22 January 2009 – Publication of DWP Research Report 555: Pathways to work from incapacity benefits: A study of referral practices and liaison between Jobcentre Plus advisers and service providers
This new report published today by the Department for Work and Pensions presents the findings from qualitative research to explore referral practices and liaison amongst Jobcentre Plus (JCP) staff and service providers involved in helping Incapacity Benefits (IB) recipients as part of the JCP Pathways to Work programme.
The study was led by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York in collaboration with the Policy Studies Institute and the National Centre for Social Research.
The findings demonstrate variation in:
- Service provision – this varied in nature and was delivered by multiple providers. IB Personal Advisers (IBPAs) generally had good awareness of the content but felt their knowledge of the quality of provision was sometimes lacking. Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) were most knowledgeable about specialist disability employment programmes.
- Influences on advisers’ knowledge and use of provision – knowledge about services and propensity to use them were often co-dependent. Key influences on service use decisions were client need, provider location, and capacity/scope of provision or management directives.
- Referral processes – opinions varied about whether DEAs have a distinct role in working with Pathways clients or whether their role overlaps with that of IBPAs. Referrals to contracted providers were more formal than those to non-contracted providers.
- Relationships between JCP advisers and providers – associated with establishing and maintaining clear, frequent communication and chances to build personal connections.
- Perceptions of responsibility for case management – both JCP advisers and providers agreed about the necessity of case management for IB recipients, but opinions differed on who should undertake that role. JCP advisers saw themselves as responsible for case managing clients but this could be hard to do in practice due to tensions between this task and delivery performance targets. Providers’ distinguished between ‘short term case working’ and ‘overarching case management’. Not all providers recognised JCP advisers as overarching case managers and some felt they had assumed this role.
Notes to Editors:
- The DWP research report: Pathways to work from incapacity benefits: A study of referral practices and liaison between Jobcentre Plus advisers and service providers is published today on DWP website.
- Pathways to work provides extra help for people on incapacity benefits to find work. As part of the programme, a variety of work and health related services, known collectively as the Choices package, was available to customers to help them move back towards work or help them manage their health condition.
- The report authors are Katharine Nice, Annie Irvine and Roy Sainsbury from Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York.
- This report is accompanied by DWP Working Paper 57: Pathways to work from incapacity benefits: A review of research findings on referral practices and liaison with service providers. This literature review informed the conduct of the main study, and was written by Katharine Nice from Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York. This report is available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/wp-index.asp
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Prepared by: Department for Work and Pensions Welfare to Work Directorate
