Annex C How the Department is organised
The Department is organised to deliver effectively and efficiently the outcomes determined by Ministers, building on its Five Year Strategy and meeting its Public Service Agreement. The Department is structured to discharge four key roles:
- Development of department-wide strategy, planning, resource allocation and corporate policies and standards.
- Identifying effective strategies, policies, resource allocation and approaches to service delivery that best meet the needs of particular client or customer groups which the Department serves.
- The direct delivery of services to meet specified customer outcomes for particular clients/customers.
- Where it is most cost-effective to do so, the procurement and/or delivery of shared services and infrastructure on a department-wide basis.
In the main, the Department’s services to customers are provided by or through its executive agencies:
- Jobcentre Plus – helping people to find work and receive the benefits they are entitled to, and offering a dedicated service to employers to fill their vacancies quickly and successfully.
- The Pension Service – delivering frontline services to today’s and future pensioners.
- Child Support Agency – administering the Child Support Scheme.
- Disability and Carers Service – delivering a range of benefits to disabled people and carers.
- Appeals Service – providing an independent tribunal body for hearing appeals.114
- The Rent Service – providing a range of advice in connection with the private rented housing sector in England.
The Executive Team supports the Head of Department in providing corporate leadership and works collaboratively to manage the Department in delivering its key objectives, ensuring that risks and opportunities are well managed. The Departmental Board has advisory and challenge functions. It is responsible for scrutinising, challenging and providing advice on delivery strategies, plans and programmes, performance and governance arrangements.
Additionally, policies and services to support expanding childcare and helping lone parents into work are developed by the Sure Start Unit – with joint responsibility with the Department for Education and Skills. The Department also has ministerial responsibility for the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive, whose mission is to protect people’s health and safety by ensuring that risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled.
Many of the Department’s services are delivered jointly with a wide range of partner organisations, for example Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are administered by local authorities.
More detailed information about the structure and governance of the Department can be found in the Departmental Framework115.
Figure 39 How the Department for Work and Pensions is organised
* From April 2006, the Appeals Service transfers to the Department of Constitutional Affairs as part
of the Tribunals Service.
Link to long description for Figure 39: How the Department for Work and Pensions is organised [D]