Poss partnership working with JC+

We are considering putting together a funding bid for a project working within our local JC+ We already hold outreach sessions in two Jobcentres which we feel helps access to our service and has benefits for all parties - not least the liaison between ourselves and JC staff to improve the experience of ‘customers’ and encouraging JC+ staff to look at the wider picture when working with claimants. We would be interested to know if anyone has set up projects in their area and what has worked and what not.
Please let me know either via this thread or via my e mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Thanks

Hi DAB, did you ever get your partnership working running with the JC+? This idea has been brought up in my area and I’m looking for peoples experiences, both positive and negative feedback will be welcomed.

sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We were mid discussion when Full Service UC was dumped on our area and it all went to pot as the JC+ had to concentrate on getting to grips with UC full service at short notice.

We had several meetings with local and regional JCP staff as part of a UC liaison group for Social Housing providers. However, it became clear that JCP’s hearts weren’t really in it. Too many fixed smiles and formulaic, standard responses to difficult questions, no real accountability etc. They just wanted to “sell” UC to us as a positive thing. The underlying attitude was that “it’s happening, the way we say it’s happening, and you guys can’t do a thing about it!”

Eventually, a “re-organisation” within JCP provided them with an excuse to quietly drop the whole scheme.