Work Choice (formerly Specialist Disability Employment Programme)
Notice to announce the designated Preferred Bidders for the Work Choice programme
The following table lists the designated Preferred Bidders for the Work Choice programme in each of the 28 Contract Package Areas.
| Contract Package Area (CPA) | Preferred Bidder |
|---|---|
| 1. Highlands, Islands, Clyde Coast & Grampian | Leonard Cheshire Disability |
| 2. Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside | Shaw Trust |
| 3. Glasgow; Lanarkshire & East Dunbartonshire | Shaw Trust |
| 4. Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders; Ayrshire, Dumfries, Galloway & Inverclyde | Shaw Trust |
| 5. North & Mid Wales; South East Wales | Working Links |
| 6. South West Wales; South Wales Valleys | Shaw Trust |
| 7. South Tyne & Wear Valley; Northumbria | Shaw Trust |
| 8. North & East Yorkshire & The Humber; Tees Valley | Shaw Trust |
| 9. Cumbria & Lancashire | Shaw Trust |
| 10. Greater Manchester Central; Greater Manchester East & West | Shaw Trust |
| 11. Merseyside; Cheshire, Halton & Warrington | Shaw Trust |
| 12. West Yorkshire | The Pluss Organisation |
| 13. Derbyshire; South Yorkshire | Shaw Trust |
| 14. Nottinghamshire; Lincolnshire & Rutland | Shaw Trust |
| 15. Leicestershire & Northamptonshire | Working Links |
| 16. The Marches; Staffordshire; Coventry & Warwickshire |
Shaw Trust |
| 17. Birmingham & Solihull; Black Country | Advance Housing & Support |
| 18. Cambridgeshire & Suffolk; Norfolk | Shaw Trust |
| 19. Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire; Essex | Shaw Trust |
| 20. Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering, Barking & Dagenham; City & East London | Working Links |
| 21. West London; Central London; Barnet, Enfield & Haringey | SEETEC |
| 22. South London; Lambeth, Southwark & Wandsworth | Ingeus UK Ltd |
| 23. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Shaw Trust |
| 24. Hampshire & Isle of Wight | Wise CDG |
| 25. Surrey & Sussex; Kent | Working Links |
| 26. West of England; Gloucestershire, Wiltshire & Swindon | Working Links |
| 27. Dorset & Somerset | Shaw Trust |
| 28. Devon & Cornwall | The Pluss Organisation |
Notice to Providers - latest information 18 February
We regret that there will be a short delay in notifying the outcome of the Work Choice competition to organisations that have been selected as Preferred Bidders.
We have received a large number of bids for the Government’s innovative Work Choice programme, which will come on stream in October this year. We have had lots of interest and this is positive, but it means that the evaluation is taking a little longer than expected. However, we are still firmly on track to deliver Work Choice as planned.
We do not expect the delay to impact the transition period or the planned 'go live' date.
Latest Information
The letters below set out in high level some of the activities that DWP plan to carry out with WORKSTEP, and Work Preparation providers and potential prime contractors bidding for Work Choice during the implementation period prior to the introduction of the new programme. It includes a request for providers to nominate HR representatives from their organisations to attend events being held on 21 January 2010 (for current providers) and 22 January 2010 (for potential prime contractors). At these events we will outline how we can work together to manage the implementation of Work Choice, and in particular the HR & Workforce planning issues arising.
- Work Choice Implementation: People & Workforce Handling (Bidder) (401KB)
- Added 12 January 2010 - Work Choice Implementation: People & Workforce Handling (Provider) (401KB) - Added 12 January 2010
- Work Choice Implementation: People & Workforce Handling (Providers) (45KB)
- Work Choice Implementation: People & Workforce Handling (Bidders) (46KB)
Previous Work Choice information.
Work Choice Communication Pack
From 25 October 2010 Work Choice will replace the existing WORKSTEP and Work Preparation programmes and the Job Introduction Scheme.
Introduction
The following documents have been developed to help you when you are talking to existing WORKSTEP employees and 'host' employers about the introduction of Work Choice. They have been produced to assist you during the transition period to ensure consistent messages about the changes are cascaded to 'host' WORKSTEP employers and employees. The use of these documents is not mandatory; however, the discussion with WORKSTEP employees and 'host' employers is a required transition activity.
It is important to note that the documents have been developed on the assumption that employers and employees are aware of the current WORKSTEP programme.
Some of our current WORKSTEP employees have transferred from previous employment programmes and due to the time that has elapsed (several years in some instances) it is essential to ensure before speaking to them about Work Choice, that they are made aware they are on a government programme. It is also important that the 'host' employer is aware of the existing WORKSTEP programme.
In addition to these documents, you should also familiarise yourself with the required transitional activities in the supplement to Section Six of the WORKSTEP Handbook which was published in August 2009.
Further guidance will be available at the end of March 2010.
Work Choice Communication Set
| For use until | Document Details | Aim of the document | Issued by | Issued to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
30 April 2010 |
Intended to be issued at the initial one-to-one discussion for the WORKSTEP employee to take away - providing very brief overview. |
WORKSTEP Support Adviser conducting the one-to-one discussion |
WORKSTEP employee |
|
|
30 April 2010 |
Introduction to the new DWP Work Choice Programme (16KB) (rtf) |
A template letter that individual providers can adapt for 'host' employers. |
WORKSTEP providers |
WORKSTEP 'host' employer |
|
30 April 2010 |
Supporting information providing background to help during one-to-one discussions with the WORKSTEP employee. Also includes answers to questions that may be asked during the discussion. |
WORKSTEP provider |
WORKSTEP Support Adviser conducting the one-to-one discussion with the WORKSTEP employee |
|
|
30 April 2010 |
Work Choice - local information (10KB) (rtf) |
An annex to the Work Choice Supporting Information that providers can use to provide local information to support the one-to-one discussion with the WORKSTEP employee. |
WORKSTEP providers |
WORKSTEP Support Adviser conducting the one-to-one discussion with the WORKSTEP employee |
Braille copies of the 'Introduction to the new DWP Work Choice Programme' can be ordered direct from Scottish Braille Press at a cost of £1.13 each. Please quote Work Choice Programme flyer in your order:
Office Administrator
Scottish Braille Press
Craigmillar Park
Edinburgh
EH16 5NB
Tel No: 0131 662 4445
Email: enquiries.sbp@royalblind.org
Audio versions of the 'Introduction to the new DWP Work Choice Programme' can be ordered direct from MRA Studios at a cost of £8 each: Please quote Work Choice Programme flyer in your order:
MRA Studios
Media House
P O Box 300
Sheffield
S18 1NU
Tel: 01246 290091
Email: mail@mrastudios.co.uk
Future Work Choice Communication Documents
Further communication documents will be available to support you following contract award at the end of April 2010.
Feedback
Your feedback on these documents is very important to us and will help when developing future products. Please let us know:
- Did you use them?
- Did you find them useful?
- Was the format clear?
- Was anything missing?
- Were there any questions asked during discussions you were unable to answer?
