Statutory guidance

Chapter 3: provider engagement

Updated 25 January 2024

Introduction

1. This section provides details of key Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus roles and the relationships you will have with them.

Roles and responsibilities within DWP

Account Manager

2. The Account Manager’s (AM) role is to work with you on a strategic level. All providers are allocated an AM including those who have been successful on the Framework for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services (ERSS).

3. The AMs function is designed to be flexible and responsive to the market place.

4. AMs will:

• work with you at a very senior level and act as a point of contact
• assist you in achieving your agreed performance target by advising you on the delivery of agreed improvement plans
• help you manage risks and issues, removing duplication and activity that adds no value
• work strategically with you to ensure you have the infrastructure and required levels of support to effectively deliver DWP Welfare to Work contracts

5. AMs will take the lead with key suppliers, developing long term strategic partnerships to maximise performance, quality and value for money. The Account Management Team has responsibility for all senior interactions and will facilitate strategic review meetings.

Work Programme provision: group partnership meetings

6. Partnership meetings, co-ordinated and chaired by Jobcentre Plus have replaced Provider Engagement Meetings to support delivery of the Work Programme, and represent a new approach to engage all Work Programme providers at Jobcentre Plus group or district level. A wide range of stakeholders will be invited to attend, and will include employers and local authority colleagues, who can work together to discuss the demands of the local labour market to support a range of Jobcentre Plus claimants who have been out of work for some time.

Pre-work programme provision: provider engagement meetings

7. Jobcentre Plus will continue to co-ordinate and chair Provider Engagement Meetings (PEM) at Jobcentre Plus district level covering all other DWP contracted employment programmes. Jobcentre Plus, DWP Performance Managers and a contracted provider will discuss performance and delivery issues, agreeing actions and working together to ensure that all parties are focussed on delivering the best participant experience, and achieving the best outcomes from the provision.

Performance Manager

8. The Performance Manager (PM) is your main point of contact at a contract package area level and is responsible for all aspects of the contract that relate to performance. It is your responsibility to deliver to the terms of your contract (including performance); however, it is the role of the PM to work with you to help improve performance and monitor delivery.

9. PMs will, on an ongoing basis, review Management Information (MI) and performance data for their providers.

10. Formal Contract Performance Reviews will take place at a frequency determined by DWP. These reviews may be conducted via face to face meetings, telephone discussions or as a paper exercise.

11. PMs will:

• assist you to develop a Performance Improvement Plan, where required
• undertake Contract Performance Reviews that will:
  • review performance against profile
  • review any existing Performance Improvement Plans. It is a key responsibility of PMs to set up and review contract Performance Improvement Plans. The plans should be used to capture all agreed actions for performance improvement including incremental performance and improvement targets and review dates
• take forward issues raised by Jobcentre Plus concerning providers, in order to ensure that an acceptable solution is arrived at

Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) System Operational Support Team (POST)

12. The PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) will carry out administration and approval functions to support supplier referrals and payments on PRaP. They are responsible for the live support for referrals and payments made to you by the PRaP. For more information on PRaP, please refer to Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP).

Provider Assurance Team

13. The main aim of this team is to review and test the effectiveness of your internal control systems that manage the risks to DWP in relation to Contracted Employment Programmes expenditure. This includes the arrangements you have in place for your sub-contractors. For more information on the roles of this team please refer to Generic Guidance Chapter 6 – Provider Assurance.

Provider Payment and Validation Team

14. Will be responsible for recording and processing relevant payment claims from you. This will include validating submitted claims, with evidence provided, to ascertain whether your payment claims are due.

Roles within Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus Single Point of Contact

15. Your local first point of contact in respect of operational matters; they are also a point of contact in relation to volume/quality of referrals, marketing, publicity and usage of provision. Single Points of Contact may be agreed locally between yourselves and the relevant offices, but may be a different contact for different contracts.

Personal Advisers

16. Are responsible for supporting participants in programmes and will be your first point of contact in respect of individual participants. Personal Advisers decide on the level of support and most cost effective way forward for the participant to find and secure employment, using personalised diagnostic skills and tools to gain participants commitment to the decision.

The Advisory Team Manager

17. Provide leadership and management of an Advisory Services team, supporting their ongoing professional development. They are responsible for the assistant adviser and personal adviser and are accountable for the effective delivery of a flexible and personal Advisory Service. The Advisory Services Team to deliver a seamless personalised service for participants, which provides value for money.

The Lone Parent Adviser

18. Is responsible for providing work-related advice and support to lone parents. They identify barriers to employment and provide the appropriate help and available services to participants. Lone Parent Advisers submit to vacancies/opportunities/provision and provide specialist help. They monitor and review progress when necessary to help Jobcentre Plus participants find or move closer to sustainable employment, and also provide in work support as appropriate.

The Assistant Advisor

19. The Assistant Advisor is a key part of the advisory team, supporting participants to find work through jobsearch reviews and taking forward the decisions agreed between the participants and their Personal Adviser, giving participants continuity and ensuring the service is adding value.