Ipswich Unemployment Drops by 55, MP Gummer Praises Work Programme.

Unemployment had ‘dropped’ we are told.

In Ipswich “the count fell by 56 to 4,495 and the rate by 0.1 of a percentage point to 5.3%”

Ipswich MP, the Conservative Ben Gummer says,

“I do not want to get over-excited about this: there are four and a half thousand personal tragedies contained in these figures. But I hope, through the Government’s massive Work Programme, that one by one we will begin to turn those tragedies into personal successes.”

Here

It is widely reported that most of the new jobs are part-time, and many people who have them can expect to be hit by cuts in Working Tax Credits.

The Guardian notes (Here)

Almost a million people will have been out of work for more than a year by the end of 2012, according to research.

The IPPR thinktank said another 107,000 people will join the ranks of the long-term unemployed in the coming months, taking the total to its highest level since 1995.

The report, published ahead of new unemployment figures on Wednesday, said long-term unemployment was the “hidden crisis” facing the UK economy.

No doubt Benedict Gummer will be happy that so many people look likely to do forced unpaid labour, when one part of the government’s unemployment strategy kicks in. That is people who failed to find work despite “intensive” mentoring for two years will be made to do 30 hours of community service a week for 26 weeks a year.

Charities, A4E and the Unemployment Business.

Leading philanthropists have added to pressure on ministers to rethink plans to limit tax relief on charitable donations, by saying it “will deprive charities of much-needed funds”. The BBC reports.

“Emma Harrison, owner of welfare-to-work company a4E , runs a charity, which she used to help a4E win government contracts” reports the latest Private Eye.

“The Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) claims to be ‘all about supporting the small charities”, but A4E used it as ‘bid candy’ while trying to win Work programme contracts from the Department of Work and pensions (DWP) to help find jobs for the unemployed. A4E also used the supposedly independent charity to recruit other charities as A4E subcontractors”.

They further state,

“FSI recently won an £85,000 contract from Richmond on Thames council in South-west London for training and ‘capacity building’ in the borough’s voluntary sector - work previously done by the local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)”

Charities, whether A4E fronts on not, have got into the Unemployment Business.

Just as SEETEC began as a small Essex company offering computer courses, that massively expanded with the New Deal and the Flexible New Deal, so too have some charities seen an opportunity in the Work Programme.

Papworth Trust (in Ipswich) is subcontracted from Ingeus. It started as a group helping people with disabilities. Now it is a Work Programme Provider.

What these groups actually do is unclear.

Their ‘training’ is ‘black box’ up to them.

With the funding structure for the Work Programme geared towards rewarding people who get jobs they drop those they think unlikely to find employment.

But they still snaffle a hefty fee for doing…..nothing for them.

So from A4E’s FSI to elsewhere Charities are not the unambiguous ‘good thing’ some people think.

We would be interested to know what Tax Relief Emma Harrison gets for contributing to her charitable upkeep  through Foundation for Social Improvement

Homelessness and Unemployment in Ipswich.

Walking to Ipswich Central Library this morning I saw that homeless people had returned to camp in the porch opposite the County Council St Edmund’s House in Rope Walk.

In the town centre streets there are people begging. Every day you get somebody asking for money. Some sit there with a sign in their hands asking for a contribution.

The Government intends to make more people homeless by changing the rules on Housing Benefit. Many will be forced to move because their rents are too high, others will be kicked out because their flats or houses are too big (that is, they have an extra room).

Johnny Void (Here) suggests that the Cabinet are considering cutting all Housing Benefit for the under-25s (his source in the Telegraph – a Tory mouthpiece).

This was the ‘Big Society’ response to homelessness.

The Ipswich Winter Night Shelter, which has been running every night since 14 December, finished on Sunday 19 February. The shelter was held at seven churches across the town centre and supported by 300 volunteers from many Christian denominations, and from other faiths and none. A special service was held on 26 February to celebrate the work and to look to the future. I was unable to help with the shelter as my husband was so ill but it was a great honour to be there and to meet the many people who had helped.

The Rev’d Canon Paul Daltry, who chaired the team, said that it was wonderful to work with so many volunteers, including those of other faiths. “The Shelter has shown that we in Ipswich are waking up to acting like a community. We need to ask ‘What is God saying to the church today; what is he calling us to do next?’” The service also included a debate involving local politicians Ben Gummer our Member of Parliament, David Ellesmere, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council and County Cllr Colin Spence they debated the relationship between church contributions in this area and the work of the state agencies.

(From Here.)

Charity, may, over the Winter, have helped some people.

Though  an appeal to the Good Will of others is not the same as giving people the right to accommodation.

Now we see seriously poor people wandering the streets of our town.

They cannot jump through all the hoops of the Work Programme.

They have no benefits.

Some trail around with a tin of super-strength lager in their hands, or a bottle of white cider.

Who can blame them for trying to blot out their condition?

If this is happening in Ipswich – parts of which have more in common with inner-city London than leafy Suffolk but it is not that badly off - but the same must true on a larger scale elsewhere.

Welcome to the Big Society.

The Work Programme: Questions Unanswered.

Since the unpaid Work Experience and A4E scandals blew up the Government has done everything it can to avoid confronting the root problems behind them.

As other news dominates the media, no doubt to the joy of the Cabinet’s public relations department,  we need to talk again about these are.

• On this Blog Work Programme has exposed systematic flaws in the system the DWP has used to ‘reform’ welfare and bring the out of work into employment. Other Blogs have done so for some time now. Over the last few months the press and television have uncovered systematic abuse of the financial  rewards for placing people into jobs. Firms, above all A4E, have been shown up as riddled with dodgy practices.
• That the results of these schemes are so poor that no honest person would support continuing the system.
• People commenting here have shone light on the real nature of the ‘schemes’ they are forced to undertake. There is no ‘training’ – except endless CV writing and similar methods to make people ‘sell’ themselves.  Conditions are ripe for unprofessional behaviour and in some cases bullying.
• Unpaid work experience is open to exploitation – by large companies.
• Mandatory Work Activity is coerced labour, and like all forced work is of no benefit to anybody but the people profiting from free staff.
• The Community Work Programme will be a large-scale Workfare. It will mean tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people working for free. If retailers and supermarkets took advantage of Work Experience, local councils, Charties and private business will benefit from unpaid work.
• The Unemployment Business – private companies contracted to ‘reform’ Welfare – is full of people like Emma Harrison amassing large salaries and profits out of the unemployed.

It seems that the Cabinet and Ministers Chris Grayling and Ian Duncan Smith have done everything they can to avoid reality.

They are in denial about the faults of their Work Programme.

They continue to believe that there is plenty of work out there and that all the need to do is to give people a ‘nudge’ to go and get it.

A friend in Ipswich tells me that he accompanied somebody to a local ATOS interview.

The waiting room was full of people with serious physical disabilities many in deep distress.

These are people being ‘nudged’ into the Work Programme.

Unfortunately nobody seems to give a ‘nudge’ to create actual jobs.

We have to continue campaigning until the whole Work Programme collapses.

Work Programme on BBC Radio 4.

Some charities say they are pulling out of the government’s Work Programme for the long-term jobless, claiming the payments received are inadequate.

The Single Homeless Project in London is the first to speak publicly about its decision to leave the £5bn scheme.

Here.

Poor Poor charities.

The radio programme was good as far as it went.

But I imagine that Martin on the Radio, or Gissajob as he is here,  would have more to say about what this government measure actually means.

I will cite a case of my own.

At SEETEC I was on one of these ‘courses’.

We were sat in a room and told to ‘job search’.

That is every day. Five days a week. With time off for a fag-break.

As we ordinary folk do we formed a little group  and used to natter every day.

One was an Evangelical Christian woman from Cornwall, one a beautiful mixed race woman with four kids from the Estate just next to mine, one a big Suffolk girl, one a mad Tory, who came in with a copy of the Spectator.

And then there was me.

The SEETEC ‘trainers’ used to come and shout at us because we were friends.

They would  say “Get out of your comfort zone”.

They had a bell and everyone was meant to clap when somebody got a job-interview.

As we complained about not actually getting any training they employed some Essex bird with a MA in psychology to ‘train’ us.

She gave us ‘courses’ where we got sweets and (once) lumps of carrot (that was the one on ‘healthy eating’).

Once she cited the Pareto principle.

She gave quite a lecture on how selecting the best was the way to go.

That really chuffed us.

As I have a degree in Sociology and Politics I merely pointed out that Pareto was an Italian fascist  and supporter of Mussolini.

But then us working class lot are thick and our views don’t count.

Emma Harrison CBE prepares for Jail

A4e’s founder and former chairperson Emma Harrison CBE along with top A4e execs prepares for a significant jail term after an internal audit report got leaked to the press. (anyone with a copy, send it to us we will publish it!)

Despite so many fraud investigations which exceed the number of fingers I have, A4e’s management decided to hide this report – which claims systematic fraud – from DWP. This is serious - A4e have deliberately withheld this information from Government bodies (DWP, NAO, police etc.) whilst Emma Harrison milked these illegal monies from the business through dividends, other businesses and salary known from here-on in as money laundering.

• 1 in 25 claims described as fraudulent (or irregularities)
• A further 1 in 8 claims (approx) were described as risky
• systematic fraud found with numerous cases across the country
• Only 70% of monies claimed by A4e, has entitlement to be claimed
• A4e management was aware of, failed to eliminate, and refused to deal with the problem that they knew was common place and somewhat encouraged by management, whilst suing everyone who spoke out, undertaking internet censorship and undertaking numerous false statements repetitiously to get people to believe them as fact

Of course this report was in 2009…  A4e would claim things have changed since, however, unlike “past fraud” swept under the carpet… A4e have kept this audit findings secret for up to 3 years to keep its contracts. The length of secrecy of this document is significant.

This is no longer about A4e just losing their contracts but key management officials being prosecuted.

Another A4e employee arrested for fraud

Continuing on the Another A4e theme… we can reveal a fifth person, former A4e employee, has now been arrested for fraud.

This will come as a big blow (although not a surprise)  for A4e who has been awarded two new multi-million pound contracts – although they are yet to be signed and have not yet commenced. It looks as if these contracts may be at risk.

Recently A4e released some more propaganda full of false statements and lies.

Another A4e Statement

Yes, A4e have released another statement – they are normally quiet so I guess its made under desperation to keep its reputation.

A4e is a leading public service provider, serving thousands of people across three continents – Europe, Australasia and Asia – for more than 20 years. We work in partnership with governments, public sector organisations, private sector companies and voluntary and community groups to deliver a range of vital, front line public services, including employment and welfare, training and education, and money and legal advice.

Performance

A4e’s core business is helping people find work. A4e won its first national contracts when New Deal was created in 1997, and we have been a leading provider of employment support services to DWP and JCP ever since.

A4e has helped tens of thousands of people into long-term work and outperformed the market average in meeting performance targets on: New Deal for Disabled People; Pathways to Work; and Flexible New Deal in each of the geographical regions in which we operated with the exception of London.

We are currently supporting one person into work every seven minutes. Figures for performance under the Work Programme, which replaced Labour’s welfare to work programmes, will be released later in 2012 by DWP. Currently, our figures show that the Work Programme is operating in line with our expectations, and is successfully supporting thousands of people into work across the UK and will continue to do so.

The Public Accounts Committee recently raised questions about A4e’s performance under the old Pathways to Work scheme operated by the Labour government. They also cited incorrect figures, which related to another provider. The facts are:
• A4e secured jobs for 24.2% of those it supported on Pathways to Work, exceeding the industry average of 23%, and our performance rose to 28% in the last two years of the contract
• No provider met the bid targets

Providing value for money

The Work Programme instituted under the Coalition government is materially different from previous programmes under Labour, in that it operates as a Payment by Results contract – simply put, as a provider, we don’t get paid if we don’t succeed. This provides better value for money for the taxpayer.

For every £1 spent by the Government on our Work Programme services, we deliver back £1.95 in revenue to the taxpayer.

Setting A4e in context

A4e has more than 3,500 staff and operates out of 200 offices in the UK. Since December 2005, A4e has operated more than 500 contracts for over 80 funding or awarding bodies. Each of these individual contracts is governed by different processes and procedures, including funding allocations, training qualifications, ways for engaging with customers and performance measures. It is also the case that during the life of any given contract, those processes and procedures may change.

Current Allegations

Welfare to work programmes are part of an intensely regulated and audited industry. A4e is committed to honesty and transparency, so we have an internal audit team which regularly monitors our work and that of our subcontractors. On top of that, we are subject to rigorous external audits.

From December 2005 to date, nine cases relating to A4e have been referred to DWP to review claims submissions. Of these nine referrals, one, dating back to May 2008, resulted in the prosecution of an individual member of A4e staff, which was widely reported at the time. Another is the case now being handled by Thames Valley Police. In each of the remaining, closed cases, the DWP’s view was that these were not incidences of malpractice.

The total number of claims rejected by DWP in relation to these nine cases equate to less than 0.1% of all the claims A4e has made to DWP.

Between 2006 and 2009, there were 14 prosecutions for fraud among all welfare to work providers working with DWP. Out of these 14 cases, only the one mentioned above, in May 2008, concerned A4e.

Of course, any single incident of wrongdoing is one too many. It is important to bear in mind, however, that both the May 2008 incident and the more recent isolated incident in Slough, which was informally reported by A4e to DWP in November 2010, relate to historical, paper-based contracts. The current Work Programme eliminates any opportunity for similar issues to arise because it is computer-based and payment is on results.

During evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee, A4e specifically urged DWP to be open in publishing the results of such incidents and was a strong advocate of addressing the weaknesses of a paper based system.

In a memorandum submitted by the DWP to the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into the management and administration of contracted employment programmes in 2009, the DWP stated:
“In none of the cases investigated did the department conclude that a provider was engaged in a systematic, organised policy of seeking to obtain invalid payments through fraud.” (1).

As a responsible business, A4e takes any allegation of malpractice and maladministration very seriously. We have a robust and widely publicised customer complaints process, and we encourage customer feedback of any kind to input into how we approach service design and delivery.

Review of Controls and Procedures

As a responsible business we take any allegation of malpractice and maladministration very seriously.

• A4e has appointed international law firm, White & Case LLP, to lead an independent and thorough audit of A4e’s controls and procedures. This review has been welcomed by the DWP and individual MPs, including Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP.

In addition to this, there are three other reviews taking place:

• DWP’s Risk Assurance Division are conducting a formal investigation of an allegation of attempted fraud in relation to a Mandatory Work Activity contract with A4e
• DWP are launching an independent audit of all their commercial relationships with A4e
• SFA auditors will join A4e’s team to help conduct our file compliance check

A4e welcomes and will cooperate fully with the DWP’s planned investigations, and provided the following statement on 9 March:

“The Board has made consistently clear in all previous statements that we take any allegations of fraudulent or otherwise illegal activity extremely seriously. There is absolutely no place for this type of misconduct at A4e. We obviously acknowledge the concerns raised by DWP, and we welcome and will cooperate fully with their planned investigations.

“A4e has more than 3,500 staff and operates out of 200 offices in the UK. From December 2005 to date, nine cases relating to A4e have been referred to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to review claims submissions. Of these nine referrals, one, dating back to May 2008, resulted in the prosecution of an individual member of A4e staff, which was widely reported at the time. Another is the case now being handled by Thames Valley Police. In each of the remaining, closed cases, the DWP’s view was that these were not incidences of malpractice.

The Board has asked White & Case LLP to lead an independent and thorough review of A4e’s controls and procedures. That process will be carried out concurrently, and all findings will be provided to DWP.”
A4e also welcomes and will cooperate fully with Skills Funding Agency auditors who will join our own team as we conduct our file compliance check, to help complete this exercise and provide additional assurance to the Agency that contracts are being delivered in accordance with their requirements.

A4e successfully delivers a range of skills, education and training contracts, which are regularly audited both internally and by the SFA.

Governance

As already announced on 24 February, Emma Harrison has resigned as a Director and Chairman of A4e. As a result, she no longer participates in Board meetings. The newly constituted Board, under the new non-executive Chairman, Sir Robin Young, will take all appropriate decisions, including decisions relating to future dividend policy.

Sir Robin Young was appointed non-executive Chairman of A4e Limited on 9 March, 2012. Sir Robin has been a non-executive member of A4e’s Board since 2007. From 1998 to 2001 he was Permanent Secretary at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport; and from 2001 until 2005 he was Permanent Secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills).

Commenting on his appointment, Sir Robin said: “A4e’s role is to improve people’s lives. Our aim, achievements and commitment to help people have been overshadowed by recent allegations. The communities we serve, and the taxpayers who pay for so much of our services, need to be sure that we are competent, honest and are delivering value for money. The current investigations provide us with the opportunity to address the allegations we face head on. My task is to do whatever it takes to restore our reputation. Most importantly of all, A4e is about maintaining the very highest standards of service to our customers, and this is where must retain our focus. I believe that we have operated to the high standards expected of us, but if there is real evidence that we have fallen short, the Board and I will take all necessary action.”

Erroneous reports

Some media outlets wrongly alleged that there have been cases of fraud involving so-called ‘government vouchers’. The facts are:

• There are no such thing as ‘government vouchers’
• A4e, along with other welfare to work providers, chooses to use vouchers to support individuals with specific needs when they have secured a job.
• This is part of our flexible approach in ensuring those we work get the right support. We do so because it is the right thing to do, there is no obligation on us to do so. We do this to make sure those who need this help get it.
• A4e purchases these vouchers. They are purchased at our cost and in no way are they provided by the Government

Some media outlets have misunderstood the process by which a customer undertakes work experience and notifies the Job Centre Plus. The facts are:

• The Work Programme allows providers to give customers the chance to try a job before they commit to taking on the role – two of these opportunities are known as Work Trials and Work Placements.
• During this time, the customer does not sign off from their benefits. There is no financial gain for the provider during this period.
• On Work Placements, neither the provider nor the customer needs to notify Job Centre Plus – it is set up directly with the employer. In other instances, only the provider will be required to notify the JCP.

Some media outlets have incorrectly reported on an instance of poor administration in relation to a programme A4e delivered on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Council. The facts are:

• This incident dates back to 2010, when A4e was a subcontractor for Redcar and Cleveland Council, delivering a NEET reduction programme called ELITE which was awarded in 2008. It relates to one former member of staff.
• As part of the ELITE programme A4e had an issue with the work of one individual, on one contract, that was queried and investigated both internally at A4e and in partnership with Redcar Council.
• Furthermore, Redcar Council carried out its own audit of A4e’s work on this contract and was satisfied that this was a one off incident and not a systematic issue.
• There was no evidence of any criminal activity. This was a case of poor administration, nothing more.
• We did agree, at the time of the incident, that this compromised A4e’s ability to deliver the full contract and therefore A4e continued with part of the contract only.
• We take any evidence of maladministration extremely seriously. The individual involved admitted that she was the only person involved in this activity and had undertaken this activity of her own volition.
• A4e has been given an assurance that this will not exclude the company from future work in the partnership, and we continue to work with Redcar Council at this time.

Some media outlets have incorrectly stated that A4e has won two contracts to deliver offender education. The facts are that A4e has been named as a preferred bidder, and the Skills Funding Agency has outlined the following key points:

• The Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) has conducted an open and competitive procurement process in accordance with EU procurement regulations, in collaboration with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), an Agency of the Ministry of Justice, to re-procure Offender Learning and Skills Services from 1 August 2012.

• This is us informing preferred bidders of the next stage of the procurement process following the 10 day stand still period. This does not constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Chief Executive to enter into a formal agreement, and the Chief Executive will not be liable for any costs incurred by organisations in advance of a formal agreement being entered into.

• The Agency, as part of their standard processes, continue to receive assurances from all providers to ensure that public funding is being used and protected appropriately both for current contracting arrangements or any future contracts.

• The Agency expects to finalise contractual agreements by early summer, before delivery starts in August 2012. During the next stage we will work with preferred bidders to ensure that the information provided during the procurement process remains valid and that their organisations are able to meet all the requirements of the service, prior to concluding the procurement. We expect this stage to conclude by early summer, before delivery starts in August 2012. Once contracts are signed, the Agency will apply its robust contract management processes that are agreed including quarterly performance reviews, working with the NOMS and lead governors. This enables continued assurance that public funding is being used and protected appropriately.

• This was a robust procurement and local decision making process with the involvement of lead governors, the National Offender Management Service an Agency of the Ministry of Justice. It responds to the Governments review of prisons and their strategy on ‘Making Prisons Work’.

A4e might be upset that I copied it all… too bad. I had a seriously long laugh at this statement though. The 3,500 figure came out again… but after FND I have been seeing figures of 2,500 staff… what is it? Not to mentioning the 1 every 7 minutes statement.

Of course its rather clever… the media cannot be one-sided… and will quote this bullshit to equal out the report/article.

Emma Harrison: Tax Dodger and Tea-Leaf.

Emma Harrison: a Tea-Leaf who likes to Help herself.

Hat tip to Gissajob.

Channel Four Reports:

Exclusive: Former A4e boss Emma Harrison was one of those who took advantage of a lag between the announcement and the start of the 50p top tax rate, Channel 4 News learns.

There was controversy in January when it emerged she had received a £7m dividend from the company. But now we can reveal that the timing of this payment means that Harrison avoided nearly £800,000 pounds in income tax as well.

The more I hear about Emma Harrison the more I would keep the spoons and all the valuables in the cupboard if she visited my house.

David Blunkett and A4E.

David Blunkett MP (from the latest Register of Members’ Interests).

“Adviser on business development to A4e Ltd; global public service reform. (£25,001–£30,000 per financial year) This involves some travel.

Secure Trading Inc. (US), 108 West 13th Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, USA. This involves some travel.

Advisory post for corporate social responsibility (volunteering and education) for News International, 1 Virginia Street, London E98 1HR.

6-month contract, £25,000 (Registered 22 March 2011)

Contract renewal, 6 month rolling contract. January 2012, £49,500. (Registered 10 January 2012)

Payments from RLF Partnership (51 Causton St, London SW1P 4AT) for seminars on UK and International Relations:

£1,500 received on 4 July 2011. Hours worked: 4 hrs (Registered 12 July 2011)

£1,500 received on 3 October 2011. Hours worked: 2 hrs. (Registered 13 October 2011)

28 November 2011, I received £2,000 from Sysmex Ltd, Sysmex UK Ltd, Sysmex House, Garamonde Drive, Wymbush, Milton Keynes, MK8 8DF for making a speech. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 20 December 2011)”

The little lad from the land of Ilkla Moor Baht is well-known for being a litigations git.

I have a treasured letter from him threatening me some time back.

But we are entitled to ask from the man who gets say, £1,500 for Four Hours work, what he has been doing for A4E.

What are his present relations with the company?

Mind you, a man who has an “Advisory post for corporate social responsibility” for the Murdoch Press is perhaps beyond all shame.