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Internal Managersā Update December 2008
Managersā Update
Keeping you informed
Welcome to Decemberās
In this issue:
Update
Targets ā Current performance
As usual, weāve got news from around our
White Paper published
organisation to keep you and your teams up
IT changes affecting external devices
to date.
Helping children at risk
Please use the articles in the Update to help you
The e-Transfer Project
decide what information you need to
Child Maintenance Redesign
pass on to your teams.
Working with mentally ill customers event
If you have any other feedback about the Update,
Managers who Deliver ā Leaders who Inspire
or suggestions for next monthās issue,
Energy Efficiency Employment Initiative
then
send us an email.
Final Making a Difference pilot
Have a great Christmas and see you in 2009!
Changes to Income Support for lone parents
Recruitment agency partnerships
The upgraded way to search for jobs
Communication update
Your Call
InfoSource
Hot Topics
Delivery of Performance
Current performance (December 2008)
YTD
Variance
Trend
YTD
Variance
Trend
JOT
88%
- 12%
ā
CST
87.1%
+ 1.1%
ā
EET
94.1%
+2.1%
ā
AACT IS
8.4 days
- 1.6 days
ā
IDT
91.5%
+ 5.5%
ā
AACT JSA
10.0 days
- 1.5 days
ā
Fraud &
106.4%
+ 6.4%
ā
AACT IB
12.2 days
- 2.8 days
ā
Error
An up arrow indicates the YTD performance trend is improving and a downward-facing arrow indicates that the YTD
performance trend is worsening.
Job Outcome Target (JOT)
JOT final performance in May 2008 was 90 per cent of profile. Year to date performance
is 88 per cent.
Interventions Delivery Target (IDT)
Latest performance in month based on complete data for July 2008 is 91.1 per cent.
YTD performance using the latest available data for each element of IDT is 91.5 per
cent.
Customer Service Target (CST)
Quarter 2 performance at September 2008 was 87.1 per cent against a target of 86 per
cent.
Employer Engagement Target (EET)
In month performance for November 2008 is 93.0 per cent, with YTD performance
standing at 94.1 per cent against the 92 per cent target.
Average Actual Clearance Times Target (AACT)
For November 2008, YTD AACT performance is:
- 8.4 days for IS, 1.6 days below the 10 day target level
- 10.0 days for JSA, 1.5 days below the 11.5 day target level
- 12.2 days for IB, 2.8 days below the 15 day target level.
Fraud and Error
YTD activity volumes against profile are as follows:
Fraud investigations cleared
164.6 per cent October 2008
Customer compliance
124.0 per cent October 2008
Process
compliance
155.3
per cent September 2008
KWO related and targeted checks
110.5 per cent October 2008
Benefit overpayments actioned
93.8 per cent October 2008
Overall (Sep 2008 complete month)
106.4 per cent
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Further information can be found in the
Target Definitions Handbook and the KMI
Guidebook.
Back to contents
White Paper published
Secretary of State, James Purnell, has published a White Paper called
Raising
expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future, which
explains the Governmentās plans about the continuing transformation of the welfare
state.
White Paper plans will form the basis of a Welfare Reform Bill to be introduced to
Parliament in January.
The Bill is scheduled to be approved in the summer and final assent will is
expected to be given in autumn 2009. Any measures that require primary
legislative changes will be implemented over the next few years.
For more in
formation, see the Headline News story.
Back to contents
IT changes affecting external devices
Staff can now only use:
ā¢ Approved external devices, for example hard drives and scanners. These can
be ordered through the IT catalogue
ā¢ Approved assistive/accessibility devices.
From 22 December, if staff experience any problems with an approved device, they
should speak to their front line local support officer.
For more in
formation, see the Headline News story.
Back to contents
Helping children at risk
Many staff would have heard the story about Baby P recently and wondered what
could have been done differently, so now is a good time to remember what can be
done to help protect children.
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If staff believe that a child is at risk of injury, ill treatment or neglect, they can volunteer
information to Social Services, the Social Work Department (in Scotland) or the police.
For more in
formation, see the Vulnerable Persons guidance website.
Back to contents
The e-Transfer Project
The first stage of the e-Transfer Project, which will change the way DWP sends
information about Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) claims to Local
Authorities (LAs), begins on 5 January 2009. Data will be sent to LAs electronically,
rather than by post.
The new process will improve the security of customer information while in transit and
reduce end-to-end processing times.
Claim information will be sent from the Customer Management System on electronic
Local Authority Input Documents (e-LAIDs) via a secure electronic transfer route to
LAs.
The new process will be piloted at some LAs in January, and the national roll out of the
project will begin in February. Most installations will occur by the end of March 2009.
Employment and Support Allowance claims will not be affected by this change until a
later date.
See the HB/CTB bulletin 2008/01 fo
r more information or email WWEG HB Info Flows
Programme.
Back to contents
Child Maintenance Redesign
The second phase of Child Maintenance Redesign changes were introduced in
October.
During work-focused interviews or any other customer interventions, Advisers need to
remember to inform possible child maintenance customers about the benefits of the
Options Line (0800 988 0988).
Advisors should also give customers the āIf you are claiming benefitsā leaflet.
For more in
formation, see the Adviser Manager bulletin,
Managers Update Special/
Managersā Update Special Options information and Child Maintenance options
website.
Back to contents
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Working with mentally ill customers event
A new event, āIntroduction to Working with Customers who have a Mental Illnessā, was
introduced in November. Managers should nominate via the usual process any staff
they feel would benefit from the event.
The one-day event is an introduction to mental illness and how to work with customers
that have a mental illness.
It aims to dispel misconceptions about mental illness and will equip staff with the skills
to work effectively and confidently with this customer group.
Back to contents
Managers who Deliver ā Leaders who Inspire
Places are still available for the Managers who Deliver ā Leaders who Inspire
development programme for Band D and E managers.
The following programmes are available:
ā¢ Lead the Business on 17 March 2009 in Stirling (nominations must be made by
14 January 2009)
ā¢ Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Diploma (Workshop 3 onwards) on 20
January 2009 in Peterborough
ā¢ CMI Diploma (Workshop 3 onwards) on 3 February 2009 in Sheffield.
Delegates wishing to undertake one of the CMI programmes must have already
completed the Manage the Business programme.
Further information is available on the
Organisational Capability web page.
Back to contents
Energy Efficiency Employment Initiative
The Energy Efficiency Employment Initiative was introduced in England on 1
December to bolster skills and training in the construction industry. Arrangements for
Scotland and Wales are currently being developed.
The initiative aims to help address redundancies due to the economic downturn and
the need for skilled workers in the energy sector.
From December, Jobcentre Plus is:
ā¢ Delivering a service to provide rapid re-employment for redundant people in the
construction sector
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ā¢ Working with energy sector companies to develop Local Employment
Partnerships and establish ways into jobs
ā¢ Supporting customers by providing skills and training opportunities, and paths to
jobs in the energy efficiency industry.
Back to contents
Final Making a Difference pilot
The final Making a Difference pilot launch event was held on 9 December in Leeds.
The pilot was revised following feedback from the first two pilot events.
Making a Difference aims to help first and middle line managers understand their
leadership role, better engage their staff and pinpoint what they can do to improve
their leadership skills.
Launch events begin in February next year.
Managers who are interested in taking part should visi
t the Making a Difference
intranet site.
Back to contents
Changes to Income Support for lone parents
Changes to Income Support (IS) for lone parents with children aged 12 and above
have been introduced and voluntary interviews with existing lone parents will take
place from the beginning of January 2009.
Most lone parents with children aged 14 years or over will receive a letter from early
January 2009 onwards inviting them to attend a voluntary interview to discuss the
changes and whether or not they need to claim Jobseekerās Allowance or Employment
and Support Allowance. Interviews will take place from mid-January 2009 and existing
lone parentsā Income Support will begin to end from the beginning of March 2009.
Lone parents with children aged 12 and over will receive interview invitation letters
from May 2009 onwards and interviews will take place from mid-May. Their Income
Support will end after July 2009.
Changes for lone parents with children aged 10 and over will happen in October 2009
and changes for lone parents with children aged seven and over will happen in
October 2010.
Back to contents
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Recruitment agency partnerships
Jobcentre Plus is now working together with recruitment agencies to help customers
expand their job opportunities.
Recruitment agencies can offer support to all jobseekers but may be particularly
helpful to customers recently out of work or people seeking employment in a specific
sector.
The
REC website provides advice for jobseekers who can also search for a suitable
agency in their area, by sector.
The Job Kit insert,
Registering with Recruitment Agencies, provides advice about
recruitment agencies and can be printed off and given to customers.
The partnerships follow the launch of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation
(REC) and the
JCP Memorandum of Understanding in November.
Back to contents
The upgraded way to search for jobs
The latest upgrade of the Directgov website job search facility, Jobs & Skills
Release 4, went live on 26 November. Managers should encourage their Advisers to
promote customer use of the Directgov site as an alternative to the Jobcentre Plus
website Jobsearch.
The new release improves the way customers can search for vacancies by introducing
a SOC Code search via the Free Text Box (found on the Jobsearch Homepage). For
example, by typing in `1221 in Derbyā, the SOC code brings up a list of Hotel and
accommodation managers in and around Derby.
The new release also allows customers to sort their job search results by five different
categories:
ā¢ Relevance
ā¢ Job
title
ā¢ Wage
ā¢ Location
ā¢ Date
posted.
See www.direct.gov.uk for more information. There is also a link to the Directgov job
search from the Jobcentre Plus website.
Back to contents
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Communication update
Your Call
There was no Your Call in December.
The next Your Call takes place on Wednesday
14 January between 9am and 10am ā is your office being represented?
People are welcome to just listen in ā thereās no pressure to ask a question. For those
who do, it's a chance to speak directly to the Chief Executive and other Board
Members, and get their questions answered.
Anyone can take part, with calls taken in the order received, and questions are not
recorded in advance.
Some managers nominate members from their team to take part and provide feedback
to their colleagues ā this can even be a useful development opportunity.
For details about how to take part, see the Jobcentre Plus intranet.
Back to contents
InfoSource
InfoSource provides you with up-to-date information on a wide range of topics relevant
to Jobcentre Plus people. You can use InfoSource to help you find answers to
questions that you may be asked by your teams, external stakeholders or our
customers.
Back to contents
Hot Topics
Throughout
2008, the monthly national Hot Topics report analysed feedback from
Jobcentre Plus people and recommended ways to act on whatās been said/suggested.
The monthly report is considered by the Jobcentre Plus Board.
Jobcentre Plus will be conducting a review of Hot Topics from now until the end of
January. Support and suggestions from staff are appreciated.
Feedback is gathered through a network of communication colleagues across
Jobcentre Plus and from our internal feedback channels, including Your Call, Talk
Direct events, TeamTalk, Speak Up and Have Your Say.
Jobcentre Plus is looking to expand
Hot Topics and incorporate other feedback
channels in 2009.
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