Ingeus

[debt4get]

Don't let them up your existing Job Seekers Agreement.

 

They will try to get you to apply for an increasing number of vacancies per week. Don't let them. Your Job Seekers Agreement is a negotiated agreed contract with the DWP. Fulfillment of which entitles you to benefits. I heard recently of a farcical situation were someone was being asked to make 40 applications a week! You may need to remind them that you have this contractual agreement with a proper professionals and will only negotiate it further with them.

 

They are not your pal. Remember you are just their meal ticket.

taken from the unemployment movement website, you do not have to apply for x number of jobs that they decide..your contract is with the jcp and dwp, do not allow them to alter in any way or form.

you cannot be sanctioned for this

[debt4get]

and now for some good news....http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/15/labour-work-programme-chaos

work programme in chaos and run by the 'keystone cops' says labour...

there is some talk of providers having to 'lay off' staff as the reality starts to bite...imagine meeting the 'pimp' who has given you so much grief on w2w...

[RebeccaPidgeon]

and now for some good news....http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/15/labour-work-programme-chaos

work programme in chaos and run by the 'keystone cops' says labour...

there is some talk of providers having to 'lay off' staff as the reality starts to bite...imagine meeting the 'pimp' who has given you so much grief on w2w...

Sadly, the Keystone Cops were already in place when Labour handed £Billions up front to W2W Pimps (such as A4E and Working Links) through the insidious New Deal and Flexible New Deal ... and, if at the next election, Labour regains power, I doubt whether any substantive change will be made. Perhaps £Billions will then be given to A4E to takeover Job Centre Plus.

[Bakatcha]

Sadly, the Keystone Cops were already in place when Labour handed £Billions up front to W2W Pimps (such as A4E and Working Links) through the insidious New Deal and Flexible New Deal ... and, if at the next election, Labour regains power, I doubt whether any substantive change will be made. Perhaps £Billions will then be given to A4E to takeover Job Centre Plus.

Or maybe they'll see the errors of their ways?

With Brown (and even Blair) consigned to the pages of history the stage is set for a real new start. Acknowledge the mistakes that were made in the past by all means, but determine not to repeat them.

Sorry!

Just pinched myself and woke up.

[debt4get]

Or maybe they'll see the errors of their ways?

With Brown (and even Blair) consigned to the pages of history the stage is set for a real new start. Acknowledge the mistakes that were made in the past by all means, but determine not to repeat them.

Sorry!

Just pinched myself and woke up.

no they will never upset the status quo...there pimps the whole bloody lot of em

[speedfreek]

Real-Time Training Ltd has made all of its employees redundant after the Skills Funding Agency terminated a multi-million-pound contract.

 

RTT Group has £3.3m contract terminated

 

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Jobs-axed-apprentices-left-limbo-firm-fails/story-16355634-detail/story.html

 

http://unemploymentmovement.com/forum/welfare-to-work/3715-private-eye-takes-a-look-at-real-time-training-group-rtt

 

http://feweek.co.uk/2012/06/15/rtt-group-has-3-3m-contract-terminated/#

 

Somebody in the DWP is going to have to buy some bigger rugs to sweep the growing mess under!

[signmaker]

I've had my mock interview with Ingeus

and I don't think the man that took me for it was very happy,,,, in the mandated letter that I received it said that I should attend as if for a formal interview

 

(I took that to mean suit, tie, and nice clean shoes) I went in jeans printed T-shirt with studs and skulls on, biker jacket and biker boots,

 

he told me "you do know that this interview is going to be recorded, I told him I don't think so, and I refused, he said it had to be done and it's out of his hands, I said at my age I know how to dress and conduct myself at an interview, and told him there wasn't going to be an interview, after a few seconds of stoney silence he went out of the room to "fetch another interviewer" he came back, said it was ok not to tape the interview and would be conducting the interview himself.

He was very happy with my answers, (I was hoping that he was going to ask me a "what colour, or what animal" question, but didn't, I was going to tell him what a silly question to ask:wink:) plenty of eye contact, didn't fidget, and I told him all of this was a waste of now because I have just secured a casual job for my self, and have not told them any of the details.

 

Just got a text saying my next Jobsearch has been cancelled because my advisor is on her anual leave, and it will be another two weeks before I have to attend again, this will make it 8 weeks without seeing my advisor:whoo:hopefully by then I will know what hours I will be given.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

I've had my mock interview with Ingeus

and I don't think the man that took me for it was very happy,,,, in the mandated letter that I received it said that I should attend as if for a formal interview

 

(I took that to mean suit, tie, and nice clean shoes) I went in jeans printed T-shirt with studs and skulls on, biker jacket and biker boots,

 

he told me "you do know that this interview is going to be recorded, I told him I don't think so, and I refused, he said it had to be done and it's out of his hands, I said at my age I know how to dress and conduct myself at an interview, and told him there wasn't going to be an interview, after a few seconds of stoney silence he went out of the room to "fetch another interviewer" he came back, said it was ok not to tape the interview and would be conducting the interview himself.

He was very happy with my answers, (I was hoping that he was going to ask me a "what colour, or what animal" question, but didn't, I was going to tell him what a silly question to ask:wink:) plenty of eye contact, didn't fidget, and I told him all of this was a waste of now because I have just secured a casual job for my self, and have not told them any of the details.

 

Just got a text saying my next Jobsearch has been cancelled because my advisor is on her anual leave, and it will be another two weeks before I have to attend again, this will make it 8 weeks without seeing my advisor:whoo:hopefully by then I will know what hours I will be given.

You should be commended.... for agreeing to attend an interview by any Welfare To Work Administrative Clerk. If offered the option, I would respond by suggesting that if I ever wanted to submit to any Mock Interview, I would seek guidance from a Professional Careers Advisor. And if they insisted, would simply enquire "Whether you have actually been employed as Professional Careers Advisor".

 

Just an issue of invoking Due Diligence.... and making sure that the people are qualified, and not mere Administrative Clerks working within a Welfare To Work Company having a chip on their shoulder about wishing to be viewed as something that is beyond their competence and reach.

[signmaker]

What!!!!!! what are you saying RebeccaPidgeon? how dare you diss this man?:-)and call him a mere Admin Clerk.

This man (to hear him talk) has been everywhere and done EVERYTHING, so he MUST be qualified as a Professional Careers Advisor at least, or why would he be allowed to do this job and why would I have agreed to this mock interview other than to keep them quiet, happy and at the same time waste their precious time?

45 mins of listening to him waffle on beats sitting in front of a computer jobsearching for 2 hours anyday.

 

B.T.W anyone could have done what he did he just sat opposite me and asked me questions that he had pulled of the internet, I just feel sorry for the others that were waiting to be "interviewed" and do not know about this site.

I have learned a lot lot since I started reading these posts, and I am going to use this info to my advantage with these pimps.

 

My wife on the other hand is with A4E and her advisor is learning the job out of a booklet as he goes along because her origional advisor left, due to stress I assume.

you know it must be hard for these people trying to find non-existant jobs for people like us, especially when there isn't anything suitable so I think they earn every penny of their wages, and we should treat them with the respect that they deserve:lol:.

Edited July 25, 2012 by signmaker

[LittleKitty]

Hi. I read through a lot of this thread and found it very interesting.

 

Sorry if this should be a new thread or has already been answered, but I was wondering how I could get a new advisor? Mine is really bad and unhelpful, but I can't see to find any contact details or even names for anyone in charge to report them to or ways to be given a new advisor.

 

A friend of mine also goes to Ingeus and they asked at reception who the manager was and Ingeus were very unhappy about it and refused to tell them. The Job centre don't really care and say it's out of their hands.

 

Anyone got any ideas on what I can do or who I can contact?

[debt4get]

the best way forward, on this may be to write a letter of complaint, ask them for a copy of their complaints procedure,, they won't like it and they won't want to give it too you. be polite, firm, and insist, if they enquire why you want it, tell em you want to make a complaint but do not elaborate furthe.

send in letter, with grievance, and ask that you be transferred to another advisor. give your reasons, etc etc

[LittleKitty]

the best way forward, on this may be to write a letter of complaint, ask them for a copy of their complaints procedure,, they won't like it and they won't want to give it too you. be polite, firm, and insist, if they enquire why you want it, tell em you want to make a complaint but do not elaborate furthe.

send in letter, with grievance, and ask that you be transferred to another advisor. give your reasons, etc etc

 

Thanks. Only thing is my advisors desk is currently close to reception and I don't want to risk them overhearing. Going by what I know on this company nothing will happen quickly, if at all, and I don't want them to be more awkward if they do find out and I have an appointment before anything happens. Plus the receptionist recognises me now and if she says anything to my advisor...I don't want my advisor to say something before I can. Will have to have a think about the best way to do that.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

Thanks. Only thing is my advisors desk is currently close to reception and I don't want to risk them overhearing. Going by what I know on this company nothing will happen quickly, if at all, and I don't want them to be more awkward if they do find out and I have an appointment before anything happens. Plus the receptionist recognises me now and if she says anything to my advisor...I don't want my advisor to say something before I can. Will have to have a think about the best way to do that.

Plan B would be telephone, and ask to speak to a Manager about the Administrative Clerk who is giving you grief, and request that someone be reassigned.

[down'n'out]

After my first meeting with my JCP advisor (after being placed on WRAG), I am now (mandated) going to a "Work Programme Information Session" with "ingeus". I know they cannot yet mandate me to the work programme, so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.

I am putting a list of questions together, and will need to get myself a recorder, as I want a record of the session.

[LongHairedLily]

Have a read of this ... Although not Ingeus , Read provider have stooped to a new low!

 

http://www.onespace.org.uk/your-talk/discussions/income-support-and-work-programme

[FleeceJohnson]

Rise up. Smash the system. Revolution is here for those who have steel in their heart and fire in their belly.

[Daisy11]

Here is someone's detailed twitter account of the farce that is private contractors getting the unemployed back to work, this is his tweeted account of a CV and job-searching workshop. The private contractors such as A4e, Ingeus, etc seem to be employing people lacking in skills and quals for the job that they're supposed to be doing. Hey, maybe that's why these back-to-work contract employees are telling jobseekers to "lose" their qualifications. Then we can be just like them, only without the job! storify.com/yeebles/ted-harsh-s-job-centre-course. Also, on twitter under Ed Marsh.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

Here is someone's detailed twitter account of the farce that is private contractors getting the unemployed back to work, this is his tweeted account of a CV and job-searching workshop. The private contractors such as A4e, Ingeus, etc seem to be employing people lacking in skills and quals for the job that they're supposed to be doing. Hey, maybe that's why these back-to-work contract employees are telling jobseekers to "lose" their qualifications. Then we can be just like them, only without the job! storify.com/yeebles/ted-harsh-s-job-centre-course. Also, on twitter under Ed Marsh.

The Welfare To Work Sector has never been part of the wealth creating sector in the UK, and occupies a position at the lowest point in the Economic Food Chain than Job Centre Plus.. so, it is not surprising that mere Administration Clerks, working within the W2W Sector, and substantially less qualified than Administration Clerks within Job Centre Plus, award themselves the baloneous and ego boosting Job Title of Consultant or Employment Advisor etc.

[Flickyhecky]

In March i saw my Wellbeing advisor (she deals with mental health issues), chatted to her for over an hour and felt the questioning quite intrusive, as their are some parts of my past that are best left in the past! Anyway, told her i had trouble sleeping, this was actually because of my cats waking me up at silly o'clock, so she booked me an aapointment for a "sleep awareness" type session. I told her that i wasn't very good in groups, so bottled out when the time came to go...this is where the problem starts, because of my past, when i miss an appointment i tend to get scared and don't go back again...

 

...it is now 4 months since i last went to Ingeus, i've had loads of letters come through (not opened them, but i assume they were appointments), and today i have just recieved a letter from Job Centre about missing an appointment on 13th July and that i need to explain why i didn't turn up otherwise they will santion my benefits.

 

Do i tell them the truth and say that i don't like the intrusive nature the Well Being person has been? All i want to do is find a job, i don't need the hassle of having sessions about sleep and allsorts.

 

I'm not benefiting at all by being with Ingeus, and was quite happy before looking for work in my own way. (Not that their is any decent work at the moment.)

[flumps1976]

I would write to explain the reasons for not attending the appointment and then you need to make a complaint to the providers about how you feel you were treated and how it has left you feeling now.

Also inform the JCP of the complaint and you can request to change to a different provider or adviser but there is no guarantee that this can or will be accommodated.

If you don't reply to the letter from the DMA letter you will automatically be sanctioned and if you don't contact and do something the providers will continue to refer to DMA for further sanctions which start at 2 weeks and will then lead to a 26 week sanction (until the new sanction regime kicks in later which can then result in 3 years or an indefinite sanction depending on which benefit you claim).

[Dalar 1]

I too apologise for not starting a new thread but just joined today. Been browsing for a couple of months and really appreciate people taking time to reply. I worked for JCP for 2 years on a Fixed Term Contract and now on the Work Programme as not been able to find work. I may be wrong, but think its due to age as I have just turned 60 and cannot retire until 62. When I had my first interview with KTS(G4S) Advisor she said she would not put me on an Induction course as she felt I didn't need it and I replied that I didn't mind as you may learn more. She also said that I would only have to do 2 jobs a week instead of 3 as I had stated it would be difficult to do 3 as we are in an area with high unemployment.

I have been on Job search every week using computers that are old and always breaking down. Continuously having problems with the Manager when asking for my fares to be reimbursed which were agreed with her before I started as I sign at a Jobcentre away from where I worked. Its got so bad that my Advisor and the Manager keep making eye contact and raising eyebrows when I ask for fares and fares to interviews. I have told them if I haven't had an induction how would I know what their policies are. The Manager stated it was not discussed at an Induction. At one time I asked and she said she didn't know how much petrol mileage was and gave me an amount over to what I should have, I offered the difference back and she told me it didn't matter. I've tried since to give the difference back but she keeps saying no its ok.

 

2 weeks after I was told to go on an Induction and the expenses were discussed as part of a tick list of things to go through, when I mentioned the issues I was having, the person taking the Induction repeated to the Manager what I had said and also said I hadn't received fares to an interview(which I had). I told her in front of everyone(thats how its done, no privacy to talk)that she had reimbursed my fares and that this person had not repeated correctly what I said. Again she just raised her eyebrows and did not comment. The next day I had to return for my review as I was going to sign on under the new scheme where you just hand in your jobsearch and don't sign and was told that now I have to search for 3 jobs a week.

 

I think she feels intimidated by me, but at no time has she asked about my experience with JCP and that I was on an LEP scheme there, because before that I was out of work for 2 and half years having been made redundant. I have to say it was not a pleasant experience, hence that is why I have to sign elsewhere, not because of being bad to the customers, just purely because I didn't want to see the people I had worked with.

 

I'm now so stressed with having to endure this everytime I go into to see these people because I need the money but feel I don't want to ask for it back, but I now know from the Induction I am allowed to claim it but she acts like its coming out of her own pocket. I am toying now with a complaint about her and her attitude towards me but proving it could be difficult.

 

I don't want to make things worse by saying I'm not going to do 3 jobsearches but is it definate I am not obliged to do this and only follow my Job Seekers Agreement, which says write 1 job, phone 1 job, visit 1 job, friends and family, papers and Directgov.

 

Sorry this is a long posting will try in future to make them short. Many thanks

[debt4get]

you are only mandated to follow your jobseekers agreement, however, if you have signed any action plans with the providers, then they could use that to 'up' your quota...stick to your guns, make sure however, that you claim what you are entitled to...because believe me if you manage to get a job, they will be first in queue with their hand out.

have a look here as well

http://unemploymentmovement.com/forum/index

[Dalar 1]

debt4get...many thanks for your reply. I am back tomorrow for the rest of the Induction, so will see what happens there. Unfortunately I have signed the action plans, in the past when the advisor has typed them out she has put 6 vacancies, when I've pointed it out to her that is 4(fortnight) as agreed, shes changed it. This is why I'm now suspicious the Manager has had some input into this after we had words.

[LittleKitty]

Plan B would be telephone, and ask to speak to a Manager about the Administrative Clerk who is giving you grief, and request that someone be reassigned.

 

Thanks.

 

I know Ingeus have contact with you for something like 2 years even if you find a job, but do you have to keep going to see them during that whole time if you don't find one? And is there any point when appointments become less often?

[Nystagmite]

I claim ESA and was on the work programme prior to claiming. I was told by my WP adviser to send in a photocopy of my fit note. She'll then contact me to arrange an appointment once this fit note runs out. It runs out on Thursday and I have sent my new fit note to DWP / JCP for ESA.

 

Do I have to send fit notes to my adviser given that I'm not on JSA and am on the ESA assessment phase?