Friday 1 April 2011

Work Programme contracts out

The list of contractors is out and can be seen at http://goo.gl/GA32u

There are either two or three providers in each of the 11 areas.
The biggest winner is Ingeus Deloitte, with 7.
Next comes A4e with 5 (East Midlands, London East, North West, South East and South Yorkshire).
Seetec, Avanta, G4S and Working Links each have 3.
Maximus, Rehab Group, Newcastle College and Serco each have 2.
CDG, Reed, Prospects, JHP, Pertemps, Fourstar, ESG and BEST have 1 each.

Only one of those primes, Rehab Group, is a voluntary sector organisation. One, Newcastle College, counts as public sector.

Perhaps Ingeus's partnership with the massive financial company Deloitte helped its success. But A4e have done very well. Serco, on the other hand, has done badly. But that's assuming that these contracts are going to be money spinners.

There's also a list of subcontractors out. Only 36 are listed, 25 of them voluntary sector. That suggests that there are going to be a lot of redundancies in those organisations which are currently sub-contracting under FND.


13 comments:

  1. Well that is interesting. a4e has London East as well as London West.

    There does not appear to be a London North, London South and London Central? I attended a newly refurbished last year, Westminster a4e office ie central London.

    Are there now fewer premises?

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  2. Don't think so, Simone. They've only got London East. London appears to be divided just into east and west. The only A4e area which appears to be more or less the same as their FND phase 1 contracts is South Yorkshire.

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  3. I have just emailed my former a4e Adviser to ask her if she can clarify matters but she is away until 11/04.

    If you look at this link http://www.a4eworks.co.uk/region_details.php?regionID=5 you will see that a4e currently covers Central London and that their offices are not East nor indeed West .....

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  4. There'll be a lot of redundancies. One of the nasty aspects of privatisation is that people are employed on short-term contracts.

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  5. Talking of redundancies; does that mean that someone previously employed by a Provider could find themselves on the Work Programme? How would that work, or do they have some sort of "special exemption" from being placed on these wretched "programmes"?

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  6. I notice that Pertemps are one of the new providers.
    They're also an employment agency. Are any of the other names on the list agencies?

    Seems wrong to me-I've worked for several of them and they're all atrocious 'employers'. I've been lied to many a time and sent on wild goose chases by them.

    Parasites the lot of them.

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  7. All A4e staff are now on redundancy notice, though some can expect to keep their jobs under the new contract. Working Links have given redundancy notices to 600 of their staff and expect more to follow. All staff in PeopleServe are being advised of TUPE arrangements and most in the company expect substantial redundancies. Finally Serco did badly under this contract and staff are expecting the axe to fall very soon.

    Read my blog at http://bit.ly/eLwJ9p

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  8. Tacitus, I would welcome a mention of this blog on yours!

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  9. Everyone who has worked on these programmes who find themselves, unfortunately claiming benefits, will be treated the same as any other claimant, so yes will have to be part of the Work Programme, which seems a waste of resources as most will be highly skilled in finding work, but unfortunately owing to the recession may well be unemployed for 6 months+. This is something I dread after working in the sector for over 6 years

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  10. I would absolutely love to see some of the staff from my local A4e office on the dole, they seem to get off on digging at me for being unemployed. In the 5 months I've been forced to attend this ridiculous A4e place I've been accused of being a junkie, talked to like I'm retarded and pushed into working nights for an agency for just £7 per hour. I can't stand them, their parasites.

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  11. I hesitated before publishing the above comment, because I know it's not true of most staff. If I could, I'd remove the last sentence, but with Blogger one can't do that. However, it's how many claimants feel.

    Some would ask what's wrong with "working nights for an agency for just £7 per hour". Hardly ideal, but a job nonetheless.

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  12. in reply to "Anonymous" (posted above 10th may 15:34)

    I'm under redundancy from a provider due to the new "work programme" and my company not winning the contract in Wales. However I have always known that our work is subject to contracts. I have been very fortunate to have accomplished 5 years with this provider and of course I am aware I will be "on the dole" but I have been there before via redundancy and illness! understand that the majority of staff in all the offices I have worked in have had first hand experiences of the system and claiming themselves at some point. not all staff within these companies are "parasites" however I cant speak for all providers but if you don't want your night job then I know of over a thousand people who would gladly take it from you! just remember one job will always lead to another and its only you that can achieve that ( if you really do want to that is?) good luck

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  13. Hi Guys
    I am an ex-employee of A4e Warrington, I left 18 months ago, I was not very happy there. Can someone tell me what has or is happening to A4e Warrington.
    Also I know how upsetting it is to lose your job,I wish everybody there good luck; and I DO MEAN EVERYONE.

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