“We work well within our team as we all have a great laugh. The balance between work and play is the key to our success.” Baljit Seal Diary Admin Support Officer

Send your entries by email to: [email protected] May 2008 | dwpeople | 21

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S Wins £15 M& s er vouch

STAR LETTER You’re a skiver I WAS recently helping set up a new claim for a customer for Jobseekers Allowance.

THE article ‘Our business in show business’ in April’s DWPeople covered a section on UB40 – the Birminghambased reggae group. The article claimed that ‘the band is named after the form they had to fill in to claim their benefits, and it even appeared as the cover art on their first album – the ironically titled Signing Off.’

She stated that she was looking for a job as a saddle preparer. I thought to myself ‘I wonder if there’s a Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) code for such a job?’

“

To my surprise a job did come up but it was for a skiver

After looking through the SOC codes I found one for a saddler – ‘close enough’, I told myself. I then did a search in her area just in case there were any positions available. To my surprise a job did come up… but it was for a skiver.

The claim form for unemployment benefit was UB461, UB40 (now ES40) was the form used to end a claim – hence the name of the album. Sorry to be so pedantic, but little inaccuracies can be really irritating. Sue Hunt Millom Jobcentre Plus

22 | dwpeople | May 2008

What an excellent job I thought! How easy can that be?!

The only requirement was… experience needed! Turns out a skiver is actually somebody who uses a machine to trim leather in case you wondered – shame. Dean Coghlan Torquay Jobcentre Plus

Department making a commitment to the use of plain English?

Sets’ and ‘courageous conversations’, none of which has any immediate meaning.

It is a really positive initiative but unfortunately this seems to have fallen by the wayside as, almost daily, I receive emails with attachments carrying new buzz phrases, overcrowded PowerPoint slides and messages lost in a complexity of ‘corporate speak’.

This is not what communication is about.

Plain English please DOES anyone remember the

“

Mind your own business

Recently I’ve read about ‘touchstones’, ‘Action Learning

So come on, please, if you want us all to get your message – keep it clear, keep it simple, and maybe the use of that big ‘Delete’ key will become less of an irresistible temptation. Geoff Haynes Pensions Transformation Programme Newcastle-upon-Tyne

What do you think? Send your letters on any subject to: [email protected]

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Classifieds AMSTERDAM. Two night City Cruise Break from £39 + FREE breakfast. Includes: En-suite cabin, city centre transfers. T&Cs apply. To book www.dfds.co.uk/offers insert offer code Y1996A FLORIDA. Five mins from Disney. BT engineer's three bedroom, two bathroom detached luxury villa with private heated pool. www.floridavillabydisney.co.uk Gordon Savage 07802 192732 [email protected] DO NOT MISS OUT!!! FLORIDA, ORLANDO. 10 mins to Disney. Brand new executive four Bed three Bath fully air con villa with a lake view screened pool and spa. Weekly rate for villa from £470 (not per person). Tel. 01507 600310/600699 www.morethanavilla.co.uk [email protected] FORE Property Services. Spain, Costa Blanca. Holidays/ Long term rentals.

Villas and apartments. Discounted rates. www.foreonline.com Email: [email protected] Tel: 0034 96 672 9238 Mob: 0034 69 620 7372 FRANCE. Quality French Holiday Accommodation, Large Rural Converted Water Mill, Vendeen Beach Villa & Alpine Ski Chalet. All details at www.frenchholidayaccommodation.co. uk Tel: 01706 839170 E-mail: [email protected] NEW FOREST LODGES. Traditional Victorian farmhouse has cosy, one double bedroom lodge, with glass doors leading from lounge onto large wooden decked area, sleeps four and separate large two bedroom lodge, sleeps six, both have uninterrupted views of gorgeous countryside. Access to forest, trailway for cycling, walking and horse riding. Swimming pool (heated). Within easy reach of beautiful award winning South coast beaches. For info 01425 472115

PERSONAL TRAINING, bodywork, energy coaching. London based. Redefine your body and your life. www.re-define.co.uk James Jacoby 07879 447300 ROME CITY CENTRE, Testaccio. Two new apartments sleep four people in each. From 90 Euros per apartment per night. 10 per cent discount to DWP employees. For further info http://rentintestaccio.googlepages.com email: [email protected] Sandra 0044 774 9789630 STRATHLEVEN EXECUTIVE CARS. A small company based in Scotland (nr Loch Lomond), we can provide the very best service for the biggest day of your life with the choice of two top of the range Chrysler 300c executive saloon cars and a range of packages to suit everyone! For further information call 01389 603646/07734039469 or 07727052973 or visit www.strathlevencars.co.uk May 2008 | dwpeople | 23

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Busted!

Sent off!

Red carded: secret video footage of referee Chris Stockwell in action

There’s no fair play here, as the man in black is caught cheating LOVE THEM or loathe them, football referees are usually there to ensure fair play. But that’s not the case for Chris Stockwell – he gets a red card for cheating the benefits system. The 52-year-old from Kidwelly, West Wales, was caught out after DWP launched an investigation with the West Wales Football Association.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Income Support. According to his DLA form, Stockwell suffered a spinal injury. He claimed it would take him 15 minutes to walk 10 metres and that he needed crutches or a wheelchair to get around. He was awarded the higher rate of the mobility component and the middle rate of the care component.

at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court to 150 hours’ unpaid work and a 12 month Supervision Requirement. He was also ordered to pay £75 costs. DWP lead investigator Mike Donovan says: “We approached the West Wales FA and asked to work with them to look at the issue of benefit fraud among their referees and assistants.

Fraud investigators were able to catch Stockwell after cross-checking his refereeing details against benefit records. These showed he was claiming for Incapacity Benefit,

Investigators secretly filmed Stockwell officiating at a match and he was interviewed under caution on 31 May 2007. He was subsequently sentenced

24 | dwpeople | May 2008

DWP staff can report benefit fraud using the PPQ form on the desktop

“Stockwell’s case was the first to go to court but we are planning legal proceedings in three other cases. This was a new way of working for us and it has definitely yielded results.”

M

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Busted!

Cullen allegedly owned a time-share in Las Vegas... ...and another one in Florida, the Sunshine State

Cullen was arrested as he stepped off a plane from Thailand Investigators found large piles of cash at Cullen’s home

Fake that! Wheeler-dealer ends up in prison for benefit fraud and copyright crimes MARKET TRADERS aren’t usually known for their glamour – Del Boy and Rodney got around in a clappedout Robin Reliant and the EastEnders cast seem to permanently live in the greasy spoon. But one trader – Gordon Cullen, from West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside – was busy bucking the trend. His first-class lifestyle included luxury holidays in Thailand, a swanky 4x4 car, and time-shares in Florida and Las Vegas. A joint investigation between DWP and Trading Standards found that Cullen was committing crime to fund his extravagant lifestyle. Investigators went undercover at Greenfield Market, Flintshire, and discovered he was making and selling counterfeit DVDs and CDs on his market stall. Cullen was also fraudulently claiming benefits on the side – a total of £66,827 in

Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. DWP investigators used their legal powers to look into Cullen’s financial affairs and found large amounts of money were going in and out of his bank account. A raid at Cullen’s home in October 2006 uncovered more evidence – computer equipment for copying DVDs, fake discs and cash. Cullen, who was in Thailand at the time of the house raid, was arrested as he stepped off his first-class flight at Heathrow airport. During his police interview Cullen admitted selling discs but said he was doing it for someone else. He said the stall at Greenfield market belonged to his son and the timeshares were paid for by extended family members.

When questioned about his finances, Cullen claimed the cash at his home was from a successful trip to Las Vegas; the money going into his bank account was from friends to fund “lad’s trips” to the Far East. The police didn’t buy Cullen’s excuses and he was charged at Wrexham police station. After a trial at Mold Crown Court, he was sentenced to 16 months for benefit fraud offences and 32 months for offences relating to intellectual copyright. As well as his jail sentence, Cullen was also ordered to pay £130,000 compensation within six months or face an additional three years in prison. The sentencing judge said: “This was a sophisticated and organised crime to fund an indulgent and extravagant lifestyle.”

Members of the public can report suspicions on the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440

May 2008 | dwpeople | 25

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Quiz time

Quickcrossword

Win a £15 voucher As usual we were inundated with entries to the crossword in April’s edition of DWPeople. The winner of the £15 Marks & Spencer voucher was Yasser Razzaq from Dudley Child Support Agency. The correct answers were: Across: 6. Pelican 7. Monty 9.Benny 10. Poodles 12. Opportunity 14. Fishmongers 18. Meldrew 19. Hooks 21. James 22. Rubella Down: 1.Helen 2. Kidnap 3. Dan 4. London 5. Streets 8. Cottage 11. Coyotes 13. Liberal 15. Hedges 16. Rhodes 17. Skill 20. Hub

Across

Down

7. Paul Eddington’s character in ‘Yes Minister’ (6) 8. Figure of speech involving a comparison (6) 10. Art _______, a style of decoration and architecture of the early 20th Century (7) 11. Jim, the original presenter of gameshow ‘Bullseye’ (5) 12. Alfred Hitchcock movie about the perfect murder (4) 13. Comedian who had a best-selling book called ‘My Booky Wook’ (5) 17. Horse-drawn carriage (5) 18. Largest active volcano in Europe (4) 22. Tennis legend who announced her engagement to golfer Greg Norman in 2007 (5) 23. City of south-east Rhode Island (7) 24. Actor who played Mike Baldwin in ‘Coronation Street’ (6) 25. Elongated pastry filled with cream and iced with chocolate (6)

1. Slang expression for black eyes (7) 2. Strong cider (7) 3. Apostle who was a Galilean fisherman (5) 4. Theory about the cosmic explosion that marked the origin of the universe (3,4) 5. Landscape pictures (5) 6. Manager of Sunderland FC (5) 9. Tropical cyclone (9) 14. Kidnapped prisoner (7) 15. Upholstered sofa without arms or a back (7) 16. Early TV series which featured a cross-eyed lion called Clarence and a chimp called Judy (7) 19. Famous horse-race whose winners include Authorized, Sir Percy and Shergar (5) 20. Author of ‘The Chronicles Of Narnia’ (5) 21. ‘You Only Live ______’, a James Bond movie (5)

26 | dwpeople | May 2008

We’ll give a £15 Marks & Spencer Across voucher for the first correct entry 6. Florida drawn from the hat. Each month 7. Kinks we’ll print the answers from the 9. Scrum previous month and the name of 10.winner. Fly-leaf the 12. Mary Poppins 14.don’t Eva Longoria So delay, fill in your details and 18. Sabbath answer the question below to be in 19. Homer with a chance of winning. Send your 21. Roguecrossword marked completed 22. Ronaldo DWPeople Crossword Competition. Using internal mail to: Laura Turvey Room 650, London, Caxton House Or standard post to: Laura Turvey Room 650, Caxton House 6 -12 Tothill Street London SW1H 9NA Competition closes on 31 May. Which was your favourite feature in this issue? _______________________________ _______________________________ Name: ........................................................ Full address: ........................................................... ........................................................... ........................................................... ...........................................................

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Feature

Get the EU party started DWPeople hears how the European Social Fund celebrated Europe Day by helping DWP customers into jobs CORKS popped, sauerkraut and escargot were served by the plateful, harps were played and national jigs were danced – just a taster of some of the celebrations that took place across Europe on 9 May, as the whole continent took time out to celebrate Europe Day.

of projects. In 2004 the region was granted £42 million to take the ESF agenda forward and since then more than 26,000 people have benefited from these projects with 7,652 of these finding employment or a qualification.

Keen to join in with the European festivities DWP proudly flew the European Union flag in Sheffield and London as it welcomed the roll-out of a series of new European Social Fund (ESF) projects.

One of the region’s main projects was Fixers Intermediate Labour Market Opportunity (Fixers ILM) run by the Social Partnership in Runcorn.

ESF works with DWP to support the Government’s employment and training priorities. The fund has developed a programme which focuses on helping disadvantaged people to gain jobs and skills. Over seven years the fund will boost the support currently available through DWP’s employment programmes such as New Deal and Pathways to Work.

Jobcentre Plus ESF manager Peter Jamieson has been involved in the project from the start. He says: “We targeted long-term unemployed people, of 12 months or more, who faced multiple barriers to work including former substance misusers, ex-offenders and lone parents.” The project gave customers six months paid employment in the health and social care sector.

Acting head of ESF Division, Ken Lambert, says: “A series of new projects will be starting in June 2008, and with the help of £2 billion ESF funding, we expect that around 200,000 people will be helped into employment and 330,000 will gain new qualifications.”

During the programme customers could also attend a relevant work placement and complete a range of industry-specific qualifications like an NVQ level 2 Drug Awareness and NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care, plus a wide range of short certificated courses.

Over the last four years Jobcentre Plus staff in the North-West have been working with ESF on a range

Peter says: “It’s been really successful. Everyone who attended the project achieved some level

of qualification and of those who found work, all are still employed. “Some of the cases that stand out for me include a customer who had been on Incapacity Benefit for 12 years but started work after just five weeks on the project and has been in continuous employment since March 2007. “And another who was employed by Social Partnership as a support worker, and after completing their NVQ level 3 became an adviser for the company.” The work taking place in the NorthWest region adds to the support already available. It helps staff provide different or more intensive support to customers who face greater barriers to work, as well as helping those who may not come forward to the existing support. Peter adds: “ESF is adding real value to our work, helping us to reach more customers than we would otherwise be able to reach.”

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Out of hours

get up to in f af st at h w w o kn to DWPeople wants their spare time.

ho have unsung talents, w ff sta ith w g in rst bu to give The Department is full d DWPeople wants to an ills sk ry na di or tra ex interesting hobbies and out-of-hours stories. eir th ll te to ht lig ot sp e staff their moment in th read told us that you want to u yo ck ba ed fe nt ce re n help. ia Robins says: “I ked, but we need your as u Managing editor Virgin yo as do to r ge ea People. We’re aker, more staff stories in DW orts star, budding filmm sp g, in rit w e tiv ea cr it be Whatever your interest, t it.” – we want to hear abou charity fundraiser or DJ os of together with any phot s rie sto rs ou f-h t-o ou Send your [email protected]. yourself in action to: ou th’s ours stories in next mon f-h t-o ou ff sta w ne r fo Look out line News. DWPeople and on Head