The Flexible New Deal Supplier Guidance

Contents

Glossary

Useful links

Quick reference guide

Section 01 – An Introduction to the Flexible New Deal

• Customer eligibility
• The enhanced Jobseekers Regime and Flexible New Deal overview

Section 02 – Customer Referrals, Starts and Allotted Time

• The initial customer referral from Jobcentre Plus
• Notifying Jobcentre Plus of a customer start
• Allotted time and linking rules
• Re-referrals from Jobcentre Plus
• Transfers from other FND suppliers

Section 03 – The Initial Meeting, Customer Action Plan and Fortnightly Contact

• Booking the initial meeting
• Identity checks
• The initial meeting
• The work focused action plan
• Meaningful fortnightly contact

Section 04 – Provision, Childcare and Additional Support

• Provision
• Unacceptable behaviour and customer exclusion
• Childcare
• Additional support
• Financial assistance
• Personal benefit advice and better off calculations

Section 05 – Training Allowance

• Activity requiring Training Allowance;
• Full-time activity;
• Pre-Activity meeting;
• Facilitating the customer movement from JSA to a Training Allowance;
• Returning customers to claim JSA after a period of Training Allowance.

Section 06 – The Mandatory Work Related Activity Period

• Mandatory Work Related Activity
• Agreeing a period of work related activity
• Satisfying the Mandatory Work Related Activity requirement
• Notifying Jobcentre Plus

Section 07 – Accessing Other Programmes, Schemes, Grants and Incentives

• Programmes/ schemes/ grants/ incentives that can be accessed whilst on FND
• Leaving the Flexible New Deal to participate in other programmes
• Programmes/ grants/ incentives that cannot be accessed whilst on FND

Section 08 – Customer Benefit Sanctions and DMA

• Entitlement doubts
• Sanction doubts
• Sanction reconsiderations and appeals
• Entitlement/ sanction doubt referral forms

Section 09 – Sanctioned Customer Re-engagement

• Customer re-engagement
• Customers under sanction and Training Allowance
• Reinstating Jobseeker’s Allowance

Section 10 – Notifications and Changes in Circumstance

• Notifications from Jobcentre Plus
• Notification of sanction doubt decisions
• Notifications to Jobcentre Plus

Section 11 – Customers Completing FND and Extending the Support Period

• Customers completing FND
• The end of provision review
• Ending support
• Extending the support period

Section 12 – Financial Procedures

• Service fee
• Short job outcomes
• Sustained job outcomes
• Tracking Period
• Checks to support claims
• Evidence requirements

Section 14 – Management Responsibilities

• Premises
• Administration management
• Legislation, the Jobseeker’s Allowance Act and principle regulations
• Sustainable development

Section 15 – Partnership Working

• Working with DWP
• Engaging with Employers, Jobcentre Plus and customers
• Engaging with professional services
• Strategic partnership working

Section 16 – Data Security, Audit and Information Retention

• Departmental Security
• Data Protection
• Incident Reporting
• Audit
• Document Retention

Section 17 – Performance and Management Information

• Contract targets
• Performance baselines
• Data collection process

Section 18 – Marketing and PR

• Marketing and PR planning
• Branding;
• Clearance of Information and marketing material;
• Propriety;
• DWP written style.

Section 19 – Benefit Regulations

• Jobseeker’s Act 1995 (Chapter 18) – Part I The Jobseeker's Allowance
• Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/207)
• Useful publications

Section 20 – Voluntary Pension Credit Customers

• Customer eligibility
• The voluntary referral
• Managing a Pension Credit customer’s journey through FND

Section 21 – Sensitive Case Customers

• Management of Sensitive Case Customer information
• Sensitive Case Customers and Training Allowance
• Claiming Sensitive Case Customer Job Outcomes

Forms

• Training allowance notification - FND2
• Jobsearch review appointment - FND2a
• Notification to provider - FND3
• Notification from provider - FND4
• Notification of completed mandatory work related activity - FND5
• Notification about an extended support period - FND6
• Doubt referral form - FND7
  • Doubt referral form 1 – Customer may not be available for work or actively seeking work
  • Doubt referral form 2 – Customer failed to attend
  • Doubt referral form 3 – Customer was notified of a suitable opportunity but failed to apply for it or failed to accept it
  • Doubt referral form 4 – Customer neglected to avail themselves of a suitable opportunity
  • Doubt referral form 5 – Customer gave up a suitable opportunity
  • Doubt referral form 6 – The customer failed or refused to apply for or to accept suitable employment
  • Doubt referral form 7 – The customer neglected to avail themselves of a reasonable opportunity of employment
• Customer re-engagement - FND8

Section 12 Appendices - Employer Verifications Templates

• Appendix 1a EVT Short Job Outcome
• Appendix 1b  EVT Sustained Job Outcome
• Appendix 2a EVT Short Job Outcome Customer verification
• Appendix 2b EVT Sustained Job Outcome Customer verification
• Appendix 3a EVT Short Job Outcome Self Employment
• Appendix 3b EVT Sustained Job Outcome Self Employment