Making Commitments: The Government’s approach and next stages of reform

1. Making Commitments: The Government’s approach and next stages of reform 23 October 2013

2. Introduction of the Claimant Commitment is much more than a product We are seeking to improve employment outcomes by: • Implementing “all reasonable” action - claimants must do all they reasonably can to move into work (or towards work) in return for benefit • Personalisation / tailoring – requirements claimants must meet reflect their circumstances and capability • Clarity - claimants are clear about what exactly they must do (and the consequences of any failure) • Gaining commitment – claimants are committed to taking the necessary action to move them into work

3. Requires change on a number of fronts Including: • Adviser skills – moving to a “coach-athlete” relationship • Use of “commitment devices” / behavioural insight techniques • New processes • Better products – to more clearly and effectively record requirements and support new approach

4. Continuing evolution to improve and refine our approach • Range of approaches / designs etc are possible • We already have a range of experience to draw on including: • Universal Credit pathfinder Claimant Commitment • Live Innovation Trials – Claimant Commitment in a JSA world • Essex / Loughton – use of “my commitments”

5. The national rollout of the Claimant Commitment to JSA takes the best of our experience so far The approach being introduced revolves around 3 key documents and is predicated on good quality interviews. • My jobseekers profile – the claimant’s strengths • A product to capture the claimants background and circumstances • Bringing out strengths and experience to help focus jobsearch, support CV writing etc; but also to help ensure effective diagnostic • My claimant commitment – the claimant’s legal requirements • Clear and simple statement of what the claimant must do to meet the actively seeking and available for work requirements in return for benefit • My work plan – the claimants detailed plan to meet their requirements • The key new element • Claimants coached to complete detailed action plan of how they will meet their requirements Underpinned by substantive learning and development investment

6. My jobseekers profile • The Work Coach must have an in depth conversation with the claimant to build an understanding of their capability and circumstances relating to work. • They should complete the jobseeker profile before going on to complete the Claimant Commitment. • The jobseeker profile includes things about the claimant and their circumstances that are relevant to work. This could also include personal qualities and their; • Experience • Qualifications • Skills • The work they think they are most suited to do and; • Why they believe they are most suited to this type of work. • Wider circumstances • Aim to support effective diagnosis; help the claimant’s self- belief and motivation and support CV writing, applications etc

7. My Claimant Commitment • The Claimant Commitment will set out the actively seeking and availability requirements the claimant must meet and the consequences of any failure to do so • As with the JSAg the availability requirement must be tailored to the claimant’s circumstances, for example: • Reflecting a permitted period (if we think one is appropriate) • Reflecting any restrictions on the hours or pattern of work (if we agree) • It will also set out the high level steps a claimant will take each week to meet their actively seeking requirement. • The Claimant Commitment is pre-populated with a standard set of steps – • demonstrate the breadth and extent of activity we typically expect • provide the right starting point for detailed planning in the my work plan book • But should be tailored where appropriate (e.g. if the claimant has no internet access)

8. My Work Plan • The booklet turns the Claimant Commitment into reality for individuals – e.g. breaking down “I will search for work online daily” into a series of specific steps (when, what sites, at home or in the library etc). • The plan is the claimants plan and is written by the claimant, but … • The coach has a critical role – ensuring the claimant establishes a plan that will meet the requirement on them to take all reasonable steps to secure employment, and will move them into work as quickly as possible. • Before each Work Search Review the claimant should record what they have done against each planned activity; and draw up their plan for the next phase. • My work plan will therefore help us judge whether the claimant has met their requirements. • Work Search Reviews will also consider whether the future plan is sufficiently rigorous, triggering coach engagement where necessary.

9. What legislation is changing? • Nothing • We have not needed to change JSA legislation to introduce the claimant commitment and the cultural / process changes that go with it. • The legal requirements on JSA claimants remain unchanged. • As now, each week claimants must take “such steps as he can reasonably be expected to have to take in order to have the best prospects of securing employment”. • And – in legal terms – the claimant commitment is a Jobseekers Agreement, meeting the same legal requirements as that document.

10. Staged rollout will be complete by Spring 14 • New claims only, not stock • From October around 100 Jobcentres a month • Inverness and Rugby now live, Hammersmith to follow on 28th • All Jobcentres Spring 2014

11. Evaluation • Not a trial but there will be a comprehensive evaluation • Both qualitative and quantitative • Looking at early implementation and longer term outcomes • Timescales to be confirmed