Complaining about your 'workfare' provide
You do have a right to make a complaint about you provider or the service you recieve from your Jobcentre Plus advisor.Work Programme Providers have to follow guidelines for handling complaints set out in Chapter 16 of the Work Programme Guidance.
Your provider must have their own complaints procedure which you should follow in the first instance (see end of this page for details of A4e, Ingeus and G4S procedures)
7 steps to an effective complaint
- Know what the problem is. Think about what has actually gone wrong. Has the company failed to do something? Have they treated you differently to how they should have?
- Know your rights. Read through the providers complaints procedure. Do you have rights under the Equality Act 2010? Do you have rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
- Contact the right person. Make sure that you are addressing the complaint to the right person. Put you complaint in writing, even if you are handing it to a manager to deal with.
- Be Clear. Your complaint will be much more effective if you are clear about what has happened and, perhaps more importantly, how it has affected you. Include dates, times locations of any specific events. State, who was there, either directly involved or people who may have witnessed the event, provide copies of any evidence that supports your complaint
- Keep Calm. Keep your tone firm and not emotional, and state the resolution that you want. Sometimes it is good to get someone else to read over your complaint first.
- Be Organised. Make sure you keep a clear record, keep copies of any evidence and documents relating to the situation, or take a note of everything that is discussed, with dates on which everything happened.
- Be Prepared to take it further. You don't have to accept the outcome of the complaint.It is a requirement by the DWP that the final written response to you wording includes the following text:
If you are not happy with this response, you can ask the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) to consider your complaint. You should contact them within six months from the date of this letter. The ICE service is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (which includes Jobcentre Plus) and offers a free, impartial resolution service but does not consider matters of law or government policy. ICE can be contacted at:
Independent Case Examiner
PO Box 155, Chester CH99 9SA.
Phone: 0845 606 0777
Website: www.ind-case-exam.org.uk
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman You can also, at any time contact your MP who may be able to send your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman normally (but not always) expects you to have exhausted both the provider complaints process and the ICE services before she accepts a complaint for investigation. The Ombudsman investigates complaints that government organisations have not acted properly or fairly or have provided a poor service.
To find out more, please contact:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower,
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP.
A4e complaints policy http://www.mya4e.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/compliments-and-complaints-policy.pdf
Complain online at http://www.mya4e.com/make-a-complaint/
Complain about Ingeus
http://www.ingeus.co.uk/pages/about_us/427/feedback_and_complaints.html
Compalin about G4S
http://www.g4swelfaretowork.com/jobseekers/affect/default.php
O.P.A.W. Is happy to hear about your experience of providers and compalints you may have. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to assists in you complaint. We Any information you do share with us will be treated confidentially andand we will not release any details to other parties without your prior agreement and consent. to contact O.P.A.W please use our feedback form
