Recommendation 15

The National Audit Office reported that the Department does not know how effectively Kickstart has been targeted at those most likely to benefit, and it has previously found that the Department cannot readily assess how consistently work coaches apply discretion, or whether it is providing a consistent service over time, or between jobcentres.59 We asked the Department how much it knew about whether the people helped by Kickstart were those at risk of long-term unemployment, and the Department said that it was relying to a large extent on work coach discretion.60 In September 2021, we recommended that the Department undertake and publish a full evaluation of how well work coaches provide employment support and how consistently they apply their judgement.61 The National Audit Office also reported that the Department’s inability to conduct face-to- face interviews during lockdowns meant that in many cases work coaches made block referrals of claimants to employers, without discussing the suitability of the vacancies with the individual.62 The Department acknowledged that it was more difficult to get the right young people to engage with Kickstart when there was no face to face contact with claimants.63