Employment services sector launches its promise to customers

“Our Shared Promise on Customer Care is to be launched today by the Rt. Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform.  Our Shared Promise represents a sector-wide commitment to participants in welfare-to-work programmes.  It sets out what customers can expect and what is expected of customers in return.

It includes commitments from providers to:

• Listen to customers and provide support based on each customer’s circumstances and needs
• Help customers identify and make the most of their strengths
• Make the best use of the customer’s time, taking account of personal circumstances and by being clear when things need to happen

In return, jobseekers are asked to:

• Take responsibility for preparing for and searching for work
• Help providers to understand what is important to them and the help they need
• Fulfil their responsibilities under the benefits system.

Our Shared Promise was developed by ERSA, the representative body for independent providers of publicly funded welfare-to-work programmes and is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, including Jobcentre Plus, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE).

Commenting on the launch of Our Promise, ERSA Director, Amanda McIntyre said: 

“Our Shared Promise sets out a consistent message on good customer care, reflecting what customers can expect and what is expected of them in return.  We believe that customers need this clarity as back-to-work support becomes more flexible and tailored to meet each customer’s circumstances and needs.

Jim Knight, Minister for Employment at Welfare Reform said:

"I very much welcome this work from ERSA. It is vitally important that customers get the right treatment and the right support to find sustainable work, whether from Jobcentre Plus or our provider partners.

"Both the Shared Promise and the DWP's Customer Charter are a statement of our joint commitment to good quality customer service and I am delighted to be able to launch the promise today."

What other organisations have said about Our Shared Promise

Citizens Advice

“Citizens Advice is pleased to welcome theERSA promise on customer care. We hope it will be invaluable in ensuringclaimants know what support they can expect and what will be required of them,regardless of whois delivering their back-to-work services.”

Lizzie Iron, Head of Welfare Policy, Citizens Advice

Gingerbread

 “We’re keen to see a commitment to high standards across employment provision, and clear complaint and resolution channels for when things go wrong. We’re pleased that ERSA have taken this a step forward with the customer promise, and look forward to working with them and others to make sure that claimants on the ground see a real benefit.”

Kate Bell, Head of Policy and Research at Gingerbread, the national single parents’ charity

British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)

“BASE welcomes the development of ‘Our Shared Promise’ and we will be encouraging our members to adopt and publicise it. The Promise signals the commitment of providers to fully involving customers in the delivery of high quality services”,

Huw Davies, Chief Executive, British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)

CBI

“The CBI welcomes the customer promise and believes it will help establish clear standards on customer care within the employment service sector. It articulates what customers have a right to expect from employment service providers as well as the customer’s responsibilities and how they can make the most of the support they receive.”

Susan Anderson, Director of Public Services, CBI

Foundation Signatories to our Shared Promise on Customer Care

• A4e
• Avanta incorporating TNG and Inbiz
• Calder
• Campbell Page
• Careers Development Group (CDG)
• Community Links
• Dudley MBC
• Employability and Skills Group (ESG)
• Enham
• FourstaR Employment and Skills
• G4S Care & Justice Services
• Groundwork
• Inspire-2-Independence
• Intraining
• JHP Employability
• Kennedy Scott
• MAXIMUS Employment & Training UK
• OSW
• Peopleserve
• Pertemps People Development Group
• Pluss
• PRIME
• Prospects
• RBLI
• Reed in Partnership
• Remploy
• Sarina Russo Job Access
• Scope
• Seetec
• Shaw Trust
• SkillsTraining UK
• St Loyes
• The Papworth Trust
• The Salvation Army Employment Plus
• The Wise Group
• Tomorrow's People
• Twin Employment and Training
• VTPLC
• Wise Abiity
• Working Links
• YMCA Training

All providers are invited to sign the Promise, whether or not they are ERSA members.  It is relevant across all provision, by prime contractors and subcontractors, and fits within each provider’s own commitment and approach to customer care.  Organisations wishing to sign up can contact ERSA (amy.keenan@ersa.org.uk)