It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

To ensure the continuous improvement, Work Coaches learning is regularly reviewed with policy colleagues, work psychologists and representatives from service delivery. Through our evaluation strategy at key points, we conduct surveys to gather quantitative and qualitative data on learners’ experience, the questions focus on knowledge, confidence and required support. We also hold listening circles with Work Coaches to gather evidence of the effectiveness of the learning and consolidation. All opportunities to improve our products are impacted and changes are made as quickly as possible.

There are 10 Jobcentres within County Durham, all of which have teams who actively collaborate with a range of partners to support people into work and, help employers to fill vacancies.

The Jobcentres are working with partners such as Durham New College, Derwentside College, East Durham College, Durham County Council, Barclays, the NHS, Community Hubs, National Careers Service, and Mental Health Matters to provide a wraparound employment and skills offer for customers. This offer is designed to support customers and help them find work and, help meet the recruitment needs of local employers.

We take a sector-based approach to recruitment and our Jobcentres have been working closely with employers to run Job Fairs for various sectors including manufacturing, Civil Service, hospitality, logistics, health care, construction, retail, security, adult social care and telecoms. As an example, Durham Jobcentre recently hosted a Care focussed event with employers including Care Academy, Embracing Care, HC One, Kelly Park and the NHS.

Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) offer advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and those with health conditions into work. the Embracing Employment and Healthcare trial is currently being piloted within Durham City Jobcentre. Employment and Healthcare Practitioners (EHPs) are co located within the Jobcentre working with customers who apply for Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit and who have declared a health condition or disability. EHP’s work with them to understand the impact their health condition has on their daily lives, identifying their individual barriers and support them in addressing those barriers.

The local Jobcentre team are collaborating with a range of partners to support people into work and help employers fill vacancies. In addition to hosting job fairs, delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), and hosting employer Group Information Sessions, Southport Jobcentre is working with Sefton Council, local colleges, care & childcare providers, manufacturing, retail, education, agriculture, and hospitality companies, to provide an employment and skills offer to help meet the recruitment needs of local employers.

Southport Jobcentre has been working closely with employers such as Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s to hosts SWAP’s for Southport residents to have direct access to live vacancies. The Jobcentre has also collaborated with Southport College to hosts job fairs to bring together national and local employers for job opportunities as well as providers to support customers with breaking down barriers to work. Additionally, the Jobcentre looks forward to supporting Southport’s future regeneration and exciting projects which includes the Southport Enterprise Arcade, the Garrick Theatre development and the Marine Lake Events Centre.

Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) offer advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work, alongside close working with Merseycare, The Peer Mentoring Service, Life Rooms, and Sefton Council. Southport Jobcentre colleagues also attend local events to highlight the support available, including Access to Work, Disability Confident and the Working Health Pioneer programme.

We currently provide assistance and support through a variety of channels, including face to face in all of our jobcentres across the United Kingdom.

We have a dedicated team in place to support customers in receipt of a Migration Notice to transition to Universal Credit including a dedicated telephone line for queries.

We continue to learn what we need to put in place for customers receiving a Migration Notice to support their transition to Universal Credit.

We currently provide assistance and support through a variety of channels, including face to face in all of our jobcentres across the United Kingdom.

We have a dedicated team in place to support customers in receipt of a Migration Notice to transition to Universal Credit including a dedicated telephone line for queries.

We continue to learn what we need to put in place for customers receiving a Migration Notice to support their transition to Universal Credit.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the support available in Jobcentres in South East Cornwall constituency.

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to put on record my condolences to the family and many friends of my immediate predecessor Colin Breed, who sadly passed away last Thursday.

Under the Conservatives, we have near record levels of payrolled employment and I regularly hear from employers that they cannot get the staff needed. Last month’s House of Commons Library paper on people claiming unemployment benefits stated that 1,405 people were doing so in my constituency. What more can the Department do to make sure that the unemployed are ready to fit into vacancies as they arise by looking at what local businesses need?

On specific days, jobcentres have been closed due to ongoing industrial action. Can the Minister assure me that anybody who misses an appointment due to that action will not be sanctioned?

My hon. Friend will know that her local jobcentres are doing a good job of helping people find and progress in work in her area, driving the recruitment of seasonal workers and creating exciting partnerships with employers such as Morrisons.

Funding allocations for renovation of the DWP Estate are not disaggregated between back office and Jobcentre sites Therefore, it is not possible to separately identify Jobcentre renovation costs.

Average number of Work Coaches per Jobcentre

Jobcentres across the DWP estate vary significantly in size and capacity, the average number of Work Coaches per Jobcentre does not reflect this variation and is not a metric used by the Department.

At the end of March 24, the number of full time equivalent (FTE) UC, JSA and ESA Work Coaches across Great Britain was 16,480 and the number of Jobcentres was 634, giving an average number of Work Coaches per Jobcentre of approximately 26.

Notes on the figures:

• Data is correct as at the end of March 24.
• Figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment.
• Work Coach figures include both Universal Credit Work Coaches and Existing Benefit Work Coaches. They do not include Work Coach Team Leaders and Disability Employment Advisers.
• The number of colleagues employed in these directorates is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.

Average caseload of a Work Coach

The table below shows the average number of Universal Credit customers in the Intensive Work Search regime per Universal Credit work coach FTE across Great Britain in March 24.

Data sources: Work coach FTE - DWP’s internal Activity Based Model, People on UC - Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk)

Please note, the Department does not use caseload per Work Coach to estimate the number of Work Coaches required nationally or locally. Not all UC claimants have a Work Coach, but we have provided the number of Intensive Work Search customers per UC Work Coach as most of this group do. The Department has complex models to estimate the resource required in Jobcentres at a national level. These models cover activities across all DWP customer groups and job roles.

The Department continually impacts and assesses the service being offered to customers. Staff numbers, including the number of Work Coaches, and demand for Jobcentre services are reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the latest economic and benefit forecasts.

Notes on the figures:

All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and cover Great Britain

People on UC

• The number of Universal Credit claimants includes those who have started Universal Credit (completed the Universal Credit claim process and accepted their Claimant Commitment) and have not had a closure of their claim recorded for this spell, up to the 'count date' (second Thursday in each month).
• A closure of their claim would be recorded either at the request of the individual or if their entitlement to Universal Credit ends, for example, if they no longer satisfy the financial conditions to receive Universal Credit as they have capital over £16,000.
• Labour market regime is based on an individual's circumstances on the count date. More information on the Labour Market Regime can be found using the following link:

Labour Market Regimes

FTE

• Data is correct as at the end of March 24.
• Figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment.
• Work Coach figures include only Universal Credit Work Coaches. The figures do not include Work Coach Team Leaders and Disability Employment Advisers.
• The number of colleagues employed in these directorates is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.
• UC work coach FTE includes the following ABM categories - (DWP) Reasonable Adjustment (W&H Pilot), (UCJC) 50PLUS Work Coach, (UCJC) IWP Work Coach, (UCJC) Learning Premium, (UCJC) UC 18-24 Work Coach, (UCJC) New Style ESA Work Coach, (UCJC) New Style JSA Work Coach, (UCJC) UC Enhanced Work Coach – SE, (UCJC) UC Start Up Training, (UCJC) UC Work Coach Accreditation, (UCJC) UC Work Coach Group Sessions, (UCJC) UC Work Coach, (UCJC) Work Capability Assessment Referrals, (UCJC) Youth Employability Coach, and (UCJC) Youth Hub Work Coach.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

An evaluation of the Additional Jobcentre Support pilot is ongoing.

The pilot is being delivered using existing Jobcentre resource.

An evaluation of the Additional Jobcentre Support pilot is ongoing.

The pilot is being delivered using existing Jobcentre resource.

The Incentive pilots were funded from within the Department’s existing Reward and Recognition budget at no additional cost to the public purse.