George Osborne's Elephants in the room..

George Osborne talked today about Jobcentre Plus customers being 'incentivised' by the  benefits system not to work.

We agree that longterm unemployment must be addressed.

So do our clients.

We agree that wasting money on the benefits system is not good.

So do our clients.

For our clients, desperately seeking work, George Osborne's ideas are simplistic,  insulting and unfair.


Here are 2 elephants I spy in Mr Osborne's room..   I like elephants. Let's talk about them.



1. The expensive crisis in Jobcentre Plus, who are overworked and who we are not trying to unjustly criticise.  But our client feedback is consistently that Jobcentre Plus and its Work Programme providers are not providing services to them that are fit for purpose and are effectively keeping customers away from finding work....    That costs money.

These low quality services are costing the tax payer huge sums of money.

Our candidates consistently tell us about being prevented from taking up work experience that they need, being sent to the same, simplistic workshops time after time, being prevented from participating in other, better, services and not being advised on how to effectively jobsearch, with their overseas qualifications, overseas experience and CV gaps - some of the issues they face.

2. The economy.  Where are all these jobs that all these people are choosing not to apply for?  Surely Mr Osborne has noticed there is a market problem?


Here are some suggestions to save money and to assist more people out of unemployment: 

1. Save money on the Work Programme. How?  Invest in quality services and monitor them for quality. For quality services and quality job outcomes. Not longterm inactivity.

JCP and their Providers are are not required to operate under Employment Services Quality Standards systems such as Matrix.

Providers' financial clout means that they can afford to take on the 'payment by result' deal on offer.

This prevents less wealthy but quality, specialist employment services from participating.  Investment in specialist employment services especially for highly disadvantaged customers results in suitable employment outcomes.  Not longterm unemployment.    Recently, quality services like EcoActive in south London have had to close not because they weren't effective but because the money was with the Prime Provider and not with them..

This is not acceptable. For jobseekers or for taxpayers.

 2. Train all employment advisers in any organisation, including Jobcentre Plus and Work Programme providers, who  come in contact with jobseekers to at least NVQ4 level in Advice.  It is not a job that anyone can do without training.  Investing in training staff saves money by increasing job outcomes.



3. Continue to encourage good employers to use quality, diversity-focussed  recruitment methods and  to monitor them.


In an established democracy such as ours let's have a more informed debate on this.