Guidance

Chapter 1: Introduction and overview

Updated 10 May 2023

Applies to England and Wales

Introduction

1.01. The government confirmed in the Improving Lives: the future of work, health and disability Command Paper published in 2017, that it is committed to helping disabled people and those with health conditions move nearer to the labour market and, when ready, into work by building more personalised tailored employment and health support, and supporting the Government’s goal to see 1 million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027

1.02. Data shows there are currently around 700,000 claimants who expect to find work but are likely to have complex support needs which would put them in the harder to help category. Support for the harder to help must be available nationally to ensure they are given every opportunity to be able to find and maintain work and to help maintain equality.

1.03. Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) has been designed to support individuals within this group into work and to empower those furthest away from the labour market to find sustainable employment or self-employment, or develop the skills to do so.

1.04. This DWP Programme-Specific Provider Guidance supports you, the provider, in the delivery of IPES provision on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. It provides guidance on processes for the IPES programme and requirements, supporting the programme contract details and the legal arrangements for delivery.

1.05.The Authority has issued this Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) specific Provider Guidance and DWP Generic Provider Guidance to help provide Contractors (and their sub-contractors) with operational clarity and guidance.

1.06. This guidance must be read in conjunction with:

• The ‘Intensive Personalised Employment Support Invitation to Tender – Specification and Supporting Information’
• Your Terms and Conditions
• Your Contract
• DWP Generic Guidance, and Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme
• DWP IT Systems User Guidance
• DWP Supplier Code of Conduct

1.07. You must ensure that any organisations with which you have a sub-contractual relationship also have access to, and have read, this guidance.

1.08. If you have any questions which are not covered by this guidance, please raise with your Performance Manager in the first instance.

Data Protection Legislation and Data Sharing

1.09.You must ensure that you follow the requirements around Data Protection Legislation and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) taking into account your Contract Terms & Conditions.

1.10. In relation to the sharing of data, providers should also adhere to all requirements as laid out in Generic Provider Guidance Chapter 8 – Information Security.

The DWP Customer Charter

1.11. DWP is committed to providing high quality and efficient services to our customers. The DWP Customer Charter sets out the standards that customers can expect and what their responsibilities are in return.

1.12. DWP is dedicated to raising the standards of all our contracted provision and require all providers and sub-contractors to embed the principles of the Customer Charter into the services you deliver on DWP’s behalf. The ‘shared promise on customer care’ developed by the Employment Related Services Association and supported by DWP, makes the commitments given in the DWP Customer Charter more specific for welfare to work providers to sign the Shared Promise, DWP would expect providers to support the commitments contained in it.

The Disability Confident Scheme

1.13. Providers will clearly demonstrate that they are playing a significant role in developing the confidence of employers to accommodate disabled people in their workplace and understand the principles of Disability Confident.

1.14. Disability Confident is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled employees.

1.15. As Disability Confident Leaders, Providers will be showing disabled people that they are serious about leading the way and helping other businesses become Disability Confident. More information can be found on the Disability confident – how to sign up the employer scheme.

Overview of the Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme.

1.16. Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) is a voluntary provision aimed specifically at disabled people (as defined under the Equality Act 2010), with complex barriers to employment for whom other support such as the Work and Health Programme (WHP) is unsuitable.

1.17. Complex barriers to work means that the Participant will have multiple barriers which may not arise solely from a Participant’s disability. There may be a combination of personal and work-related barriers which impact on their readiness to be able to get into and remain in work. This may be an impairment or condition which significantly increases their barrier to work, for example a learning disability, or barriers such as homelessness, intra family violence, financial support needs, substance misuse or low self-esteem preventing them from focusing on, or finding, employment.

1.18. Due to their circumstances, IPES Participants will require an intensive, highly personalised support package that is flexible to their needs, and more than that provided by other, larger, DWP programmes.

1.19. IPES is designed to assist those more than 12 months from the job market to secure and sustain paid employment, or self-employment, through an individually tailored combination of guidance, learning and training.

1.20. This includes helping Participants to overcome barriers to enable them to secure paid employment, or to become suitable for wider provision following intensive support.

1.21. Providers will also work with local Signposting Organisations (SOs) who will be able to signpost individuals that they think will benefit from IPES to the Jobcentre, as set out in Chapter 5 of this guidance.

1.22. Providers must, as part of supporting the Participant into sustained employment:

• Support them in focusing on what they can achieve in overcoming the personal and work related barriers they face, providing support that is tailored to their individual needs
• Participate in a warm handover referral meeting with DWP and the potential Participant
• Ensure they have a consistent Key Worker throughout their time on provision, and during the In-Work Support (IWS) period
• Offer Participants a minimum of weekly face to face contact and any additional contact as required. As a minimum, face to face contact must take place every four weeks throughout the full time on the programme
• Establish or link up with the Participant’s wider support network, which may include family, peers, health and social care services, and other local services, as set out in Chapter 6 of this guidance
• Ensure that all Participants gain meaningful experience in a work environment during their period of support on the programme, as set out in Chapter 6 of this guidance
• Support Participants whose health conditions may fluctuate, and who may require a break in provision – as set out in Chapter 4 of this Guidance
• Provide intensive In-Work Support including up-skilling employers and the participant’s wider support network to continue support once the provision has ended
• As agreed with DWP and set out in your Contract, facilitate three-way Case Conferencing (Participant, Provider and JCP Representative) to ensure that the focus throughout is on the Participant’s progress and Action Plan, and so that the Participant and DWP remain in touch. Further information can be found at Chapter 4 of this guidance

1.23. All Participants, including those from signposting organisations, will be referred to you by the Jobcentre, who will have used the relevant criteria to identify eligible and suitable Participants for the provision.

1.24. The Jobcentre is the final decision maker for determining if an individual is eligible and suitable for the provision.

The Participant Journey

1.25. The Participant journey is made up of three defined areas:

• Initial Engagement and assessment
• Pre-Work Support
• In-Work Support

Participant Journey

1. Initial Engagement and assessment

• The focus in the introduction period will be on forging successful relationships, getting to know the Participant and building trust

• At this stage, the dedicated key worker will begin to identify and address the Participant’s barriers to work, and work on an Action Plan to help plan the journey

• Work will begin on building and /or strengthening the Participant’s support network

2. Pre-Work Support

• Participants will need a wide range of employment interventions to support them in their journey towards work and the key worker will support them in taking steps to employment, for example, work experience, volunteering opportunities and supported internships

• Where a Participant prefers, self-employment can be pursued

• All Participants will have, as a minimum, experience in a work environment of 16 hours (unpaid) during their period of up to 456 days’ pre-work support

3. In-Work Support

• When the Participant has been successful in gaining employment, a minimum of 182 days of support will be given to help them remain in work

• The Key Worker will provide practical help and support, such as journey planning, settling in with the new employer, offer weekly face to face meetings and advocacy

• Where required, reasonable adjustments and Access to Work will be pursued to help the Participant sustain employment

The IPES journey is not linear. Participants can move back and forth across the stages, depending on where they are at any given time on their journey.

Length of Support

1.26. The maximum time on provision is 639 days, consisting of up to 456 days (15 months) Pre-Work Support and a minimum of 182 days (6 months) In-Work Support (IWS), with day 639 being for Participants who work night shifts (where their shift starts on day 638 and ends on day 639). Once a participant starts on IPES provision, they remain on provision until they become a Completer or Early Completer. Where a Participant enters employment (or self-employment) before day 456, they move from Pre-Work Support to IWS. The Participant continues in IWS until they complete the provision (see paragraph 8.03). If a Participant’s employment (or self-employment) ends before day 456, the Participant moves back into Pre-Work Support.

1.27. Where a Participant has received 456 days of support (consisting of Pre-Work Support, or both Pre-Work Support and IWS) provision can be extended to allow for a maximum of 639 days of support, provided that a Participant is receiving IWS on day 457 onwards. The period from day 457 is known as the “Extension Period”.

1.28. Details of when extension and exit activity is appropriate can be found within Chapter 6 and chapter 8 of this guidance.

Programme Duration

1.29. Referrals will take place between the Service Start Date and the Referral End Date, with up to four (4) years of referrals, dependent upon when the Call-Off Service Start Date occurs. DWP will have an option to extend referrals for up to two years beyond the original Referral End Date.

1.30. Service delivery, including In-Work Support, will continue for a maximum of 639 days after the last start on provision.

Document Retention

1.31. Providers must maintain complete and accurate documents and records in relation to the provision of IPES for the period of their contract. The Contract Terms & Conditions will set out the relevant Contract periods and the Records Retention End Date.

1.32. When considering key dates for IPES provision, Providers should always refer to their Contract Terms & Conditions.

Signposting Organisations (SOs)

1.33. In order to make the IPES provision accessible to all eligible individuals, including those who are not regular customers of the Jobcentre, DWP-approved Signposting Organisations will be able to signpost to the Jobcentre those individuals that they think will benefit from IPES.

1.34. It has been agreed that Providers can be Signposting Organisations in their own Contract Package Areas (CPAs), should they choose to. Providers should contact their Jobcentre Plus Local Partnership Manager within their CPA to discuss the process for registering.

Marketing the IPES provision

1.35. IPES Providers can decide the best way to promote IPES services and can use their own branding on marketing materials, however ‘Intensive Personalised Employment Support’ should appear prominently within all public facing materials. The following sets out acceptable IPES naming conventions:

• The ‘Intensive Personalised Employment Support’ name cannot be used merely as a page footer; it must be prominent
• The ‘Intensive Personalised Employment Support’ name can appear alongside Provider branding within a logo but it must be prominent; (Refer to Annex1 for further information)
• ‘Intensive Personalised Employment Support’ must be written in full, the ’IPES’ acronym must not be used in the title but could be used in the body of the product
• Use the correct DWP logo, as set out in the Generic DWP PG, and accessed through the DWP Communications Centre

1.36. Any marketing material produced should be in line with para 2.82 of the Commercial Specification and Generic Provider Guidance. Please refer to Annex 1 of this Guidance and to the DWP Generic Provider Guidance, Chapter 9.

1.37. Please note: Jobcentre staff must not be asked to quality assure your IPES marketing material. You should ensure that you adhere to the policies as set out in the guidance.

Welsh Language Act

1.38. Providers are reminded of the need to comply with the provisions of Schedule 8 (Welsh Language Scheme) in providing the Services in the Welsh language. This must apply to all your staff and supply chain.

1.39. Details will be in the relevant schedules as set out within your contract.

The Employment Provision Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”)

1.40. The Code outlines the standards and behaviours that the government expects of all its suppliers when they are working with government, and how suppliers can help the government deliver for taxpayers.

1.41. Providers that contract with the DWP will be expected to operate in accordance with the Code.

1.42. The Code can be found at Clause D8 and Schedule 24 of the IPES Terms and Conditions.