Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
Undertake a detailed review of the work coach model, evaluating impact and empowering coaches.
Recommendation
Over the next year, DWP should undertake a detailed review of its work coach model. It should evaluate the difference work coach support makes to employment outcomes for different groups, identifying those who would most benefit from more support and those who do not require work coaching because, for example, they are likely to only temporarily be out of the workforce. As part of this, DWP should look at evidence-based options for empowering work coaches, including how to give them greater autonomy over how best to support individual claimants while maintaining a consistent service. It should also look at best practice among other providers of employment support, including voluntary and community sector organisations, which we have heard can provide a more tailored service. DWP should publish the results of this review. (Recommendation, Paragraph 64)
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating its Evidence and Evaluation Strategy 2025 already covers work coach support impacts. They commit to publishing a review of available evidence on work coach and third-party employment support by the end of 2026, with further evaluations to follow.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Accept The department recognises the importance of tailoring employment support to the needs of different groups. To date, we have developed patterns of support which target certain groups with specific needs, such as customers with health conditions, and young people. The new Jobs and Careers Service will offer more personalised support to our customers and upskill our work coaches in line with this vision through the new Coaching Academy. Our recently published Evidence and Evaluation Strategy 2025 already sets out how research and evaluation will inform our Jobcentre reforms. This includes the impacts of work coach support for a range of customer groups. We recognise that work coaches are part of the wider eco-system of employment support, and our strategy also includes evaluation of both national contracted provision and locally designed and delivered employment support. We continue to draw from robust existing evidence such as What makes work search reviews effective: a synthesis report - GOV. UK (2025) and Universal Credit: in-work progression randomised control trial - GOV.UK(2015–2018) – these help us understand how to have quality conversations with our customers and how best to support those already in work. We will be working closely with the National Careers Service, and local and national partners, to develop and deliver the new service. This will include drawing on existing best practice. During the next year, we will publish process and impact assessment evaluations of our current Universal Credit Conditionality Evidence (UCCE) trials which will help us to consider how we tailor channel and frequency of appointments with work coaches to meet our customer needs. We are also exploring how we can focus work coach conversations on more personalised and tailored employment support. A review, bringing together all the available evidence for both work coach support and 3rd party employment support, will be published by the end of 2026. In addition, as set out in the evaluation strategy, more work will follow, including evaluation of the locally designed Get Britain Working Trailblazers and Connect to Work. These provide targeted support initiatives for key customer groups – young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming NEET, and economically inactive people or those at risk of becoming economically inactive, and disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. This evidence, from Inactivity and Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, and Connect to Work, will take longer, due to the time needed to deliver the support and measure outcomes of sustained employment.