Friday 2 March 2012

Plugging away

There's an interesting piece by Fiona MacTaggart MP on the Left Foot Forward website.  MacTaggart is the Labour MP for Slough, and a member of the Public Accounts Committee which tore into A4e recently.  She begins: "In politics often you plug away at an issue with no-one noticing, and then it becomes big news."  Yes, Fiona, I know the feeling.  She then says that over the last two years she has reported A4e to the National Auditor three times after complaints by constituents.  And it was in Slough that four former employees were arrested.  She outlines her concerns about the company:
  • It cut its costs and provided a poor service
  • It implied that it could offer skills training courses but failed to provide them
  • It used unemployed people in unpaid roles in the company, and didn't give a job to any of them
We have a right, she says, to expect high standards from A4e in return for their high profits.
All true.   But something else worries me.  MacTaggart certainly isn't the only MP who has had complaints about A4e (and, I'm sure, about other providers).  There are a number of things MPs can do with such complaints.  They can i) ignore them; ii) pass them on to the relevant minister; iii) pass them to a civil servant in the relevant department or iv) pass them to the National Auditor because money is involved.  Whatever the various MPs did, the DWP would have been well aware of an accumulation of complaints; but nothing was done.  Undoubtedly, bland responses were given, assurances offered.  It's pure luck that MacTaggart was tenacious and well-placed.  Could we now see some other MPs coming forward with their own dossiers of complaints - and the replies they received?

13 comments:

  1. A4E web site is down? But selectively....whole pages missing?

    Also, re The Guardian's news on privatising the police - will A4E bid for that too?

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  2. No mention froom anyone about Margaret Hodge's appearance on Any Questions. I missed it and will have to wait until tomorrow lunchtime but that may clash with Roger Federer V Andy Murray Final in Dubai!

    Did anyone of the audience question the lady about a4e?

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    1. I didn't hear it - will listen today - but I will be very surprised if there's anything on A4e. The producers pick the questions (I've been to recordings) so even if the audience wanted to raise the subject they wouldn't be able to. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

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    2. I listened to it on BBC iPlayer. Nothing was said about A4E or unemployment more generally. Unemployment may not be a major problem in Beccles, where the radio programme was recorded.

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  3. I don't know if you already know of this a4e website, Historian http://www.a4etransitions.com/who-we-are/ I would not have bought an Indesit fridge had I known!

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    1. Simone
      I have just looked at the link. Do I gather that this Transitions arm of A4E has nothing to do with people who are already unemployed and on the Work Programme or have I misunderstood the Transitions website, please? Thanks.

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  4. The A4E website is down. what have they got to hide? ive had experience of this awfull company, a toal disgrace.

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    Replies
    1. It would be sensible to rebuild the company's website now (perhaps they'll get a proof-reader!).

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  5. While A4E is a total sham of a company, lets not forget other so called providers, best, ingeus etc lets look closely into these companys lets what value their giving the tax payer. the results i reckon would be outrageous.

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  6. They seemed to be pressing quite hard on the "Emma Harrison is no longer a director, does not attend board meetings" point when I spoke to them on Friday - so perhaps they are rebuilding the Website to take away references to Emma Harrison. She is still the 87% owner of A4e, of course, but I wonder if she would think about selling her shares ? In the short term this could be a very difficult story, because a nine figure bonanza for Harrison on the back of some Private Equity purchase of the firm would add to public concern about enrichment on the back of welfare payouts, but in the medium term would perhaps give A4e some breathing room

    Solomon

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  7. I think the website is down due to technical issues given the message. If they were rebuilding the website then a landing page would say this.

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  8. All's well with a4e. I mean their website of course. It's working again!

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  9. I'm surprised it stays up at all if their centres are any reflection, my sister attends weekly and the internet for jobsearch is always down. I'm starting to wonder if they're even subscribed or if it's just another cost saving, profit increasing method.

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