Complex needs plans - liaison with JCP

The attachments indicate the kinds of things complex needs plans could include.  The attachments to this post are taken from the same complex needs plan.  Not all of the complex needs plans have included the information attached to this post.

The core visits section is very welcome. 

I was concerned that the section on DHPs did not include information about eligibility criteria.  If JCPs include this it may help to avoid confusion and extra demand to LAs and advice agencies. 

I was also concerned that the section on interview techniques seems to suggest indirect questioning about ill health/caring/homelessness etc - this section does appear in our local plan but I was assured that local staff do ask directly about these issues.

Escalation process included in some of the complex needs plans.  It could also be useful for this procedure to be displayed alongside a summary of DWP guidance on working with representatives.

Some of the complex needs plans also include an action plan.  Some are more up to date than others.  There are a few where the action plan seems not to have been updated since the JCP went live for UCFS.  Our local JCP and district are planning regular liaison meetings so hopefully this will help ensure that the complex needs plan is up to date and relevant.

A common feature of all the complex needs plans is a list of local and national organisations relevant to particular groups that the JCP imagine may present with complex needs.  I’ve attached an example of the types of groups considered in one plan.

One or two of the plans seem not to involve much more than a list of signposting. 

Most of the plans do include quite comprehensive signposting in each area.  The lists are so comprehensive that it may be difficult for staff under time pressure to absorb all the information.  Jobcentre may find it more useful to flag up a couple of key contacts before going on to list the more extensive signposting.

I can’t see that any of the plans I’ve looked at have included information about discretionary funds such as local welfare assistance, etc.

None of the plans seem to include a list of common problems (for example claim for terminally ill people, transferring ESA components to UC, etc).  It may be useful for complex needs plans to include a regularly updated list of problems, the correct process, and fixes for these problems.

We hope to set up an arrangement where the JCP can flag up complex needs to the local authority.  If this progresses this arrangement could be set up in the complex needs plan.

Some include definitions for terms staff may not be familiar with, I guess this could be added to as necessary

Some also include the 6 point plan for supporting claimants who say they are suicidal.  Poplar JCP presents this info in a much more accessible way but the format means I can’t figure out how to get it onto RN in a readable state.

Poplar is also quite good in presenting key info rather than overloading their staff with reams of signposting.  Although it doesn’t include some things I felt were good in other plans their complex needs plan also includes useful sections such as a Q&A, what’s new, and local events.

I’ve been given the all clear to post the full complex needs plans so will attach these to the next few posts. 

I actually think that they have potential to be made into quite effective documents which could take a lot of pressure off the advice sector by enabling DWP to resolve problems before they ever reach us. 

However, it’s clear that in their current form even the best of these documents leave quite a lot to be desired…

Note that I am uploading these exactly as they were sent to me by DWP as a result of my FOIs.  If there is information in the documents that organisations reading this thread would like me to redact (such as contact information) then this is fine, please just direct message me through Rightsnet.

The attachments to this first post are for jobcentres in the Wirral

The following complex needs plans are all for London jobcentres.

more complex needs plans…

yet more…

and more…

and finally

It seems that there is a central template for complex needs plans.  I’ve uploaded some scanned slides from a JCP comms pack, I have taken out anything that looks like internal contact information through strategic use of post-its.

Hopefully this will mean that complex needs plans will be a bit more than simply signposting tools but I still get the impression that they remain very far from the kinds of documents that will enable work coaches to effectively support vulnerable claimants.

From the stakeholders’ forum yesterday a few bullet points on progress the DWP says it has been making in relation to claimants with complex needs -

• Complex needs toolkit’s for every jobcentre site – can be obtained from your local partnership manager – it has tables with different categories of vulnerable people and you can then click to find more information about local help/support available – there is an example of what this looks like at post above
• Improved procedures for care leavers - enhanced relationships between LA and DWP - can get info ready before age 18 eg ID, bank etc
• Reviewed and improved processes for refugees - can get in touch during 28 day run-on so all ready when can claim
• Support for homelessness thru a new referral process (duty to refer if threat of homelessness) as part of Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• Guidance issued to increase awareness of modern slavery
• Promotion of role of home visits - arranged by ringing helpline - 82% get visit within 10 days – any problems getting home visits should be raised through third party escalation process - see slides attached
• Focus on supporting survivors of domestic abuse - training about what domestic abuse includes
• Reviewing approach to suicide and self-harm - 6 step process that is to be followed if person indicates self harm – have adapted approach as finding claimants are writing things in journals that could indicate risk – however, see next bullet
• Management of customer expectations for responding to journal entries - not 24/7! - expectation is that it should be answered within 48 hours – alerts are sent to the case manager to say that there is an entry that needs addressing – once they open the screen they see everything that’s waiting action, and they have to deal with it all.
• New telephony routing – if claimant rings from their own phone the call diverts direct to the case manager or someone else in the same team – they should be aware of the claimant’s case and also shouldn’t have to wait so long to get through so if advisers can use the mobile of claimant it may make things quicker. Alternatively if not able to use claimant’s phone, an adviser at the meeting said following these options will get you through to the case manager’s team -  anything else, anything else, don’t enter phone number, enter DOB and postcode.
• Internal learning to increase capability and confidence of staff
• Enhancing and standardising role of local advocates

‘Complex needs toolkits for every jobcentre site – can be obtained from your local partnership manager’

Interesting you should say this: our PMs have consistently refused to share these with us and have quoted (vague) ‘legal reasons’, further and better details of which they have been unable to give. I’ve obtained the plans via FoI, but the documents vary in details and quality from quite comprehensive to near-blank.

It’s quite odd that DWP should create these things and then refuse to share them - has anyone else encountered this problem?

I am worried that this atomised approach will result in uneven and sometimes unfair service area by area.

Funnily enough…

https://gmwrag.wordpress.com/2018/09/17/complex-needs-plans-and-they-work-for-you

Just about to check if we’ve asked our Partnership Manager for our complex needs plan. Otherwise, we’ll ask and if it’s not forthcoming then an FOI it is.

Asked our partnership manager. Reply was it was internal use. FOI request made.

I shall feed this back via stakeholders! They were adamant that they were there for sharing!

Daphne - 12 September 2018 04:03 PM

Reviewing approach to suicide and self-harm - 6 step process that is to be followed if person indicates self harm – have adapted approach as finding claimants are writing things in journals that could indicate risk – however, see next bullet
• Management of customer expectations for responding to journal entries - not 24/7! - expectation is that it should be answered within 48 hours – alerts are sent to the case manager to say that there is an entry that needs addressing – once they open the screen they see everything that’s waiting action, and they have to deal with it all.

Daphne - Looks like an Internal Process Review could be behind the feedback you received at the stakeholders forum:

“In another case – although this claimant did not die – DWP staff appear to have failed to pick up on references to “suicide” in the online journal that universal credit claimants must keep up-to-date.”
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwps-secret-benefit-deaths-reviews-universal-credit-death-linked-to-claimant-commitment-threats/

So having requested a copy of the complex needs toolkit, I receive this reply from DWP:

Dear Keith,

The “ complex needs tool kit “ that you refer to is an internal document for our staff to help support work coaches and service centres in signposting and referring customers to service providers depending on the vulnerability.
It also contains links to our internal intranet for guidance and isn’t something that is suitable for sharing externally.
I’m sorry if you were given that impression at the meeting that you attended.
I believe that Escalation Routes for UC Full Service issues have been shared with you via our Partnership Managers.

We are just in the process of training on Universal Credit Full Service.
If you would like to visit our office once we have “gone live “ with Full service I would be happy to arrange that with you.

Thanks

Waiting on my Partnership Manager to say something similar before the FoI goes in.

Keith S Adviser - 21 September 2018 02:04 PM

So having requested a copy of the complex needs toolkit, I receive this reply from DWP:

Dear Keith,

The “ complex needs tool kit “ that you refer to is an internal document for our staff to help support work coaches and service centres in signposting and referring customers to service providers depending on the vulnerability.
It also contains links to our internal intranet for guidance and isn’t something that is suitable for sharing externally.
I’m sorry if you were given that impression at the meeting that you attended.
I believe that Escalation Routes for UC Full Service issues have been shared with you via our Partnership Managers.

We are just in the process of training on Universal Credit Full Service.
If you would like to visit our office once we have “gone live “ with Full service I would be happy to arrange that with you.

Thanks

The response I got was: “The complex needs toolkit is an internal document for work coaches to use to support customers. Its content is all stored on our intranet and everything it links to is our internal guidance on how to support various customers with complex needs, so unfortunately I am unable to share it.”

Intriguing?

And in case you want to quote it this is what has come back via the stakeholder’s forum -

Complex Needs Toolkits have been developed as an internal product for operational colleagues in Universal Credit Full Service. The toolkit was standardised as our one service approach, thereby making it easier for colleagues in Service Centres who work with multiple Jobcentre. The latest iteration of the toolkit links to the DWP Intranet and access to DWP platforms is required to navigate the product.

The toolkit supports colleagues by bringing together in one place a number of DWP products and learning relating to claimants with complex needs. This includes the DWP Intranet District Provision Tool for provision & local complex needs single points of contact, Universal Credit learning & guidance. This ensures all UCFS work coaches and case managers have access to the most up to date information without relying on updates to locally produced products.

We would expect the toolkit to be shared with partners if requested.

(my bold)

I’ll refer them to this thread…

NAI - 19 September 2018 01:49 PM

Asked our partnership manager. Reply was it was internal use. FOI request made.

I have to ask if my FOI request was worth it. Got a spreadsheet that’s so big I can’t post it here.

That’s a shame, is it possible to save it into two files which could be posted separately? 

If anyone has received their FOIs back then I’d be really interested to hear your comments on the following (and anything else that’s struck you):
- is it likely to be of any use in assisting DWP to avoid problems arising/reaching the advice sector in the first place?
- what would you suggest to improve your local plan?
- have you made any suggestions to your local JCP to try to improve the local plan?  If so, what has the response been?

We had a meeting with our Local Partnership Manager yesterday.  We asked her about the Complex Needs Plan.  She said that she has never heard of it.  A member of DWP staff who was accompanying her said that it was merely a list of organisations to signpost to.

Mike Hughes - 21 September 2018 02:18 PM

Waiting on my Partnership Manager to say something similar before the FoI goes in.

No reply as yet.

Helen Rogers - 10 October 2018 10:36 AM

We had a meeting with our Local Partnership Manager yesterday.  We asked her about the Complex Needs Plan.  She said that she has never heard of it.  A member of DWP staff who was accompanying her said that it was merely a list of organisations to signpost to.

‘A member of DWP staff who was accompanying her said that it was merely a list of organisations to signpost to’

That would appear to sum up the complex needs plans, because there aren’t the DWP resources at a local level (certainly around here), to do much else.

Hello all

It turns out that the dead hand of Whitehall operates through the medium of show and tell workshops…

The next few posts contain details of the new standardised complex needs plans due to replace the local plans. 

Needless to say that all the new plan template does is standardise the inadequacy of the complex needs plans. 

Complex needs plans (besides text mining and pinned notes) are pretty much all that DWP seem to talk about in terms of improving their ability to identify vulnerability (see 2.5-2.7 of NAO report on UC rollout). 

The current complex needs plans are little more than signposting tools. However, they have the potential to be fantastic documents developed in partnership between JCP and local strategic partners (such as social services, law centres and specialist advice agencies, etc) which have real potential to put really effective safety nets into place for vulnerable clients.

Continued from previous post…

A second request for the toolkit, has now also been re-buffed, with more lame, uneducated and plucked out of thin air excuses.

MUPPETS !!!

CPAG’s submission to the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee regarding the UC managed
migration regs can be found here: https://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/Secondary-Legislation-Scrutiny-Committee/Session 2017-19/CPAG letter to SLSC on UC managed migration regulations.pdf

It contains the following:
“DWP officials have also repeatedly referred to ‘complex needs plans’ as a tool for them to identify
vulnerability at local level. However it is our experience that the current complex needs plans are
often little more than signposting tools to local support services, and are inadequate as tools to
identify and support vulnerable claimants. “