Frequency of in-work support contact

The first participant survey indicated that the frequency of in-work contact with advisers varied, but among those who did have this contact, nearly a third were in touch with their adviser three or four times after starting work, and for nearly a quarter their adviser was in contact five or more times (Table 6.2). By the time of the second wave of the survey, the number of contacts had, unsurprisingly increased, with nearly a third of those in work having been contacted by an adviser five or more times

Participants in the qualitative research noted that the nature of the in-work support they received was usually in the form of telephone contact. Where they elaborated, participants said they received calls every week, or every couple of weeks, though some noted less frequent contact such as monthly calls or a call every couple of months. For some the calls appeared to have ceased. The calls were described as ‘checks’ or ‘courtesy calls’ and were perceived as intending to find out if the

participant was still in work, to ask how they were getting on in their job, and to offer help if required. It appeared from the qualitative research that calls were typically brief, lasting only a few minutes. Where contact took the form of a text message this contained only a few words to confirm continued employment. Participants generally appeared content with these short calls and many did not indicate they wanted or needed anything more.

Some participants who were not receiving in-work support reported that they would have appreciated ongoing contact. Some were disappointed that their provider appeared to be no longer interested in their case.

Participants in the first survey who had received in-work support in some form, were asked about the appropriateness of the frequency of the in-work support they had

Table 6.2: Frequency of in-work contact with WP advisers

Wave 1 Wave 2

Number of times contacted by WP adviser once in work % %

Once 21.7 11.4**

Twice 19.6 15.2

Three or four times 31.3 23.9**

Five or more times 23.2 32.8**

Don't know 4.2 16.7**

Total 100.0 100.0

Unweighted base (All respondents who had had some contact with WP advisers once in employment)

494 385 Significance of difference between Wave 2 and Wave 1 (t-test): * p<0.05 ** p<0.01

In the participant qualitative research, views about receiving these calls, and their usefulness, varied. Many participants did not mind being contacted and reported that the calls were ‘nice’ or ‘reassuring’. Some felt that it was good to know that help was there if they needed it, though others felt they were not particularly benefiting from the calls as they did not need any further help. Some noted that, because things were going fine in work, these conversations could be very brief.

After a longer period of time in work, opinions could be stronger. Some participants who had been in work for six months of more, understood the continued follow-up calls were meant to be supportive whereas others saw them as primarily a check that they were still in work, in order to contribute evidence for the providers’ sustainment payments. Where individuals perceived that the calls from their provider reflected genuine interest in their case, they appreciated them. Where calls were viewed simply as a device to trigger payments, they were also viewed as an ongoing interference.

Some participants noted that being contacted during working hours was inconvenient and that they did not answer the calls. They were aware of the calls because

advisers left voicemails but did not tend to return them.

More positively, there were some participants who had used calls to ask for advice (for example, on in-work benefits or employee rights). There were also some who reported feeling confident that they could tell their provider about any problems that might arise. In some instances, although providers’ responses were generally seen as sympathetic, nothing had been done to intervene or help to resolve difficulties that participants had encountered in work and this was a source of disappointment. Some participants who had been in employment for some time had requested

Table 6.3: Appropriateness of frequency of in-work contact

Wave 1 Wave 2

Was in-work contact with WP adviser…? % %

Too much 9.3 9.6

About right 77.5 78.0

Not enough 11.0 11.0

Don't know 2.2 1.4

Total 100.0 100.0

Unweighted base: (All respondents who had had some contact with WP advisers once in employment)

494 385 Significance of difference between Wave 2 and Wave 1 (t-test): * p<0.05 ** p<0.01

had contacted them with suitable vacancies, while other advisers were reported not to have responded to the request.

There was also a group of participants who objected to the calls. Some of these held negative views of the pre-employment support they had received and did not attribute their entry to work to support offered through the Work Programme. For this group, in-work support calls were ‘quite annoying’ and participants often left the calls unanswered.