Welfare Reform Team Evaluation of European Social Fund pilot project 2014-2015

nominated JCP work coaches, and a support fair comprising local training and
support organisations.
The JCP seconded three work coaches at different stages of the project to work
within the team. We met and worked jointly with participants to help them improve
their situation and move them closer to and into work.
A JCP work coach joined the team on a full-time basis at the outset of the project
and offered one-to-one employment adviser coaching sessions to participants.
These meetings were set up by the participant’s caseworker in the council’s contact
centre in a supportive environment and without the potential of sanctions. Work
experience and career options were discussed in detail, and the customer had
access to our partner network’s support opportunities and a wide range of currently
advertised jobs in the city.
The full-time work coach returned to JCP in March 2015 to work on Universal Credit
implementation, and two JCP advisers were then seconded to work one day a week
each with the team, to provide information and job support to customers. One
adviser focused on younger Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) clients and the second
specialised in over 50s, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and clients
further from the workplace.
Their insights and experience proved to be a valuable asset when identifying and
addressing participants’ personal barriers to employment and pathways to improve
their work situation.
Project referrals
During the project we recorded a total of 288 referrals to partners and other advice
agencies, with many participants being offered multiple referrals for different types of
support. Fifty five participants had no recorded referral to a partner, primarily
because they found work without external referral or they did not take up the referral
or failed to attend a referral meeting or activity.
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