Flexible New Deal: another complaint… (Working Links)

Posted on November 23rd, 2009.

Post Categories: Action 4 Employment • Flexible New Deal • Flexible New Deal complaints • Working Links
Tags: 0800 917 9262, a4e, Abertillery, Claimants Action South Wales, complaints, Customer Care Leaflet, Flexible New Deal, fnd, inflexible new deal, jobcentre Plus, jobseekers allowance, New Deal 2, Performance Manager, reclaiming travel expenses, travel expenses, Working Links

Working Links: Another Flexible New Deal complaint

Flexible New Deal Scandal is updated with another complaint about the Government’s newly “improved” version of the original New Deal scheme (as renamed Flexible New Deal). The provider is Working Links….

Complaint:

16th November 2009

Dear Mr {Joe Bloggs}

I am writing to you as I wish to make formal complaints about a number of issues relating to Working Links providing Flexible New Deal.

Firstly, there is the lack of a proper complaints procedure at Working Links. Upon referral to FND, I received a booklet from the Jobcentre (FND 10/09) the last page of which clearly states

‘Providers should give the same standard of service as Jobcentre Plus. If you have any complaints about any aspect of Flexible New Deal, raise them with your provider. Your provider will have their own complaints procedures that they’ll explain at your first meeting’.

This did not happen. On my third visit to your office I requested such an explanation from my advisor, [A], who could not do so (nor could [D], also present) but promised to have something for me by the time of our next meeting. I have enclosed the “condensed version” that I received from [A] in due course along with the appropriate section of the DWP FND provider’s guidance (section 14, paragraphs 27-33) – you will see they bear no relationship to each other. The DWP states that

‘You must ensure visible and promoted systems are in place to allow customers to resolve any grievances, concerns or complaints promptly and with the minimum level of bureaucracy, without causing them embarrassment’ (14.29).

I would interpret visible and promoted as leaflets available, and posters displayed in your offices, and perhaps a page on, or PDF available from, the Working Links website, none of which I can see to exist. Also see 14.31,

‘You must explain to the customer your “grievance and internal complaints” process and the escalation route through your organisation’.

Evidently the version I have received is deficient in this respect. [A] tells me that this is because the complaints procedure is “in preparation”, but this is not good enough. Surely Working Links should have had a proper complaints procedure in place before “going live” with Flexible New Deal? And what is the reason for such a delay?

It is clear what the DWP expects and it should not take an intelligent member of Working Links staff more than a day to work out a viable process. I get the distinct impression that what I have received so far has simply been made up “on the hoof”, as, if Working Links in fact has a proper complaints procedure, which I doubt, the staff I have dealt with are clearly ignorant of it.

Next we come to the procedure for reclaiming travel expenses (refer to provider’s guidance 4.80-81, enc). [A] has informed me that this involves waiting until my expenses come to £10 or more before I can claim. There are several problems with this.

1) Maybe £10 isn’t a lot to somebody in work, but for anyone reliant on Jobseeker’s Allowance, £10 is a lot of money to be out of pocket by.
2) In most instances, claims for travel expenses are going to involve bus tickets. These are small and easily lost, not to mention fragile to the point that they readily disintegrate, especially given that local bus drivers generally lack punches and tear tickets to cancel them. Also the ink used to print the tickets tends to fade rapidly and become illegible. I suspect most people simply will not be able to reclaim the full amount, if any, of their expenses and will be left out of pocket.
3) My fare into Abertillery is £2.40. To make a claim of over £10 will involve five visits to Working Links which, at a normal frequency, will give ample time for tickets to become either lost or illegible.
4) What is the arrangement for monies owed less than £10 if a person should be fortunate enough to start work? Will they get it back?

I cannot help feeling that this is essentially a scam enabling Working Links to avoid meeting its financial obligations to claimants, and suspect that most right thinking people would agree with me. It is interesting to note that A4e, one of Working Links’ largest competitors (who get far more adverse feedback from their customers than Working Links ever has) seem to have a system in place that is both simple and logical with customers being paid the same day – see enclosed extract from ‘(In)Flexible New Deal’. Why can Working Links not manage something similar?

The abbreviated and inadequate “complaints procedure” I have received from [A] states that a complaint will be dealt with within ten working days. As you will see I have sent this letter by recorded delivery in order that I will be able to track when you have received it – I await your preferably written response with interest,

Yours Sincerely,

Dan Owen (Mr).

Joe Bloggs is a fake named added.

He received a response:

19/11/09

Dear Mr Daniel Owen

Thank you for contacting Working Links and bringing to our attention the concerns you have experienced with our level of customer service

Your complaint is being dealt with by:
{Jack Daniels}
Performance Manager
Abertillery

We will endeavor to satisfactorily resolve your complaint within the next 10 working days.
If at any time you would like an update on the progress of this matter, please do not hesitate to contact {Jelly Tots} on {0800 917 9262}

I have enclosed a Customer Care Leaflet for your information.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

Yours Sincerely
{Joe Bloggs}

Joe Bloggs, Jack Daniels, Jelly Tots and 0800 917 9262 are all added subsitutes.

http://claimantsactionsouthwales.blogspot.com/2009/11/casw-vs-working-links-update-2.html

Please feel free to leave comments. I will keep you updated with Dans progress!

Make a Comment

8 Responses to “Flexible New Deal: another complaint… (Working Links)”

1. 1

   

   david says:
   

   January 27th 2010 at 5:14 pm  

   I went for my first interview with working links today at the middlesbrough branch. my appointment was for 9 am i arrived at 8.50 am. i was then completely ignored by my so called ‘adviser’ for 25 mins, eventually she acknowledge me and said that i would have to wait for a further 30 to see her, since then i have spent the full day trying to change my advisor as i don’t want to spend 52 weeks with a timewaster but i have been fobbed off constantly. if this is the service you provide then the government would be better off investing their money elsewhere, thankyou for your ignorant service

   • 2

     

     dAN THE MANE says:
     

     July 8th 2010 at 10:15 am  

     DEMAND ANOTHER ADVISOR AND MAKE A COMPLAINT ALSO ASK TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS ADVISOR BY OTHER CLIENTS AND INFACT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MAKE BY CLIENTS ABOUT THIS COMPANY.

     YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS.
     ALSO TO ADD THINGS ASK TO KNOW HOW MUCH TRAINING THIS ADVISOR HAS AND EVEN ASK FOR PROOF YOU ARE INTITLED TO SEE WHAT CERTS THEY HAVE.IF THEY REFUSED DEMAND TO KNOW AND SPEAK TO THE CEO

2. 3

   

   Gerry Attric says:
   

   January 28th 2010 at 11:10 am  

   David if you feel you are being fobbed off contact your MP especially if the jobcentre haven’t been any help.

   Everyone experiencing bad customer service needs to speak out!

3. 4

   

   Stephen says:
   

   February 5th 2010 at 12:54 am  

   WORK DIRECTIONs:I had major problum with this company and the minute I made a complaint,they made my life a living HELL.
   It started 3 years ago,I was doing great doing sellf empolyment via the new deal programme,even thought their 2 week trained advisors hadnt got a clue.

   anyway I had a little problem with one of the staff and when I made an official complaint,that was just the start of my LIVING hell with WORK DIRECTIONs London .
   My Advisor just couldnt do anything to help and had been warned NOT to help me.They then tried to get my out of the office to go to a company called INBIZ a company who have staff just as bad as them.

   When it came to the front that I wouldnt be going to INBIZ,I was taken of NEW DEAL programme and they promised to talk to JSplus and Not once did they even try to reslove the matter,so I was in limbo,so due to all the stress I went on the sick and was DISGUSTED and shocked that I waould now be sent back to the same company WORK DIRECTIONs as they were the only provider for this new programme for people newly on the sick,I wqas told by SETH OPUNI the CO that I didnt have a choice or i would loss my benefits if I didnt come to this programme,It was at this stage I questioned WHY he hadnt done anything to reslove the outstanding matter as they had already been paid in full.
   He just didnt give a dam and I now know why,I then followed up my complaint and asked them how many complaints had been upheld and made about there company by PAID FOR CLIENTS,to date we still havent got an asnwer,

   Thank God Good News finally came when I had heard that they had lost many of their contarcts for PATHWAY TO WORK and they soon closed their offices and of courus MR SETH OPUNI let the company WHY???

   If anyone can give me info about a company or legal team that would take my case on that would help as I want to sue this company and of course JCplus for doing nothing to sort this matter out..

   WORK DIRECTIONs have dropped their name and are now working under their mother name,

   Has anyone else had matters with this company??

   Today Im still a PAID FOR CLIENT VIA THEIR COMPANY AND TO DATE THEY AHEV DONE nothing to help me what so ever,This is what they are doing with TAX PAYERS MONEY NOTHING\
   HELP

   • 5

     

     Flexible New Deal says:
     

     February 5th 2010 at 12:24 pm  

     INBIZ is part of AVANTA.

     AVANTA is INBIZ and TNG (be careful of them – one to look out for).

   • 6

     

     Flexible New Deal says:
     

     February 5th 2010 at 12:25 pm  

     Oh of course:

     http://flexible-new-deal.co.uk/category/training-network-group/

     (just some of the information on them)

4. 7

   

   dAN THE MANE says:
   

   July 8th 2010 at 10:12 am  

   This is nothing ,WORK DIRECTIONS are the Biggest joke when it comes to making complaints.Its called cover up and ban client.

   DWP seem to allow this but this is why Work Directions have been caught out and are now a Bigger joke.

   Something MUST be put in place to protect PAIDFOR Clients from these low life providers who are just in for all the monies they can make..
   coming soon a client message board so clients can get advice and take legal action to sue these providers.

   Clients must have the same rights as if they are employed by these companys.. Their advisors (2 weeks trained) are a joke

   BRITISH JOBS FOR BRITSH WORKERS NOW AND SO BRITISH CLEINTS FOR BRITISH RUN PROVIDERS

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