Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Deferred
DWP personalised work coach support plans lack clear strategy and evidence base.
Recommendation
We were encouraged to hear that DWP wants work coaches to have more time with claimants and to deliver more personalised support. Coaching that is tailored to the aspirations of the service user and that seeks to identify the unique barriers people face will be far more effective than the current support provided. However, work coaches are already stretched, with too few employed to deliver this service currently. DWP will need to develop a clear plan for how it prioritises work coach time to deliver this higher-quality service and its other planned reforms. While DWP has already made some decisions about how best to use work coach time, reducing work coach time with some claimants, we are concerned that these changes are occurring in an ad hoc manner, with limited evidence and no clear strategy. (Conclusion, Paragraph 65) 54
Government Response Summary
The government initially states they do not accept the premise of the conclusion, describing their existing internal capacity modelling. However, they then agree to set out a formal framework for managing work coach demand but are unable to do so currently, deferring this until future plans for the Jobs and Careers service are developed.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Do not accept Jobcentre capacity modelling is developed internally within the department. Our team works with analysts to estimate how long activities take, and with finance and modelling teams to calculate how many staff are needed. Our Workforce Plan is based on existing funding arrangements and policy principles and is reassessed throughout the year, enabling the department to deploy work coaches to support demand based on areas of greatest need. This process is designed to optimise resource to support the delivery of high-quality employment support. Caseloads can vary significantly across Jobcentres, and we monitor these at an operational level. They are influenced by a range of factors such as local labour market conditions, claimant demographics, and regional economic activity. We have internal frameworks in place to manage this, including modelling any caseload variations to ensure that resources are deployed effectively. Finance and other experts review the model, and it goes through formal approval before being used in our operational planning. We recognise that in supporting our customers into work, we must use work coach time wisely, to focus support where it is needed most. This approach helps us to ensure that support remains responsive to local demand. Looking ahead, we will need to consider the amount and type of work coach resource required to deliver the future Jobs and Careers service. This will include considering how reforms will change the way work coaches spend their time and how they should be deployed. With this in mind, the department agrees with the recommendation to set out a formal framework for managing work coach demand. However, due to the complexities involved and the fact that our plans to reform the service are still in development, we are unable to do this as part of our response to the Committee’s inquiry.