Supervised Jobsearch Pilots (SJP) Background
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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 DWP- contracted 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 2015. To achieve this, there is a set period during which claimants may start SJ, which is from 6 October 2014 to 19 December 2014. 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. SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06
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 18-24 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:
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06 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 18-21 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 18-24 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 21.
25. 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)
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06indicator 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.
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06Step 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-
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06UNSUITABLE’ 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 sub-
contractor (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
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06mindful 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
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06included 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.
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06Claimant 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 2014’. 57. 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 SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06
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. SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06
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
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06in 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 non-
attendance
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.
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-0678. 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 SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06
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 Description
SJPL1 Referral to SJ provision
SJPL2 To signpost claimants back to SJ following a break
in claim
SJPF1 Form used to report change of circumstances
to/from SJ provider
LMS Pilot Marker Stages
Stage Description
PRE-WP SJP-WC DECISION Pre-WP claimant who does not meet the
criteria in Para 21
PRE-WP SJP-UNSUITABLE Pre-WP claimant who meets any of the
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06criteria in Para 21, as unsuitable for SJ
PRE-WP SJP-TREATMENT Pre-WP claimant selected by random
allocation, to be referred to the SJ provider
PRE-WP SJP-CONTROL Pre-WP claimant selected by random
allocation, into the control group
PRE-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK 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 SJP-UNSUITABLE Post-WP claimant who meets any of the
criteria in Para 21, as unsuitable for SJ
POST-WP SJP-TREATMENT Post-WP Claimant selected by random
allocation, to be referred to the SJ provider
POST-WP SJP-CONTROL Post-WP claimant selected by random
allocation, into the Control group
POST-WP SJP-EXIT/BREAK 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.
SJP guidance for WSD v3.3 2014-10-06You can also read
