Discussion - what skills do advisers need to improve on?
Submitted by Daniel on Fri, 17/07/2009 - 10:37am
Given the priority to deliver on FND: Generally what skills shortages exist amongst the workforce within the sector that could affect a provider's ability to deliver?
Discussion sponsored by Morgan Hunt
There's some clear evidence on the Job Centre side already. Advisers in the new regime are finding it difficult to give personalised support to clients and to find and use all the local support options. There are lots of options, not much time with each client, and lots and lots of clients.
What do you mean by skill shortage? With the number of customers doubling, surely the big problem is staff shortage, leading to lots of new advisers and managers without the right experience?
There are gaps from three perspectives:
1. Knowledge - understanding by advisers on the breadth and depth of the barriers to employment faced by the FND population
2. Tools - the processes and profiling approaches available to fully comprehend these barriers, including primary, secondary and tertiary barriers
3. Skills - the skills of Advisers in applying their knowledge and available tools to reached informed decisions on the barriers and most importantly on how their organisation can help the candidate overcome these barriers to become job ready and job placed.
We have been working with several FND Prime contractors across these areas and would be happy to share our insight, approach and expertise: alun [dot] soper [at] mercuriurval [dot] com
This is not a punt for business...and I am happy to share my opinions freely.
First, Barriers. The barriers to return to work are well known. There are 18-20 barriers to return to work and they have been consistent across time (c. 25 years), populations (that is, groups of welfare claimants), age groups, nationalities, and countries. These barriers reduce to 5 key barriers. If you do your homework then it is very straightforward. Why do people insist on making such a mountain out of this and coming up with stupendous and seemingly insightful statements about 'barriers'. Not only that, this is outdated terminology.
Second, skills. We know the skills required. Again, this is consistent across time, populations, countries etc. Simply put they are empathy, listening skills, analytical skills, and the ability to provide the client with a safe relationship.
Tools. Why get lost in flashy silver bullet tools which cost a lot of money and which don't work. The real tools required are good MI systems, a good solid assessment system - all available in the public domain at no cost, quality training of staff, and public domain processes developed for Return to Work. After all, the thing that makes the difference is, a) the process, and b) access to employment opportunities.
This is all out there in freely accessible resources. The really big missing factor seems to be a willingness to sit down with a simple, really simple, solid evidence based approach and the will to implement it properly.
"simple, really simple, solid evidence based approach"
Atos and the DWP claim to be using a solid, evidence based approach to the medical assessments.
Fact - its is not working properly, as evidenced by appeal statistics, claimaint experiences, tribunal comments etc etc.
Life is never simple, nor can individuals needs be 'boiled down' to be handled by any evidenced based system, not within our lifetime at least, unless its going to be a system that fails many, simply to justify political or financial means...
People may be interested to know about a skills project I am leading, with DWP Occuaptional Psychology Division and partners in 5 countries.
The TRAining for VOcational Rehabilitation Services project - TRAVORS –
will develop a new approach to vocational rehabilitation education. TRAVORS aims to:
• provide training opportunities to personal employment advisors, case managers and career guidance specialists working to place people with disabilities into employment. We have already noted that most of the skills are not specific to disability
• develop and pilot a train-the-trainer programme for those who will provide skills to future employment advisors.
• deliver the training through innovative and flexible teaching
• continue to use the training after the end of the project, serving a wider consumer base.
In the project, we are revising a vocational rehabilitation training programme from the United Kingdom and will be testing it in Estonia, Greece, Spain and Austria. The training will focus on advisor skills more than on knowledge or procedures. It will provide employer- and client-support skills that can be used alongside the countries’ welfare systems without demanding additional resources. At the same time, the training will be designed to enhance the self-efficacy of trainers, students / advisors and so to enable their clients, disabled people, to enter work. Teaching methods will include careful Learning Needs Analysis, followed by structured practical experience of the skills. Our new & not complete website is at http://www.idec.gr/travors/index.html
or you can e-mail me : david [at] vocationalrehabilitationconsultants [dot] com
Thanks.
This comment has been moved here.
Well what can you expect from someone who have 2 weeks training?????
my local job center over the last 3 or 4 months new staff have started all young kids, and they dont no what there doing half the time its not there fault but people are getting angry. I have been reported to the manager 2 times up to now i had done nothing wrong the manager came over said it was fine told the young girl that i can do what i did, do they not do a course before they start, were have all the good staff gone ?
There was discussion about this at the ERSA conference yesterday, and the DWP response was essentially that there were two options: queues stretching round the block, or bringing people in and finishing their training after they've started work. There were one or two horror stories fuelling the debate, but they were regarded as exceptions rather than the norm.