The Guardian has just reported that A4e faces a new fraud investigation. It relates to a Mandatory Work Activity contract. "A statement said: 'As a result of this new allegation, DWP has immediately commenced its own independent audit of all our commercial relationships with A4e. We have required A4e to make available all documentation which our auditors may require and provide full access to interview any A4e employees. This is separate from the independent review of internal controls which A4e has previously announced. The chief executive of A4e was informed of this at a meeting with a senior DWP official earlier today. We have made it absolutely clear to A4e that we take this matter very seriously, and that if, at any point during the audit or thereafter, we find evidence of systemic fraud in DWP's contracts with A4e, we will not hesitate to immediately terminate our commercial relationship.' "
Serious stuff.
how about interveiwing past "clients" of A4E? let them speak of the "help" they recieved while at A4E.
ReplyDeleteI think some people genuinely do find A4E helpful, when I go in there are always people saying how helpful they find it, although there are also the ones who don't find it so beneficial.
ReplyDeleteThe basic idea of finding people employment by improving interview skills etc also a good one in theory, like a lot of ideas. But it seems to fall down in practice, especially when the staff aren't educated enough (by which I mean their literacy levels are not high enough to teach people).
And payment by results is also a stupid idea when applied to a programme finding employment for people during a recession (although this was something thought up by Government advisors and presumably not the primes themselves).
the problem is that its mandatory. plus its run for profit .it should be run by job center staff and be 100% voluntary ,step one on this course can be done to two days not two weeks for a start.. look how many job center staff could be hired on the 8.9 million bonus harrison give herself!
ReplyDeleteThe Guardian story on this latest revelation has a photo of the A4e Grimsby office, but makes no mention of it in the article.
ReplyDeleteThe point isn't whether A4E is helpful or not it is are A4E running the service properly. you cannot make things up to meet targets, not only is it illegal it is wrong in a moral sense.The fact that so many people have come forward from different parts of A4E seem to point to this problem being endemic throughout the company.
ReplyDeleteChannel 4 news has just had a story about a4e.. Apparently this is an Audit of ALL of a4e. And the skills fund agency are also doing their own audit. Its on Facebook under channel 4 news.
ReplyDeleteI've rejected a comment from Judi because it crosses the line into being abusive of staff of two companies.
ReplyDeleteI am appalled at the fact the media and other people seem to tar every one at a4e with the same brush! I get great feedback from my customers as a trainer, because I treat everyone with respect, don't force anyone to do anything they don't want to, value opinions and give positive feedback. There are a4e staff that do good! And some of us have mortgages and family do u have a conscience ?
ReplyDeleteWho are you asking that question of? It's inevitable at the moment that all A4e staff are going to feel under siege, when the majority are just trying to do the best job they can. That's why I won't allow abuse of staff. But you have to ask yourself how it's come to this.
DeleteI agree with the trainer, I also as an advisor treat everybody with respect and dont force things. I have very good feedback and helped a number of people. Perhaps the people that are happy with our service should come forward, but no only people who dont want to be there complain.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anybody is criticising individual A4E staff like yourself. The real question is, "Why does this company seem to get mired in one scandal after another? What is wrong with the corporate culture of A4E?" Clearly, those questions /criticisms are matters that need to be addressed by the Board of Directors, not by the foot-soldiers such as yourself and the trainer.
DeleteCome forward then happy A4E "clients"? silence is golden.
DeleteNo doubt whilst there are those working at A4e who do a good job and treated clients with respect as individuals. Unfortunately, there'll be many more who didn't particularly care what they were asked to do to meet targets as long as they kept their jobs.
ReplyDeleteThe mass ire aimed at the company and satisfaction at watching this situation unfold with more revelations in the media by the day is a direct result of treating those who found themselves unemployed and referred to A4e as no more than fee generating commodities.
As for 'tarring all with the same brush', now you know how it feels to be portrayed as a social pariah by the media for being unemployed.
"some of us have mortgages and family do u have a conscience?"
ReplyDeleteDid you and your collegues have a conscience when you sanctioned clients, knowing full well the implications?
The government have raised a sanction doubt regarding A4e's non-compliance. They won't care that you have to keep a roof over your head, pay essential bills, feed your family etc. You should have followed all the mandated instructions when the contracts were signed, but chose not to comply.
Many will call it poetic justice.
To Anon Mar 9 01:53 and Anon Mar 9 02:14
ReplyDeleteSorry, but you are both hitting the wrong targets. Before blaming this blog, people who contribute to it, and the wider mainstream media, you should be looking at those A4e staff that’ve put you in this position in the first place.
You both say you treat people with respect and get great feedback. Good! But treating people with respect should come as standard. It should not merit a round of applause.
Indeed we should be asking what you both did if you witnessed clients who were not treated with respect by any of your colleagues. Did you complain on their behalf? What did YOU do to improve things?
The target you should be hitting out at right now is your former boss, Emma Harrison. She has run A4e, the company you so wish to defend in a state of denial. She is laughing all the way to the bank at ALL our expense.
@ iMatt I agree with the comments above, this is not a dig at individual staff but I do think that if you have worked there or are working there and you have seen potential fraudulent behaviour or witnessed others pressurised into doing so you have a duty do do something about it. We all have a moral compass and mine would not let me stand back and let things like this happen. Nothing was done about it I grant you as the powers that be at that time refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong fundamentally with the system and the contract and I include senior people within the other bodies that gave the contract in that and not just within A4e themselves but I know that I can sleep soundly in my bed at night knowing that I personally did not commit any fraud and I tried my hardest to do something about the wrongs that I saw and witnessed. No-one gave a damn as it was all about hitting the kpi's of the contract and to achieve the massive milestones that earned huge bonus payments. I do wish that I had tried harder now with hindsight but it is always 20/20 so there is not much I can do about that. The people on the ground in A4e have my greatest sympathies as I have never witnessed such a poisonous culture of pressure and bullying in my entire life from the senior management team in order to meet their goals and line their pockets. I sincerely hope that these individuals are found out at last and that the others that are good and do good within A4e move on to bigger and much better career paths. I have and I didn't realise just how bad A4e was until I had been gone around 2 years and started to sleep properly again at night.
ReplyDelete