Notice to Providers
15 January 2009
To providers delivering Mandatory New Deals and Programme Centre Provision,
13 Week Tracking – New Deal and Programme Centre Provision
Issue
1. A Notice to providers issued on 29 December advised that WWEG has agreed to extend the tracking period to 13 weeks for Programme Centres and Mandatory New Deals. This notice provides further details of the change.
2. The change to 13 weeks has been made in response to requests from providers to increase tracking periods for all mandatory New Deal Provision (NDYP and ND 25 plus) and Programme Centre Provision. As a result providers can now track customers for 13 weeks for both New Deal and Programme Centre provision.
3. The rationale behind the change is that providers had requested an increase to the 6 week tracking period for New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus provision. Providers argued that the 6 week tracking period for New Deal contracts placed unrealistic restrictions on jobs that they could claim for payment and performance. Examples were raised of employer recruitment practices and mandatory checks on potential employees in certain occupations lengthening the recruitment process beyond the existing tracking period.
4. Therefore, in response to these concerns it has been agreed that for jobs starting on, or after, 1 January 2009 and until the end of the current contracts the tracking period, triggered by the provision leaving date, will be 13 weeks. For any jobs started prior to January 1 the 6 week tracking period still applies. The change also covers Programme Centres; however, no other provision is covered by these new arrangements.
5. These arrangements apply to Gateway, Options/IAP and Follow Through provision. Temporary jobs are included where they can be counted towards performance.
6. The following scenarios should be noted as examples of where the new arrangements apply:
- The following customers leave New Deal provision on 10 October 2008.
- Customer A starts a full time job on 3 November 08. This is within the original 6 week tracking period and can be claimed.
- Customer B starts a full time job on 24 November 08. This is 6 weeks and 3 days after leaving, but is before 1 January 09 so cannot be claimed even though it is within 13 weeks.
- Customer C starts a full time job on 2 January 09. This is 12 weeks after leaving, but as it started on or after 1 January it can be claimed as the 13 week tracking period applies.
7. Contract Managers will check individual contracts and will advise providers if formal variations are required. Amendments will be made to provider guidance to reflect the revised arrangements.
8. If any provider has a query with the new arrangement this should be addressed to your Contract Manager.
Next Steps
9. Those providers who deliver NDYP, ND25 plus and Programme Centre provision are asked to note this change and that it has taken effect from January 1 2009.
Yours sincerely
Dianne Harper
Commercial Employment Provision
Commercial Procurement Programme Management Team Leader
