Oh dear, another TNG Flexible New Deal complaint!
Post Categories: Flexible New Deal • Flexible New Deal complaints • TNG • Training Network Group
Tags: DWP, Flexible New Deal, jobcentre Plus, TNG
Another TNG Flexible New Deal complaint!
Flexible New Deal scandal can report there is another complaint about TNG and Flexible New Deal…
Flexible New Deal Failure
My complaint about the new deal is that the company running it (TNG), employs staff of such a low skill level that all they are able to do is access the local jobcentre website and do nothing useful. No re-training or skills upgrade is offered, no basic computer or IT literacy is present in the group and they fake the paperwork, taking signatures for things they have not done and which they are legally and contractually obliged to carry out:
Flexible New Deal Failure
I have now been assigned to the Flexible New Deal with TNG, where I have been told that they cannot help me and all they have managed to do is send me a few advertisements for data entry roles, for which I am clearly unsuitable even though I could do them (these roles are already known to me, so the agency is merely duplicating work).
I received a phone call from TNG, informing me that I had an interview to attend. The caller refused to give me any details and assured me that a letter would be sent. This letter has not arrived and I was only able to find their office by contacting my local job centre. I have asked them to investigate this but nothing has been done in the past two weeks.
The person assigned to me does not know anything beyond very basic computer skills and as little about the internet, with no knowledge of the standard computer packages used by businesses. The practice is geared to form completion so that the company can produce its metrics and is not designed to be of any benefit to me.
The introduction to the New Deal was supposed to consist of two 3 hour sessions but in fact consisted of only a two and a half and a two hour session, with the ‘teacher’ handing out a questionnaire and the answers, thus circumventing the discussion and learning process the forms were retained by TNG as proof of their work. I am very concerned that this organization is fabricating its results in order to claim money from Central Government.
When I presented my CV to them on a disk, they were unable to access it because they do not have a CD/DVD reader on site; I have now submitted my CV to them but have received no feedback.
By their inability to carry out basic tasks, their failure to understand my skillset, to read or comment upon my CV and abilities, they are in breach of contract and I expect to be put in touch with someone who is able to contribute to my job search, rather than my presence being used to pay for an poorly run company that has to date only discouraged me.
I can confirm from experience that Jobcentre Plus doesn’t provide any address or phone number to jobseekers of their Flexible New Deal provider. I think it is disgusting that the TNG employee was sworn to secrecy and couldn’t simply disclose information they already had or intended to (allegedly) send in a letter anyway.
It is standard good practice to speak either face-2-face or on telephone and to confirm via letter as a reminder.
This is very worrying especially that TNG is the provider for my area also.
Link Summary
- Flexible New Deal: TNG will never change
- Flexible New Deal: TNG Complaint - we dont know how to get there
- Flexible New Deal: TNG can't spell success - Jobseekers doomed!
- Flexible New Deal: TNG & YMCA Training approve someone with serious mental health issues to Dencora House
- Flexible New Deal: TNG
- Flexible New Deal: A step back from New Deal?
10 Responses to “Oh dear, another TNG Flexible New Deal complaint!”
- Flexible New Deal: TNG will never change « Flexible New Deal Providers and Information & New Deal Scandal
- Flexible New Deal: TNG & YMCA Training approve someone with serious mental health issues to Dencora House « Flexible New Deal Providers and Information & Flexible New Deal
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I recently left TNG due to a catalogue of stupendous errors, mismanagement, lack of co-ordination and I’ll add faked time sheets (rather than do them on the Monday, they were done when someone remembered – usually at the end of the day every few weeks or so) my placement lacked any paperwork done so nobody knew anything about it – except TNG, who ok, paid my busfare, but did very little to support what would’ve been a much better placement had they done the paperwork.
(and to make matters worse, I know people who work where I wanted to work… and they were expecting me, but thanks to the lack of paperwork, I didn’t exist – good thing nothing bad happened!)
We got sent home more often than we were there, I needed CVs printing and couldn’t because ‘the system is down’, then decorators, carpet layers and the police twice to break-ins to name but a few incidents… staff training….
It was utterly the worst 11 weeks of my life.
I complained a couple of weeks after leaving because I was just so furious and the letter I got back today (after several weeks) says I failed to participate in tasks set by the tutor – when clearly, we either weren’t in there long enough or the tutor we were supposed to have was in charge of at least 2 other sets of people in for different things and some of us didn’t feel it was right to ask because they were already too busy!
When the final day came. It was the only day I was truly happy. I would never have lasted 13 weeks. Whats worse is, ND is due in the new year and it’s TNG. I hope there is a God out there and if there is, he’ll keep me away from there or the penalty will be my mental health making me incapable of finding employment… ever…
I’ve never been so dehumanised, demoralised and depressed…. I’d seek something temporary, but with CRB checks taking (in some cases) up to four months, I’d probably have to see ND first…
And I can’t face TNG and their promises and lies any more.
Being shouted at is one thing, but being shouted at to a degree where it’s totally upset me, no thanks. If I want that sort of abuse, I can find a few fighty pubs at night thanks!
As a victim in the past of physical and mental abuse, I don’t exactly need the mental side of it… not now, not ever.
Sorry TNG, you failed me. You also wronged me. For that, you shall be discussed in the negative sense as you have done with me.
I can’t do the whole new deal thing if its with them..
It’s just not me…
Just out of curiosity (something I am investigating in regards to TNG/Avanta)…
Did you have any problems regarding racism/disability discrimination/sexism while you were there including staff saying offensive things and using images of such to put such a message across?
Did you find there was a problem regarding Equal Opportunities and Diversity? i.e. lack of policy, guidance, enforcement, racism etc.
(p.s. There should have been a policy and guidance you go through on Induction at least)
There were surprisingly very few people there of any real ethnic persuasion, although there was one member of staff who was greek/cypriot who really was the one shining star there running an English class, our group and his own other duties.
As for sexism, that angle was approached and dismissed by the staff. And as for use of inappropriate images, I don’t think their overhead projector actually worked – it was there, it just never saw any use.
As for the rest of it, yeah, discriminatory through and through… just because mental health issues and that I have a mild congenital condition and a whole clutch of adult ed certificates (that I couldn’t find in time for starting at TNG) they assumed I was another lazy waster that they had to patronise and belittle – when they remembered that we were there.
The induction was a confusing affair, not least of all because they had to get in someone from another office the other side of Manchester – who knew nothing of the town he was currently in and for the few weeks he was there, spent more time emailing family in another country and looking up air fares to get there.
So no actual racism, but I don’t think I’d like to be any particular creed or colour as a customer. One muslim woman did quit though before the staff could get to her and she’s now happy at college working towards a few certificates.
Had there been anything offensive, be sure I would’ve leapt up and made a counter threat of my own – I can’t stand racism!!
But they’re experts at the other ‘isms’ – sexism, ageism and plagiarism!
The biggest ‘WTF’ moment came one Monday morning when it was announced that we couldn’t read any newspapers we’d brought in – despite the majority of newspapers having a job section, it was a nono… but to pick up any of ‘their’ newspapers, we were looking at jobs that had long since passed their deadline date and we were instructed to ‘apply anyway – you never know’.
Even the phone books they had in – Yellow Pages 2008 and Thomsons Local 2008… disappointingly out of date and not a single new copy of either to be found anywhere…
As for the booklets that we were given at our ‘induction’ (2 days of some slow talker meandering like a lazy river through stuff we could’ve got through in 20 minutes rather than half a morning…) these disappeared… vanished into thin air. My folder also vanished for the insertion of paperwork. (I made it vanish completely on the last day by placing it in the ‘paper to be shredded’ bag – my details could’ve been compromised had they remained – as many others did in the box of folders on the floor… many who’d been and left… a permanent reminder to would be identity theives that this place was pure gold)
Their rule was this: you did 2 days a week – 9am until 4:30pm
The actual rule was a set amount of hours (12) per week – which was considerably less than the hours TNG had us there for. And in retrospect, TNG should’ve obeyed that, but they didn’t.
I was there ‘voluntarily’ and even though common sense says I should’ve quit sooner, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, the manager of TNG is a woman I last encountered 5 years ago when she was manager of what was then ‘Standguide’ – where I had a blazing row with her on ND because nothing was getting sorted out at all and after several weeks of going stir crazy, I blew. And she apologised… and when I complained about TNG the first time, I got called into her office and she fed me so much rubbish (and I was full of a cold too – which didn’t help) I accepted her apology again, with the promise that things would definitely improve… They didn’t.
And when I felt the time was right, I quit. I had to let the dust settle a bit before complaining to TNG. However, the letter I got back, well, I’m not buying it. ‘not participating in daily tasks set by the tutor’ – what tutor? oh you mean the one in the office talking all day and drinking coffee and only emerging to see to the inductees?
We were told to shut up and get on with whatever it was we were getting on with most of the time and even then, we weren’t sure what we were supposed to be getting on with…!
TNG has definitely damaged my confidence and I’d be not doing myself any favours ending up back there again.
I am glad you didnt experience or witness any form of racism at TNG in your contract area. The other ‘ism are very concerning but I can’t say a total surprise.
Induction booklets disappeared… are you saying that after Induction morning hand outs and booklets of equal ops, harassment, discrimination etc. were destroyed of (or disappeared) so people couldn’t rely on them or refer to them?
As for “Customer Service” and counter allegations – this is systematic problem advocated by Jobcentre Plus policy. New Deal providers all over the country have been doing this. I experienced this not only while on New Deal and when I complained but also on Appeal Tribunal.
The reason is simple – it is perfectly decent opportunity to make such an allegation because you have no support or anyway to prove it or more to the point enforce it. If they accused you of and exited you for burning their building down although participants and staff still attended the building untouched by fire, Jobcentre Plus would adequately enforce sanction on you.
Complaining to Jobcentre Plus all they do is talk to the provider and then make more accusations about you. A Decision Maker can accept “hearsay” evidence or simply put allegations without any evidence.
As for Appeal Tribunals… this is a winner, you enter as a Defendant (or Respondant as they call it) against Secretary of State; so they make the statement of case or statement of fact as they call it regardless of how false it is. DWP doesn’t turn up so you can’t counterclaim or have a defence.
Now the Appeal Tribunal not only not have any enforcement powers but when looking at a case they have no authority to look at the Decision Makers Guide or any benefit regulations and laws to decide whether the sanction was fair and whether to uphold your appeal.
The common trend is to do an half appeal. So no one is in the right and no one is in the wrong. In my case they never explained how I could appeal and the entire Tribunal involved around asking me personal questions unrelated to the case although I had a minute or so slot to very briefly summarise the case. So even with an “independent” panel they (TNG, A4e, YMCA Training etc.) are free to accuse you of whatever and the whole system enforces their opinion/accusation.
Appeal Tribunals a winner for the DWP – not you.
Oh I forgot. The up to date Yellow Pages etc. are for staff use only. So they have them but they are too good for the participants.
Oh the induction booklets thing was an absolute FARCE! And of the highest order…
Here have a folder.. write your name on it, this and the eventual contents are YOURS (note the ‘yours’) and here, have a booklet which explains everything about TNG and all there is we can do for you and when you’ve had a quick look through it (we weren’t allowed to remove these booklets, apparently) put it into your folder and we’ll put your folders into this set of metal drawers’ – which turned out to be an unlocked and insecure filing cabinet that anyone could access… I’m too honest, so when I pulled someone elses file out one day, I put it back… had I got other intentions, it could’ve been easy pickings…!
Somehow, our folders ‘went missing’ and therefore, we had to have new ones… I asked abot the induction booklet… ‘what induction booklet?’
“The one we were given on our arrival” I said…
‘oh, you only get one of those’….
As for a tribunal (or looking for to get one) I won’t bother yet… I’ll wait until I see my advisor in the New Year and threaten it if they even think about mentioning those three letters…
I also know a few good local MPs too that I can talk to about it. I wouldn’t expect miracles, but at least if I get it off my chest, they can then raise the issue at least if need be.
As for ‘not bothering with peoples skills’ – thats almost as bad as any ‘ism’. Got several art/design related qualifications, brilliant at creative writing and all that? well, screw you, here’s a cleaning job for you to apply for… and we dont care if you do have ‘contact dermatitis’ and an allergy to certain cleaning products…
I applied for 2 jobs a week – all I could find, most of them ‘on spec’… one week, I applied for 6 random jobs – none of which I’ve had a response from because, like the rest of the world, they’re not wanting to take anyone on, regardless of the fact that there’s a coupon that, if X company takes a person on, X company gets £500 and another £500 at the end of a given time… I’ve had to put that on ALL the spec letters I’ve sent out and it’s made me feel cheap and dirty doing that… to the point where, one morning, I was contemplating some creative use of invisible ink.
Anyway. Most of the stuff I sent letters out to included a spec letter… I hated it. And including a cv with it too?
What were TNG doing? sat on their backsides drinking coffee and contemplating breaking our spirits so totally…
If they’d mingled with us better, they’d have got to know us better got to know our skills base better and could’ve done more to help us… however, getting a member of staff out of the staffroom for any length of time – nigh on impossible some days… if you wanted CVs printing, you could be in for a long wait. Even longer if you changed phone number and needed it rectifying… (as was in our case and they still hadn’t corrected it by the time I left)
Spec letters is on my Top 10 tips for jobseekers… (as #4)
http://www.flexiblenewdeal.me.uk/newdeal/2009/ten-tips-for-jobseekers/