Supervised Jobsearch Pilots (SJP)

Transcription

1 Supervised Jobsearch Pilots (SJP) Background 1. Supervised Jobsearch (SJ) Pilots was announced as part of the Help to Work package of support for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants. 2. These are two pilots funded by European Social Fund (ESF), in selected Jobcentre Plus Districts. Claimants are mandated to attend a local DWPcontracted provider premises for up to 35 hours per week, to undertake jobsearch activities and apply for jobs with intensive provider-led support and supervision, for 13 weeks. 3. One pilot will explore whether more intensive support prior to referral to the Work Programme, will have a positive impact. 4. The second pilot will test the approach on long-term unemployed claimants who have received 26 weeks of Post Work Programme Support (PWPS) or Help to Work (HtW) support since completing the Work Programme (WP). 5. A Random Allocation Tool (RAT) will be used to allocate claimants between the treatment group (those who are selected to participate in SJ) and the control group. 6. Each treatment group will have around 3,000 participants and a corresponding number in a control group. 7. The Districts participating in the pilots are Surrey and Sussex, the Black Country, Mercia and West Yorkshire. Overview and District Implementation 8. In each pilot there is a limit on the number of claimants the provider can take on to SJ. 9. All placements must be completed in time for all provider payments to be made by 31 March To achieve this, there is a set period during which claimants may start SJ, which is from 6 October 2014 to 19 December The limited, time-bound number of places available and the mandatory nature of the provision make it imperative that District Management Teams (DMT) support and monitor SJ referrals/starts by implementing processes which are effective and transparent. 10. DMT are also responsible for ensuring that their SJ provider has nominated contacts in Jobcentres for raising absence-related issues. The nominated contact(s) must be familiar with the Labour Market Conditions Guide and able to make decisions (e.g. whether absences may be treated as straight forward ) promptly and accurately in regard to issues including: periods of sickness; domestic emergencies; easements for parents. 11. It is also important for Districts to monitor and control referral numbers using regular MI provided by the project team and ensure that formal Provider Engagement Meetings are set up with the SJ provider. 12. Prior to go-live all claimants potentially eligible for inclusion in the pilots were issued with the Supervised Jobsearch leaflet.

2 Features of SJP 13. The provision is mandatory for those referred; a failure to participate without good reason will incur a sanction. 14. SJ incorporates jobsearch activity, supervised by the provider on their premises, for up to 35 hours per week, for 13 weeks. 15. The SJ provider may also mandate the claimant to apply for specific jobs/ attend job interviews. 16. SJ participants continue to claim JSA and attend fortnightly WSRs. 17. The provider will meet the costs incurred by the claimant in attending SJ. This will include travel, childcare and replacement adult care costs. The provider will also meet any additional support costs necessary to allow disabled people to participate fully. 18. The provider is also responsible for providing assistance normally accessed through the Flexible Support Fund (FSF); SJ participants are not eligible for awards from FSF. Identifying suitable claimants for SJP Pre-Work Programme 19. The timing of the referral is based on the WP eligibility date. For claimants aged this is between weeks 20 and 24 of their claim. For claimants aged 25+ this is between weeks 33 and 37 of their claim. A Date Calculator tool is available to help work coaches identify the referral window, using the date the claimant is due to be referred to WP. 20. Work coaches will identify claimants who may be eligible for SJ referral. Eligibility criteria includes (not exhaustive): claimants needing more intensive support and assistance; claimants who the work coach feels are not taking sufficient, effective steps to secure employment. This may be indicated by a lack of recent work history or failing to secure job interviews and the work coach thinks they will benefit from more intensive assistance with job applications; claimants who have a history of benefit sanctions for Actively Seeking Employment (ASE) or Fail To Attend (FTA). The timekeeping requirements of SJ may improve claimants discipline and understanding of the importance of timekeeping in a work environment; claimants must not have previously completed the Work Programme. (those who completed WP in a previous claim); claimants must have sufficient time to complete 13 weeks of SJ prior to WP referral date. Referral to WP must not be delayed or deferred due to a claimant s participation in SJ. 21. Check the Customer Information System (CIS) to determine if the claimant has a Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System (FRAIMS) indicator present. If so, the Fraud and Error Service (FES) must be contacted for advice. 22. If a pre-wp claimant is within the referral window but does not meet the eligibility criteria, the work coach will set the pilot marker to PRE-WP SJP- WC DECISION and the claimant will continue with their existing programme of support. 23. The following claimants are unsuitable for referral to SJ:

3 Universal Credit and New-style JSA claimants (the pilots are for JSA claimants only); JSA Credits-only claimants; Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) cases; Special Customer Records (SCR) cases; postal Work Search Review (WSR) claimants; claimants who are pregnant and produce a MATB1 prior to referral to SJ; claimants who are not required to meet availability and/or actively seeking employment, or are being treated as having met them; participating (or awaiting placement) in Work Choice/Residential Training; participating in other provision (e.g. New Enterprise Allowance, English Language, IT skills) to which they have been referred by JCP, the timing of which means they will not be able to complete 13 weeks of SJ prior to WP referral or the end of the pilot. those currently undertaking voluntary or part-time work; claimants for whom travelling to the SJ provider premises would be outside their daily travel to work time 90 minutes each way unless restrictions have been agreed; claimants in Mercia District who are participating in the year-old Pilot. 24. Eligibility is considered by the work coach at a suitable Work Search Interview (WSI) which takes place 26 weeks prior to the claimants WP referral date i.e. at 13 weeks for year-olds, at 26 weeks for claimants aged 25 plus. The eligibility consideration may, for example, take place during a Quarterly WSI. The work coach conducts the WSI following existing guidance. In addition, they will determine if the claimant is suitable to participate in SJ, using the eligibility and exemption criteria in paragraphs 20 and If the claimant is eligible to be referred to SJ, the work coach sets a workflow to undertake a WSI for referral to SJ. For claimants aged 18-24, this will be at 20 weeks from their date of claim. For claimants aged 25 plus, this will be at 33 weeks from their date of claim. 26. If the work coach determines that the claimant is not suitable for SJ, they will set the SJP pilot marker to PRE-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE and the claimant will continue with their existing programme of support. NB: If the claimant puts forward exceptional circumstances (that are not covered in the unsuitable list above) which suggests to the work coach that SJP is inappropriate, the work coach should consult with their line manager. LMS conversations must be updated with a brief outline of the decision around the exceptional circumstances presented. Identifying suitable claimants for SJP Post-Work Programme 27. Work coaches will identify Post-WP claimants whose Work Programme Completer Interview (WPCI) was on or after 07/04/2014, 26 weeks have elapsed and they are currently receiving PWPS or HtW support 28. Check the Customer Information System (CIS) to determine if the claimant has a Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System (FRAIMS)

4 indicator present. If so, the Fraud and Error Service (FES) must be contacted for advice. 29. The following claimants are unsuitable for referral to SJ: Universal Credit and New-style JSA claimants (the pilots are for JSA claimants only); JSA Credits-only claimants; Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) cases; Special Customer Records (SCR) cases; postal WSR claimants; claimants who are pregnant and produce a MATB1 prior to referral to SJ; claimants who are not required to meet availability and/or actively seeking employment, or are being treated as having met them; participating (or awaiting placement) in Work Choice/Residential Training; participating in other provision (e.g. New Enterprise Allowance, English Language, IT skills) to which they have been referred by JCP, the timing of which means they will not be able to complete 13 weeks of SJ prior to the end of the pilot. those currently undertaking voluntary or part-time work; claimants for whom travelling to the SJ provider premises would be outside their daily travel to work time 90 minutes each way unless restrictions have been agreed. 30. If the work coach determines that the claimant is not suitable for SJ, they will set the SJP pilot marker to POST-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE and the claimant will continue with their existing programme of support. NB: If the claimant puts forward exceptional circumstances (that are not covered in the unsuitable list above) which suggests to the work coach that SJP is inappropriate, the work coach should consult with their line manager. LMS conversations to be updated with a brief outline of the decision around the exceptional circumstances presented. Referral process 31. The referral must be made during a WSI. SJ provision is supported by the Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) system and work coaches must be familiar with PRaP Referral Guidance. 32. Determine whether the claimant may be assigned to SJ, using the following steps: Step Action 1 Check that the claimant meets the criteria for inclusion in the pilot. Criteria for pre-wp claimants Criteria for post-wp claimants NB: the Date Calculator tool is available to help you identify the referral window to refer the claimant to SJP. 2 Click on the RAT icon 3 Enter the claimants National Insurance Number. 4 Click on Assign. 5 The RAT will tell you if the claimant has been assigned to the Treatment or the Control Group.

5 Step Action 6 Click Continue. Click Exit to close the RAT. 7 Access LMS and set the pilot marker depending on which group the claimant has been selected into. For Pre-WP claimants: PRE-WP SJP-TREATMENT PRE-WP SJP-CONTROL For Post-WP claimants: POST-WP SJP-TREATMENT POST-WP SJP-CONTROL Claimant selected into the Control Group 33. Where the claimant has been selected for the Control Group, they will continue to receive their existing programme of support from the Jobcentre. There is no requirement to inform the claimant they have been selected into the Control Group. 34. To ensure the pilots can be effectively evaluated, claimants selected for the Control Group who currently receive Weekly WSR must be returned to fortnightly WSR for the 13 weeks they are assigned to the SJP Control Group. Claimant selected into the Treatment Group 35. Where the claimant has been selected into the Treatment Group for SJ, the work coach must take the following actions at the WSI: Step Action 1 Check LMS conversations to ensure the claimant has received a copy of the Supervised Jobsearch leaflet. If the claimant has not been notified of the pilot, issue SJP leaflet and book a follow up interview after 5 working days to undertake the referral activity 2 Explain to the claimant about Back to Work Schemes. You may follow existing procedures to issue the Back to Work Scheme Guide and issue a further copy of the SJP leaflet if required. Explain to the claimant: they have been selected to participate in the pilot what the provision entails how we expect them to benefit from the provision that any travel and/or care costs they incur will be met by the provider 3 If the claimant makes representation that SJ is not suitable for them, for example if they provide new information that indicates they may meet any of the criteria listed in Paragraph 21, the work coach must consider whether their reasons are sufficient to mean they are unsuitable for SJ. If so, record the decision in LMS Conversations and set the pilot marker to PRE-WP SJP-

6 UNSUITABLE or POST-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE. If not, proceed with the referral. NB: If the claimant puts forward exceptional circumstances (that are not covered in the unsuitable list above) which suggests to the work coach that SJP is inappropriate, the work coach should consult with their line manager. If a claimant has made representations that SJP is not appropriate for them, record that this discussion has taken place and the outcome, as an LMS Conversation. 4 Prior to making the PRaP referral, check the claimant s details held on LMS are accurate, up to date and amend if required. 5 As the relevant information is transferred to providers through PRaP from the Action Plan (AP), it is important the AP is updated, so it is accurate and only relevant information will be automatically transferred to providers when the PRaP referral is made. Ensure that the claimant s AP Aims free text box has the following information: types of Work from the Claimant Commitment (CC) Jobseeker Profile any availability or work restrictions agreed on the CC if there are no restrictions in place, type 'no restrictions apply' in the 'Aims' text box on the AP 6 Arrange an initial meeting for the claimant with the SJ provider by contacting the provider Single Point Of Contact (SPOC), as per instructions on the opportunity. Make the referral via the Supervised Jobsearch opportunity on LMS and: In the opportunity Notes box, record details of the first appointment with the name of the provider and subcontractor (where applicable) and the date and time of the initial appointment. In the Additional Text free text box in the opportunity, recordthe SJ end date, which is 13 weeks from the date agreed for the initial provider interview. Important note: This is necessary in cases where the claimant breaks their claim during their 13 weeks of SJ, to enable the work coach to quickly see whether they need to signpost them back to the SJ provider to complete the remainder of their Supervised Jobsearch. 7 Update the Claimant Commitment by adding a Personalised Action as follows: I will participate in Supervised Jobsearch. In the How often / By when box, insert: for 13 weeks from (date of initial provider interview). Other actions can be included in this section but they must be reasonable. Important note: When discussing with the claimant what other actions it might be appropriate to include, work coaches must be

7 mindful of the fact that the claimant will be participating in Supervised Jobsearch for 35 hours per week (less if availability restrictions apply). Any other actions must be reasonable in light of that fact. 8 The provider must be made aware of any specific types/areas of work that a claimant is not allowed to carry out (e.g. due to a court judgement the claimant is not permitted to work in certain locations or undertake certain types of work). However, the details of this sensitive information cannot be transferred in the PRaP referral; therefore you are required to enter Employment Restrictions Apply in the Info part of the claimant s Action Plan on LMS. This will alert the provider that there are additional restrictions and prompt the provider to contact the Jobcentre by telephone for further details. If a claimant is serving a community sentence e.g. Community Payback (CP), this will be moved to accommodate Supervised Jobsearch. Important note: The claimant must inform their responsible officer they are required to participate in SJ and that the CP is to be moved e.g. to the weekend. 9 Complete the clerical SJPL1 letter, with the following details: the name of the SJ provider and (where applicable) their sub-contracted provider the address and contact details of the provider premises where SJ will be delivered to the claimant the date and time of the appointment the SJ end date. Informing the claimant of the end date is a legislative requirement and failure to do so may result in Decision Making and Appeals activity being compromised. Issue the letter, explaining its contents ensuring the claimant fully understands that: attending the Initial SJ Meeting with the provider is mandatory details of further mandatory requirements of SJ will be issued by the provider any failure to take part in SJ could lead to sanction their information may be shared with their provider, as explained in the Personal Data section of the letter they must continue to attend fortnightly WSRs to demonstrate that they are available for and actively seeking employment. It may be suggested to the claimant that they bring evidence of actions agreed with the provider to Work Search Reviews although this cannot be made mandatory (NB: at work coach discretion, the claimant s signing time, but not day, can be rearranged to fit better with attending SJ. Similarly, any requirement to attend more frequently should be waived during the SJ period). Time allowed to attend WSR is

8 included within the 35 hours per week SJ. they must still notify the Jobcentre of any relevant change in their circumstances e.g. periods of sickness, changes in caring responsibilities etc 10 Record, in the Info tab of the LMS Action Plan, that letter SJPL1 has been issued to the claimant. Without a proper audit trail, any future Decision Making and Appeals activity could be compromised. 11 Set an LMS workflow for 13 weeks for a follow-up work search interview to coincide with the claimant finishing SJ. Inappropriate referrals 36. Situations may arise where claimants are referred to SJ on LMS in error. 37. Once an inappropriate referral is identified, the work coach must contact the provider to inform them that they have referred a claimant incorrectly and remind them to close the referral in PRaP. 38. If the SJ provider identifies what they believe to be an inappropriate referral they will liaise with local Single Point Of Contact (SPOC). 39. The work coach must ensure that: the situation is explained to the claimant the claimant is allocated to the support appropriate to their circumstances the pilot marker is updated to 'PRE-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE' or POST- WP SJP-UNSUITABLE. Claimant does not attend Initial SJ Meeting 40. Such cases will be identified from a daily LMS referral follow-up report. The action to take will depend on whether or not the claimant is still claiming JSA. 41. NB: the provider will instigate Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) action for failure to attend the initial meeting. Claimant still in receipt of JSA 42. The work coach must interview the claimant as soon as possible with a view to making another referral to SJ. Unless there has been a significant change in the circumstances which led to the original referral, the claimant should be referred again to SJ. Follow the steps to refer the claimant. If a 13- week workflow was set when making the original referral, cancel this and replace with a new workflow to coincide with the end of the new 13-week SJ period. 43. If, exceptionally, SJ is no longer appropriate, the claimant will be returned to JCP support. The pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP- EXIT/BREAK' or POST-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK. A telephone call must be made to the nominated provider SPOC to inform them that SJ is no longer appropriate. Update LMS conversations, to provide an audit trail of action taken. Complete a new Claimant Commitment to reflect the claimant s return to the jobsearch requirements of JCP support.

9 Claimant no longer in receipt of JSA 44. The referral will be closed on PRaP by the provider and no further action is necessary. Claimant absences from Supervised Jobsearch Reported absence (sickness) 45. If a claimant notifies the SJ provider that they will not be attending due to sickness, the provider will ring a nominated Jobcentre Plus contact for advice. 46. If the claimant can be treated as available (i.e. number / duration of sick absences allowed under JSA regulations has not been exceeded), the provider must be advised not to raise a participation doubt. 47. If the claimant cannot be treated as available (i.e. number / duration of sick absences allowed under JSA regulations has been exceeded) the provider must be instructed to instigate DMA action for non-participation. 48. If the permitted number/duration of sickness absences has been exceeded, it is the responsibility of JCP to inform the claimant that their JSA claim will be closed and that they may claim Employment Support Allowance. 49. In all cases arrangements must be made to capture details of the absence in line with normal business practice. Reported absence (other) 50. If a claimant notifies the SJ provider that they will not be attending for a reason other than sickness, the provider will ring a nominated Jobcentre Plus contact for advice. 51. If the absence reason is one that would meet treated as available criteria (as detailed in Labour Market Conditions Guide) the provider must be advised not to raise a participation doubt. 52. If the absence is not one that would meet treated as available criteria the provider must be instructed to instigate DMA action for non-participation. 53. In all cases arrangements must be made to capture details of the absence reason and action in line with normal business practice. Absence without reason 54. If a claimant is absent from SJ without giving a reason, the provider will instigate Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) action for fail to participate. The provider will send a copy of the DMA referral to the Jobcentre. 55. When the claimant next contacts the Jobcentre or attends their next WSR, the absence must be investigated. If it casts doubt on the claimant s availability, DMA action must be taken in line with normal business practices. If there is a doubt around the claimant s capability for work, the case must be referred to a work coach to consider further action. If the reason given impacts on the claimant s continuing engagement in SJ the provider must be informed refer to the Change of Circumstances section of this guidance. Participation and sanctions 56. SJ participation will be delivered using the Jobseekers Allowance (Supervised Jobsearch Pilot Scheme) Regulations SJ participation becomes mandatory from the point of referral. The first participation requirement is attending the Initial SJ Meeting with the provider as arranged by Jobcentre Plus. Thereafter, participation entails attending the

10 provider s premises and undertaking the jobsearch activity as notified by the SJ provider. 58. The pilot regulations provide for claimants to be mandated to attend and participate in the pilots. Any failure to attend or participate will invoke a lower level sanction (four or thirteen weeks) unless good reason can be applied. 59. Additionally, providers have certain Employment Officer functions by designated authority for them to mandate claimants to: apply for vacancies, attend job interviews and accept a job offer. If claimants do not take these actions for vacancies the provider has mandated them to without good reason a higher level sanction (sanctions ranging from three months to three years) will be applied. 60. DMA referrals, for non-participation, are made directly by the SJ provider. The DM will be responsible for seeking good reason and for determining whether a sanction should be applied once good cause has been taken into account. The usual channels for claimants to apply for reconsiderations, appeals and hardship still apply to participants in the pilots. 61. A designation order has given Employment Officer status to the SJ providers. This means that the providers may mandate the claimant to apply for specific jobs/ attend job interviews. Any referrals for Refusal of Employment (RE) will be made by SJ providers directly to DMA. 62. Information about the processes involved can be found in the SJP Provider Guidance published on the GOV.UK website. Work Search Reviews for claimants participating in SJ 63. Claimants taking part in SJ are still required to meet the availability and actively seeking conditions; they attend Work Search Reviews as usual. Availability 64. Assistant work coaches must be alert to notifications received from the provider about a claimant s absence(s) from SJ and ensure appropriate action is taken. If the absence is one that meets the treat as available criteria ES673 action is required; JSA28 action is also required if the absence was due to sickness. 65. Where a claimant has been assigned to SJ, check with them that they have attended and participated on every day as agreed on their Claimant Commitment. If the claimant reports that they did not attend on one or more days, the absence must be investigated to see if it casts doubt on the claimant s availability or capability. The SJ provider will have made the referral to DMA regarding the failure to attend. 66. If there is a doubt on the claimant s availability or capability, the Jobcentre must take DMA action in line with normal business practices. If the reason given impacts on the claimant s continuing engagement in SJ the provider must be informed using the change of circumstances form SJPF1. Actively seeking 67. Assistant work coaches must establish what steps the claimant has taken towards finding work. Check completion of any outstanding Day One Conditionality requirements which may have been completed with the SJ provider e.g. CV. If there are concerns about the adequacy of a claimant s work search activity, the case must be referred to their work coach.

11 68. In weighing-up the appropriateness of raising an actively seeking doubt the work coach must consider most carefully what the claimant could reasonably have been expected to do. The hours of participation in SJ and the activities delivered by the SJ provider to support the claimant with their job search must be factored in to the work coach s deliberations. 69. If the work coach decides to raise a doubt usual DMA processes should be followed. Break in claim during allotted SJ period 70. Claimants who were previously participating in SJ must be signposted back to the SJ provider unless 13 weeks has elapsed since the original referral to SJ. Where 13 weeks has elapsed, the claimant will be returned to the support provided by JCP. 71. Claimants who were previously referred to SJ but had not started, may be referred to SJ again if the work coach decides the claimant meets the criteria for selection and the RAT selects them into the treatment group. No start will have been recorded on PRaP by the provider and the original referral will have been closed when the claim ceased, therefore a new referral must be made. 72. In relation to previous SJ participants, work coaches must be alert to cases where a reserved DMA decision may be held; the case papers must be referred back to the DMA Team. 73. If the work coach deems it appropriate to refer the claimant to complete the remainder of their allotted time in SJ, they must take the following steps: Step Action 1 At the Initial Work Search Interview, explain to the claimant why they are being returned to the provision and the time to be spent on SJ (this is established from the expected end date which is 13 weeks after the start date recorded on the LMS opportunity) 2 Ensure that the JSA Claimant Commitment is fully up-to-date 3 Telephone the nominated provider SPOC to inform them that the claimant is back on benefit and obtain an appointment for a re-engagement meeting. Do not re-refer to the opportunity on LMS, as this is not a new referral. 4 Alert the provider to issues which may impact upon the claimant s participation: restricted availability care requirements additional support needs for claimants with a disability penalties imposed by the legal system (if a claimant is attending regular probation interviews, completing community service hours or subject to curfew restrictions the provider will manage SJ attendance arrangements accordingly) any other known factors which may restrict the type of support the provider may require the claimant to undertake and/or jobs which the provider may require them to apply for (e.g. restrictions on the claimant working

12 in a defined geographical area). 5 Complete the clerical SJPL2 letter, with the following details: the name of the SJ provider and (where applicable) their sub-contracted provider the address and contact details of the provider premises where SJ will be delivered to the claimant the date and time of the appointment the SJ end date. Informing the claimant of the end date is a legislative requirement and failure to do so may result in Decision Making and Appeals activity being compromised. 6 Issue letter SJPL2 and explain its contents ensuring the claimant fully understands that: the provision is mandatory and the consequences of nonattendance they must continue to attend fortnightly Jobsearch Reviews (NB at work coach discretion, the claimant s signing time, but not day, can be rearranged to fit better with attending SJ). they must inform the Jobcentre if they need to change their signing time once attendance times have been agreed with their SJ provider 7 Record, in the Info tab of the LMS Action Plan, that letter SJPL2 has been issued to the claimant (without a proper audit trail, any future Decision Making and Appeals activity may be compromised). 8 Access LMS and set the pilot marker: For Pre-WP claimants: PRE-WP SJP-TREATMENT For Post-WP claimants: POST-WP SJP-TREATMENT 9 If appropriate, set LMS Workflows 74. If the claimant was previously assigned to the Control Group, they will be placed back into that group and the pilot marker must be set to: For Pre-WP claimants: PRE-WP SJP-CONTROL For Post-WP claimants: POST-WP SJP-CONTROL Change in claimant s circumstances 75. Work coaches and assistant work coaches must be alert to any change in the claimant s circumstances that might impact, in any way, on their SJ participation. Any such change must be communicated promptly to the provider. This is necessary to prevent the provider from instigating nugatory DMA action. 76. When a claimant reports a change in circumstances to the provider, the provider will direct them to report that change to the Jobcentre and follow this up by sending form SJPF1 by post to the Jobcentre. 77. To avoid delays, a phone call to the provider is considered the most appropriate way of notifying the change, followed up by the change of circumstances form SJPF1 by post.

13 78. If the change is one that means SJ participation is no longer relevant (e.g. claimant no longer in receipt of JSA), the pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK' or POST-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK. 79. If the change means the claimant may meet any of the criteria listed in paragraph 23 (pre-wp claimants) or paragraph 29 (post-wp claimants), the work coach must consider whether their reasons are sufficient to mean they are unsuitable for SJ. If so, record the decision in LMS Conversations and set the pilot marker to PRE-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE or POST-WP SJP- UNSUITABLE. Claimant transfers their JSA claim to another office 80. If the claimant has been referred to SJ but a start has not been recorded the provider must be informed and told to update PRaP with a did not start outcome. 81. If the claimant has started SJ the action to take will depend on their new address. 82. If the claimant s new office is within the same pilot area, the provider must be informed of the change and advised to source a suitable placement for the remainder of the SJ period unless the existing placement is not within acceptable travelling distance for the claimant. 83. If the claimant s new office is outside the pilot area, the provider must be informed and reminded to record the end of provision in PRaP at the end of the 13 week SJ period. The pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP- EXIT/BREAK' or POST-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK. If the claimant later moves back into the pilot areabefore the end of their 13-week SJ allotted time, they must be signposted back to their SJ provider, issued with letter SJPL2. The pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP-TREATMENT' or POST-WP SJP-TREATMENT. 84. If a claimant who has started SJ moves from one pilot area to another, they will not be referred to SJ in the new pilot area. The original SJ provider must be informed and reminded to record the end of provision in PRaP at the end of the 13 week SJ period. Pre-WP claimants will return to the JCP Offer. Post-WP claimants will return to the Mandatory Intervention Regime (MIR). The pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK' or POST- WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK. Unacceptable claimant behaviour 85. If a claimant who is participating in SJ displays unacceptable claimant behaviour in their dealings with Jobcentre Plus, the SJ provider must be notified. 86. In most cases the claimant s participation will not be affected, but the notification is required to facilitate and inform the provider s risk management measures. 87. Similarly, SJ providers will notify Jobcentre Plus of any unacceptable claimant behaviour whilst they are participating in SJ. Any such notifications must be referred to the Nominated Manager, usually the Jobcentre Manager. 88. If a claimant s behaviour is such that effective participation is not possible, in the first instance the provider must discuss this with JCP. As a last resort a decision may be made by JCP to exclude the claimant from SJ due to misconduct. If so, the provider will make a DMA referral using the form SJP

14 DMA 02. The claimant will be returned to JCP support. The pilot marker must be updated to 'PRE-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK' or POST-WP SJP- EXIT/BREAK. Claimants completing SJ 89. For SJ provision completers it is important that the work coach conducts a completer interview using a follow-up work search interview. The interview should focus on the claimant s experience of SJ and their needs moving forward. Pre-WP claimants may be due a Work Programme Referral Interview. Post-WP claimants will return to MIR. 90. The SJ provider will also provide JCP with an Exit Feedback Template with feedback on the claimant s participation. This should be received within 10 days of the completion date and the content of the report should be factored into discussions with the claimant about next steps. 91. Work coaches should also be aware that the claimant will have been issued a Claimant Portfolio by the SJ provider. This contains information regarding the claimant s time on SJ. 92. NB: The claimant is under no obligation to share this information. 93. If claimants are not in receipt of benefit at the point of completing SJ, providers do not have to return a feedback report or deliver a claimant portfolio to these claimants. However, if a claimant reclaims benefit within 6 months of completing SJ, JCP may request an Exit Feedback Template report for these claimants. 94. When the claimant completes SJ, the pilot marker must not be updated. Complaints about SJ 95. If a claimant has a complaint solely about their SJ provider you should direct them to the provider. 96. If their complaint relates to both Jobcentre Plus and the SJ provider, Jobcentre Plus is responsible for handling a joint response. Information can be found in section 10 of the Handling Feedback about Contracted Employment Provision Guidance for Jobcentre Plus Staff Forms and letters ID SJPL1 SJPL2 SJPF1 Description Referral to SJ provision To signpost claimants back to SJ following a break in claim Form used to report change of circumstances to/from SJ provider LMS Pilot Marker Stages Stage PRE-WP SJP-WC DECISION PRE-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE Description Pre-WP claimant who does not meet the criteria in Para 21 Pre-WP claimant who meets any of the

15 PRE-WP SJP-TREATMENT PRE-WP SJP-CONTROL PRE-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK POST-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE POST-WP SJP-TREATMENT POST-WP SJP-CONTROL POST-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK criteria in Para 21, as unsuitable for SJ Pre-WP claimant selected by random allocation, to be referred to the SJ provider Pre-WP claimant selected by random allocation, into the control group Pre-WP claimant who either does not start SJ or leaves SJ early e.g. becomes eligible for early entry to WP. EXIT/BREAK includes claimants who may return to SJ following a short break in claim and claimants who do not return to benefit in time to be signposted back to complete the remainder of their allotted SJ time. Post-WP claimant who meets any of the criteria in Para 21, as unsuitable for SJ Post-WP Claimant selected by random allocation, to be referred to the SJ provider Post-WP claimant selected by random allocation, into the Control group Post-WP claimant who either does not start SJ or leaves SJ early e.g. starts work. EXIT/BREAK includes claimants who may return to SJ following a short break in claim and claimants who do not return to benefit in time to be signposted back to complete the remainder of their allotted SJ time.