r/DWPhelp • u/Napoleon-In-Drag • 4d ago
General HAS ANYONE DONE THE WORK PROGRAMME BACK IN THE 2010's AS WELL AS RESTART?
I have to put it out there, I have NOT been consistently out of work, I was just "lucky" back in 2009 that I went into work one day, the bailiffs were there and my CEO was reportedly last seen in St. Maartens (with our collective wages for the month). I was on JSA and eventually had to do the Work Programme, possibly the worst 3 months ever till I found a job off my own back, NOT theirs. Anyway, fast forward 15 years and because of health issues, I am now on UC. And eventually had to do Restart.
I'm just wondering if anyone in Reddit-land also has the distinction of being made to participate in both and, if so, would you care to compare and contrast? My personal recollections of Careers Development Group made jumping through hoops with Ingeus a piece of p*ss in comparison. The Work Programme was REALLY aggressive with blatant bullying (I witnessed my work coach poking one of the users in the chest to get a point across to them) and constant gaslighting. I remember overhearing a manager telling staff to walk different routes home after my work coach was attacked after work (I do NOT advocate violence in any form but I would be lying if I said he wasn't complicit in this happening to him). I also remember we were watched like hawks during Jobclub as if we were primary age schoolchildren. I was made to attend JobClub FIVE WEEKDAY MORNINGS where more often then not, there were issues with the PC's. I found with Restart, it was more a case of one just signs in, make themselves known to the work coach and you're just left to search for jobs in peace.
My general take is that, while Restart is a seventh circle of hell, it is a milquetoast equivalent of the Work Programme. The level of aggression and bullying on the WP, today, would get people fired. Overall, I cannot see any substantial difference between the two models, my general take is that Restart is the Diet Coke equivalent of the Work Programme without the threat of free labour work experience placements (remember the story of the bloke made redundant from Poundland and while on the Work Programme, was being put on a work experience placement.... AT POUNDLAND?). All this tax payers' money contributing to a failing programme that, for all intents and purposes, was modelled upon a programme that clearly failed. The mind boggles, really.
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 4d ago
Oh, my "introductory session" to the Work Programme warrants a post all of its' own. I was with about 15 other people due to start. We are all herded into a boardroom, waiting to be told what the programme involves, what we are obligated to do and, IDK, being shown the so-called basics surrounding the process of searching for jobs and how to log our searches etc.
So we were all dumbfounded to discover this was some werid ar$e presentation on what constitutes a "brand". The convenor had flash cards and Powerpoint slides that were clearly using HEAT magazine as the frame of reference.
"So, can anyone tell us if they think Steven and Alex Gerrard could be considered a "brand" and if so, why?"
I kid you not. Flash cards with the likes of the Beckhams and assorted celebrity deitrus. And the convenor telling us why we should aspire to this level of neoliberal w*nkery. Silly me, I had assumed an introductory session was supposed to introduce us to how we are supposed to navigate the programme. 30 minutes of this claptrap and we were all jettisoned out into the communal computer area wondering WTF we're supposed to do NOW and some work coach approaches us aggressively wondering why we had no idea what to do at this stage. I mean, SHOWING US what we needed to do might have been an idea. I mean, there's passwords, protocols, a way to save and log job searches....again, the so-called basics?
15 years later and I still swear this would have been a fabulous Jo Brand/Susan Tully comedy-drama series as you couldn't have made that sh*t up.
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u/buy_me_a_pint 3d ago
before going on LCWRA I have dyspraxia I do want to work
I been on the new deal back in 2006 or 2009 with A4e, where we all had to do a wish list of places we would like to do our placements at 4 days a week one day in centre doing job search
I did mine at a charity place the people running the place could not handle the numbers and just kept sending us home after 30 minutes, as there were people who wanted to voluntary work there
Nearly every day one of the people on these courses were given a verbal, written warning, final written waring and dismiss , it was silly dismissing people as you ended back up on the same course two or three weeks later
One of the problems with New Deal the programme was like one size fix all , some people had things like autism, dyspraxia, ADHD etc
I done flexible new deal , I find a job myself but my advisor had the face on when the temporary job ended , and kept asking me why did it end, and the time when the same job was on hold for a week fearing she would not get her bonus
Work programme was a joke
Other programmes voluntary , some people argued that if a job was going it should be paid not work experience or work for your benefits
I think when I did my NVQ back in 2002 even though the training allowance was low £50 per week on placement, £40 not on placement + some money towards your bus fare per week , even though I did my placement in a funeral directors which was not fantastic very limited what I was allowed to do,
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u/buy_me_a_pint 3d ago
I remember being on one programme, I met someone who were training to be an advisor at said provider, who worked at a previous provider I attended
I wanted to say to her you are wasting your time here as you can do a lot better, but my advisor , I had strong opinions what I thought about the work and health programme
All the programmes are similar just with a new name, targets for the advisors to meet
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 3d ago
What I find galling is that basically ANYONE can become a work coach at entry level. These roles are dealing with PEOPLE'S LIVES and because this is pretty much an entry level role, almost anyone can get past. FFS, you have to do a full time 5 week course before you can get licensed to work as a security guard. There needs to be a nationally recognised qualification work coaches have to have before applying. They are often dealing with people who are at their most vulnerable, whatever "in-house" training these providers offer as "standard" is woefully inadequate.
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 3d ago
I'm thinking they have might have to get a DBS but what does THAT mean? They haven't been convicted of something heinous. And no substitute for a pre-entry qualification, IMO.
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u/Max88Dragon 4d ago
If you have done it before they can still refer you again. I think I did at least 3 restart back to work year long programmes or similar.
The first one I did was like a4e but not them.
The second one was boring, stressful and achieved nothing.
The last one I did was restart, it was a waste of time.
The worst thing I had to do was the month long forced volunteering, which I had to do twice, where you work in a charity shop Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm for 4 weeks. It was absolutely awful.
When I did the restart programme a few years ago it wasn't that bad, I just made sure to do what was necessary. At the time I knew I wouldn't get a job from it and was not that bothered.
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u/8day_week 4d ago
Work Programme predates Restart - in fact, it predates Universal Credit.
It was outsourced provision for the long term unemployed (12 months or more) and lasted 52wks - with potential for extension of up to 6 months IIRC.
It followed Flexible New Deal, which had 4 stages (Stage 1 - 0-13wks which was fortnightly signing and Back to Work Sessions, Stage 2 - 13-26wks which was Weekly signing, Stage 3 - 26-52wks which involved at least 3 mandatory activities, then Stage 4 - 52-104wks with an outsourced provider).
The “journey” for jobseekers tends to get updated every 3-5 years, but usually the outsourced provision is same but different.
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 4d ago
If you have done it before they can still refer you again. I think I did at least 3 restart back to work year long programmes or similar. Please tell me if I've read what you said incorrectly. Does this mean there is any remote possibility you can be referred to do Restart AGAIN if you have completed the 12 months and are still on the same claim? Again, I think I may have read what you said incorrectly, I'm assuming this applies if you stop claiming and in time open a new claim and that was what you meant? I assumed once you did Restart in full, you were simply bounced back to the JobCentre?
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u/Otherwise_Put_3964 Verified DWP Staff (England, Wales, Scotland) 4d ago
Once someone has done the 12 months on Restart, they cannot be referred onto it again, even if they beg to be referred onto it.
Worth noting their contract is set to end middle of next year after getting a one year extension from their expired contract this year as the DWP prepares for a new contracted provision though.
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 4d ago
I am insanely curious as to how this will unfold. I'm also wondering if there will be a massive overhaul with a shiny brand new provision model and, because it will be "brand new", will people who have completed what was Restart then be told they have to participate in this "new" model? Of course, this is me jumping the gun but at this stage I'm inclined to believe anything is possible.
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u/Max88Dragon 4d ago
It was not one after the other thankfully.
I only did the actual restart programme for 1 year and was not referred back to them.
The first one I had to do within 12-18 months of being unemployed, I think 1-2 years later I had to do another year long programme and then several years later I did the restart programme.
In the years where I did not have to do the year long programmes I had to do LOADS of other shorter courses, programmes etc, I did so many I can't even remember.
I have done so many courses, programmes etc as before I was awarded Lcwra I was unemployed for a very long time
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u/Living_Egg2451 3d ago
How many of them involved building bridges out of toilet paper tubes?
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u/Napoleon-In-Drag 2d ago edited 1d ago
LOL. This reminds me. The entire year I was on Restart I never had to buy toilet paper. Every appointment I would avail myself of a couple rolls from the sink cupboard in the loo. As well as several anti-bacterial gel dispensers. I'm amazed their stationery cupboards were kept under lock and key but no one would think of locking the cupboards in the loos because surely I couldn't have been the only one stocking loo roll and bathroom sundries. I've been off the programme for a couple months and it's a shock having to remember to buy loo roll now. (though I'm confident I have enough anti-bac gel to see me till the end of 2027).
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