Clients who had moved towards work at Wave One –

the help of the Job Broker service

Circumstances at the Wave One interview

Whist people in this group had not entered work at the point of the Wave One interview, they had expressed positive views about the Job Broker service and felt it had helped them to move towards work. At the Wave One interview, people described high levels of regular Job Broker support including advice about work, CVs and applications, job search, and access to training courses. Although these clients were at various distances from the labour market at Wave One, they generally, at that stage, viewed contact with the Job Broker service as ongoing.

Changes between Wave One and Wave Two interview

During the period between the Wave One and Wave Two interview, clients in this group had generally continued to move towards, and into, work albeit at different paces, with or without continued Job Broker support.

Where people had continued to have regular contact with a Job Broker after the first interview, some felt it was influential in helping them move towards work. People described having got jobs after intensive job search and support with applications and interviews and felt that without this help it was unlikely that they would have got work. Training undertaken via the Job Broker service had also been helpful: people described having moved into work, or into activities such as a work placement or a college course, and felt the training had not only increased their employment credentials but also enhanced their confidence.

However, other clients had now ended contact with the Wave One Job Broker (including de-registering) due to their disappointment with the lack of progress they had made. Within this small group, some had subsequently received support from other sources (such as another Job Broker, or a DEA), and secured Permitted Work jobs. Here the optimistic view of the service at Wave One had generally declined. Finally, for one client in this group contact with the Job Broker service had ended where her health had deteriorated to the extent that she no longer considered employment as an option. However, this client thought she may return to the Job Broker if the situation changed, which reflected the positive views of the service she expressed at the first interview.

4.2.3 Clients who had moved into work at Wave One – without the

help of the Job Broker service

Circumstances at the Wave One interview

At the time of the Wave One interview, this group of clients had started work but, although they had been in contact with the Job Broker service, they did not attribute their job to the help they had received from the Job Broker service. Typically clients had found the vacancy themselves, or through a Jobcentre Plus source, and had had few (if any) contacts with the Job Broker before starting work. Whilst some talked about the Job Broker enhancing their confidence or providing practical advice (for example, about tax credits), clients felt that the limited service they had received had not made any difference to them entering work. Often, they had secured the job prior to contacting the Job Broker. By the time of the Wave One interview, clients in this group were, typically, no longer in touch with the Job Broker organisation.

Changes between Wave One and Wave Two interview

During the period between the Wave One and Wave Two research interviews, these clients had mostly either remained in the same job, or had left work. None had resumed contact with the Job Broker, other than receiving a one off general letter or telephone call from the Job Broker to check up on their situation. This was not considered particularly salient and did not lead to further contact.

Among those still in the same job at the time of the Wave Two interview, although their current position was considered satisfactory, some were thinking about moving to alternative employment or starting some form of training or education, though they had not yet made concrete plans.

Among clients whose Wave One job had ended by the time of the second research interview, reasons for leaving work were health difficulties, personal circumstances, a temporary job ending and a contract not being renewed (see also Chapter 5). Most of these clients were no longer in work, some had moved in and out of work several times since the Wave One interview, one had just started a temporary job and some were currently looking for work. They tended to be looking for work on their own, or with the support of Jobcentre Plus (including a DEA). In a few cases, people were now using a different Job Broker where they thought that the general limited involvement with the original Job Broker had not had any impact on their move into work.

Generally, within this group, clients held a fairly constant view about the minimal impact that the Job Broker service had had on their movement into work. Where people had changed their views, this was linked to specific circumstances. For example, one person’s view of the service had become more positive when she reflected on the information received about tax credits of which she had been unaware. However, people had also become more critical of the service where they felt they had not been well informed about the implications of work on their benefits (see Section 4.3.5).