The government launched a campaign today to promote joint working between staff/agencies working with socially excluded adults - specifically people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, care leavers and offenders under probation supervision.
The Link Up, Link In campaign - as it is called - is designed to to improve progress against the government's key target on boosting access to stable housing and employment for the four client groups between 2008 and 2011.
The website has good practice case studies from around England, advice on improving joint working and making the business case for working with other agencies, and statistics on existing performance against the target.
The Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Task Force, which is behind the campaign, says its research suggests practitioners would find this resource helpful, so they are keen to hear what you think, and are also after more case studies if anyone has any.
What they need is better communication between the DWP and Social Services.
New claimants to Incapacity Benefit or ESA (as it is now called) should be given a compulsory interview with an experienced Social Worker.
Social workers should be based at Job Centres.
Es, why Smokey?? What would this achieve in reducing social exclusion?
Far too many claimants of Incapacity Benefit have been on it long term, and they have not had regular review interviews from a trained employment adviser.
Some long term Incapacity Benefit recipients now get it tax free. They needed a generous incentive and good advice to be encouraged to find a suitable job or new career.
If they had worry and anxiety about child care they needed "job and employment counselling"
The DWP have not had trained staff to provide support.
But this isn't a social work task, Smokey. Our skills are far better utilised dealing with those people with complex needs, or at risk of abuse, rather than just those who have been claiming a particular benefit for many years and who, in your opinion, don't need it or could go out and find themselves a new job or career.
As it happens, however, for your information, the government has been referring all people who have been on incapacity benefit for a number of years to a specialist organisation for people with disabilities for several years now, for a work related interview- this is to check if the person is able or ready to work, and if so what help they require. This is in addition to the yearly medical that most incapacity benefit claimants undergo.
By the way, you state that DWP staff are not trained to do this- giving job searching guidance is part of the induction process in the jobcentre plus, and every disabled claimant is assessed initially when claiming by a DEA (Disability Employment Adviser), and should receive a 3monthly letter inviting them in for a further interview.
As the syetm has recently changed to ESA, all long-term incapacity claimants are being gradually changed over, and their cases will be re-assessed as to any possibility of returning to work with help and support.
All people who have been on long term Incapacity Benefit for many years have NOT been interviewed.
The thread title asks about Joint Working. I was making a suggestion that the DWP should employ social workers to support people on various Benefits such as Severe disablement Allowance and Incapacity Benefit, many of whom never see a local authority social worker.
queenb: But this isn't a social work task, Smokey. Our skills are far better utilised dealing with those people with complex needs, or at risk of abuse, rather than just those who have been claiming a particular benefit for many years and who, in your opinion, don't need it or could go out and find themselves a new job or career. As it happens, however, for your information, the government has been referring all people who have been on incapacity benefit for a number of years to a specialist organisation for people with disabilities for several years now, for a work related interview- this is to check if the person is able or ready to work, and if so what help they require. This is in addition to the yearly medical that most incapacity benefit claimants undergo. As the syetm has recently changed to ESA, all long-term incapacity claimants are being gradually changed over, and their cases will be re-assessed as to any possibility of returning to work with help and support.
Thank you for that, but what you say in your para two ( starting at "As it happens" ) is not completely accurate. I have just looked at www.dwp.gov.uk to check.
This is certainly the policy for those adults who are not the most severely disabled and also in receipt of middle or high rate of Disability Living Allowance, Smokey. Previously these people were seen by the jobcentre's own DEAs, who were very well trained in all aspects of disability and welfare benefits, however more recently the government has set up contracts with large providers of employment help for disabled people, one of which is the Shaw Trust, for example, or Remploy in other areas. This is so that its own staff can concentrate more on other sectors of the unemployed group, offering more intensive help to them.
And those people who are more severely disabled and on those benefits (and so are not going for yearly medicals any more), do get invited in to non-compulsory interviews with the DEA at the jobcentre plus at regular intervals to look at the options should they be interested in considering trying to return to work or training (should be every 3-4 months).
Do you believe ALL the govenments propoganda?
A large percentage of long term Incapacity benefit recipients have never received any advice and support to get back to work.
queenb: Es, why Smokey?? What would this achieve in reducing social exclusion?
People on Incapacity Benefit or severe disablemnt Allowance do not automatically get support from Social Services. If you get both parents with disabilities they can be co-carers. With some support, maybe one of them can be enabled to get work. It seems that in my area that the DWP has been closing many of its offices. It is very difficult to get face to face meetings between a qualified Disability Employment Adviser and a claimant. Some call centre staff do not give accurate advice.