UC journal - vulnerable client’s

Have you checked the “new claim details declared” at the start of the journal entries?
It lists all household information, rent declared (very useful in case of a rent shortfall) and also the health issues of claimant/ anyone they may be caring for.

Thanks for the response, long story but it would be good to have something that doesn’t require reading through journal entries i.e something prominent when someone signs into the online account that immediately flags up on the dash board if someone has complex needs to use the UC term.

Other than trawling through journal entries, can’t see anything on the home page or journal that immediately flags anything up.

The regional manager thinks there is? Referring to a client profile?

Has anyone found this elusive whatever?

I need to reply to our local MP, so hence bumping this forward.

Back to the extract from the regional UC higher up.

All i can think of is that she is referring to making the UC claim i.e. the bit in which and i’m paraphrasing, claimant can give info that the WC should take in to account for subsequent first interview e.g. relevant to claimant commitment etc.

However, we are talking about the online account dash board (we’d even settle for something at the the top of the journal), that flags up vulnerable client/complex needs.

Anyone got any thoughts/observations, because i can’t find anything whatsoever. Not to be confused with actual journal entries, in which info can get buried.

Is this something that can be seen by the Work Coach but not the claimant, possibly?

Billy Durrant - 30 May 2018 10:17 AM

Is this something that can be seen by the Work Coach but not the claimant, possibly?

Don’t know Billy, done loads of digging, found references to agent’s portal, but nothing as to the detail of what that actually is.

What we are after is something that is on the claimant version, visible to any one the client wants to see it i.e. welf’s CPN’s, whoever etc etc. That flags the client’s ‘complex needs’ and details of any relevant contacts the client wants to disclose.

Going back to your earlier thought, if it is something that can only be seen by a WC, then we would argue it should be visible to the client (within reason), in part because if it exists it is not working and for accountability.

My guess is that the regional higher upper hasn’t grasped the concept we originally set out in loads of detail. Which the MP has.

I’m making enquiries via stakeholders forum - they’re hoping to do a teleconference about it with us in July but that’s a bit away yet…

Daphne - 30 May 2018 11:04 AM

I’m making enquiries via stakeholders forum - they’re hoping to do a teleconference about it with us in July but that’s a bit away yet…

Sounds good!

Well the Regional higher upper has invited our MP to some sort of demonstration? The MP has asked if we fancy coming along too, sounds too good an offer to not go, whatever is being demonstrated?

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 11:25 AM

Daphne - 30 May 2018 11:04 AM

I’m making enquiries via stakeholders forum - they’re hoping to do a teleconference about it with us in July but that’s a bit away yet…

Sounds good!

Well the Regional higher upper has invited our MP to some sort of demonstration? The MP has asked if we fancy coming along too, sounds too good an offer to not go, whatever is being demonstrated?

definitely go and let us know!

Daphne - 30 May 2018 11:27 AM

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 11:25 AM

Daphne - 30 May 2018 11:04 AM

I’m making enquiries via stakeholders forum - they’re hoping to do a teleconference about it with us in July but that’s a bit away yet…

Sounds good!

Well the Regional higher upper has invited our MP to some sort of demonstration? The MP has asked if we fancy coming along too, sounds too good an offer to not go, whatever is being demonstrated?

definitely go and let us know!

Will do!

This is an excellent idea Andy.

Assuming that DWP agree to record a list of complex needs and relevant contacts (whether family members or professionals) then it also would be useful to see DWP commit (where appropriate) to notifying these contacts in the event of problems with a claim.  I’ve suggested something similar in the very last recommendation in this document: http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/work-and-pensions-committee/benefit-sanctions/written/81896.pdf

Thanks everyone for the help so far! Could do with some more please!

I should point out this all stems from an email conversation with Daphne!

Below are extracts from the regional higher upper’s letter to our local MP, it’s not evident she has actually understood what we are proposing. As already mentioned, we have looked at real life journals i.e. home page, to do list and actual journal, and have not come across anything resembling a ‘profile page’.

So assuming there is a ‘profile page’ albeit only a work coach can see, has anyone ever had a trip around a job centre and actually seen a ‘profile page’? Not to be confused with trips to job centres to see how a claim is made online.

Higher upper’s extracts - :

‘Following our telephone conversation on Wednesday 23 May, I promised I would come back to you with any specific design improvements relating to Claimant Journal information.

When we spoke you explained your conversation with a local CAB colleague in Bridport and the concerns that our Work Coaches and Case Managers could easily miss vital information regarding the vulnerability of a claimant, especially if there are multiple entries.

Currently the journal has a profile section where information about any vulnerabilities which the claimant may have is stored.  This profile page is short and succinct and therefore our Work Coaches have quick access to this information in readiness for their interviews. If you would like to see a sample journal I can certainly arrange for you to visit my team at Weymouth Jobcentre.

You will be interested to hear that our Universal Credit design team are about to trial, as part of design improvements, a ‘Pinned Note’ on a claimant journal.  Essentially this will mean a Work Coach or Case Manager can place a message on the journal. I do not have a start date for this trial, though I’m more than happy to feedback the outcome of the trial’.

we’re supposed to find out more about the ‘pinned note’ trial at the stakeholder teleconference in July - will feed back when I know

Daphne - 30 May 2018 02:55 PM

we’re supposed to find out more about the ‘pinned note’ trial at the stakeholder teleconference in July - will feed back when I know

Forgive my ignorance! But what actually is the difference between a ‘pinned note’ and a ‘commoner garden’ journal entry?

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 01:56 PM

So assuming there is a ‘profile page’ albeit only a work coach can see, has anyone ever had a trip around a job centre and actually seen a ‘profile page’? Not to be confused with trips to job centres to see how a claim is made online.

Yes, as offer PBS at full service JCP twice a week, about 5-8 clients per day for ~8months.

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 01:56 PM

Currently the journal has a profile section where information about any vulnerabilities which the claimant may have is stored.  This profile page is short and succinct and therefore our Work Coaches have quick access to this information in readiness for their interviews. If you would like to see a sample journal I can certainly arrange for you to visit my team at Weymouth Jobcentre.

The profile page the work coaches access is a fount of information re: UC claim - medical conditions, (if relevant) date and reason for claim closure (surprising number of failure to accept claimant commitments), number of days decision pending with case manager (very useful when a pending decision is blocking payment)

Possibly view a real profile page rather than a sample journal (which could be like a lab tested car - designed to pass inspection)

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 03:46 PM

Daphne - 30 May 2018 02:55 PM

But what actually is the difference between a ‘pinned note’ and a ‘commoner garden’ journal entry?

As I understand it, a pinned note highlights important journal entries so they are ‘pinned’ to the top of the journal, regardless of their chronological order (garden variety journal entry)

MKM35 - 31 May 2018 12:18 PM

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 01:56 PM

So assuming there is a ‘profile page’ albeit only a work coach can see, has anyone ever had a trip around a job centre and actually seen a ‘profile page’? Not to be confused with trips to job centres to see how a claim is made online.

Yes, as offer PBS at full service JCP twice a week, about 5-8 clients per day for ~8months.

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 01:56 PM

Currently the journal has a profile section where information about any vulnerabilities which the claimant may have is stored.  This profile page is short and succinct and therefore our Work Coaches have quick access to this information in readiness for their interviews. If you would like to see a sample journal I can certainly arrange for you to visit my team at Weymouth Jobcentre.

The profile page the work coaches access is a fount of information re: UC claim - medical conditions, (if relevant) date and reason for claim closure (surprising number of failure to accept claimant commitments), number of days decision pending with case manager (very useful when a pending decision is blocking payment)

Possibly view a real profile page rather than a sample journal (which could be like a lab tested car - designed to pass inspection)

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 30 May 2018 03:46 PM

Daphne - 30 May 2018 02:55 PM

But what actually is the difference between a ‘pinned note’ and a ‘commoner garden’ journal entry?

As I understand it, a pinned note highlights important journal entries so they are ‘pinned’ to the top of the journal, regardless of their chronological order (garden variety journal entry)

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer the above! So just to recap! Would be really grateful for more feedback on the following if you’ve got the time please!

The client profile is a UC internal element not visible on the actual journal?

Does this profile page rely on information captured by the system or is the info manually entered by e.g. WC or/and benefits processor?

Oh does the profile page have a facility to flag up vulnerable clients and any prompts regarding safeguarding measures?

Regarding the reference to failure to accept the claimant commitment does the profile contain the client’s reason’s for not accepting it?

Regarding the pinned note, no further questions! Hides head in shame!

Apologies - I was asked to delete this post.

MKM35 - 31 May 2018 03:41 PM

Apologies - I was asked to delete this post.

I actually missed it!

But thank you for all your earlier help,  really appreciated!

Meeting happened, shown client profile, WC’s training great, and…..............

Interestingly as an aside one of the higher uppers complained that using the online UC complaints process slows things down?

Few days later, as if on cue another client with a learning disability, comes into our outreach, having managed to secure 15 hours a week work, advises us that his work coach is pressurising him to get 35 hours a week. He said he told work coach he does not feel he could cope with more hours due to stress.

Client told us that he told the work coach he is in receipt of DLA MRC/LRM, but did not want to divulge about his learning disability and other relevant issues, and client said work coach responded along the lines you don’t look like there is anything the wrong with you. 

Have attached the NAO recent report summary, because page 2 Key facts’ ratio of WC’s to claimants and Case managers/DM’s to claimant’s is worth a look, for those who have not seen it.

We met a WC team leader and the local Partnership manager few weeks ago and we got on to the subject of client’s with mental health issues and the WC team leader elaborated on the ‘client profile’ on the journal that a work coach looks at prior to interview.

Apparently, the client profile does not list health issues/diagnosis’s, so for example if a claimant had a Paranoid Schizophrenia, it would not mention the health issue i.e. Paranoid Schizophrenia, instead the emphasis is on what the client can do and can’t do in terms of work.

Is anyone able to shed any further light on this?