Friday, 27 November 2009

"Our Shared Promise on Customer Care"

It's headlined "A shared promise to those participating in welfare-to-work programmes" and can be read on the Jobcentre Plus website. It "was developed by ERSA, the representative body for independent providers of publicly funded welfare-to-work programmes and is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, including Jobcentre Plus, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)" and was launched by Jim Knight MP. All the providers, including A4e, have signed up to it. "It includes commitments from providers to:
  • Listen to customers and provide support based on each customer’s circumstances and needs
  • Help customers identify and make the most of their strengths
  • Make the best use of the customer’s time, taking account of personal circumstances and by being clear when things need to happen"
and there are equally unexceptionable commitments required from customers. Nothing wrong with that. But I can't help wondering why the providers need to state this, when one would assume that it was required in their contracts.

1 comment:

  1. i have to ask, why werent they doing it before, and how they are going to monitor it. Its like saying we will never use the word elephant, but then talk about it all the time, unless someone goes and says hey they said elephant.. they wouldnt know.

    You get,as an unemployed person, nervous about making waves, worried about them taking your money away, worried about so much. Unless you have a strong sense of self and a confidence, and even a caring attitude for others, you would be less likely to talk about your complaints. So this wouldnt work if a person is too scared.

    Then you have to ask what the punishments these places will get if they break that code. If as a job seeker you break them you are punished with sanctions about money. What will they be punished with.

    If everyone was honorable it could work, but there are as many dishonest trainers as clients.

    ReplyDelete

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