Travel Costs on JCPSC and FND
Hi all,
Does anyone have an indication on the requirements for reimbursing travel to customers on Flexible New Deal and Job Centre Support Contracts? My understanding is that there are currently varying degrees of travel being paid to customers across the country. As a prime contractor on JCPSC, my organisation is being asked to reimburse 100% of travel costs for all learners for an unlimited period. Understandably, this is an open-ended comitment which potentially kills the contract for us, or at the very least discourages us from offering appropriate levels of flexible support to customers as we're less likely to encourage them to come in whenever they need to!
Thoughts, comments and information on how any other primes are handling this matter would be much appreciated!
FND financial models ask you to estimate the likely costs of travel, and show the assumptions you use about how often people attend etc. In general, you're not going to get large numbers of people choosing to come and use facilities every day for a year, and it should be fairly simple for your advisers to manage attendance. If you haven't put adequate costs in the model, then yes it could cause problems. I'd have thought that attendance by people with childcare needs had the greater potential to zap your cost models. Well, that and not reaching the job outcome targets.
JCPSC I'm less certain on - I don't know the details on travel expectations for that. Anyone else with thoughts on this?
I'm sure claimants with an internet connection and webcam won't physically need to visit the provider for every session. What's wrong with trying 'teleworking, think of the money you will save on travel expenses!
From the JCPSC Specification:
Travel, Childcare and Additional Support
3.27 Suppliers will be required to reimburse customers’ travel expenses and these costs will be included in the Service Fee. However, Suppliers will not be required to reimburse customers’ childcare/caring costs, as existing Jobcentre Plus processes will be used.
Thanks Hippy Chick, nice to see some more productive commenting on the site!
Is someone able to answer why DWP's policy on travel/childcare is not consistent across its welfare to work programmes?
E.G. JCP+SC - travel costs are reimbursed but no child care cost liability on the provider, which seems reasonable. However, according to the Work For your Benefit service spec, all assoicated costs must be reimbursed, which considering the requirements for a 5 month full time work placement, which will in almost all cases result in travel cost expense as a minimum, would seem to make the funding model inadequate.
Is consistency too much to ask for?
Long time reader, first time 'caller'
I can only assume it is to do with customer volumes and the nature of the provision. JCPSC has very high volumes, WfYB very low. Also JCPSC is more integrated with JCP provision is it forms part of the Jobseeker's regime. On WfYB the customer does not even sign on. Given these factors, the differentiation seems to make some sort of sense but still, it is a bit inconsistent.
Hi all. After doing some serious digging, we've managed to establish that our commitment to learners is contractually binding for 6 weeks, although it is shrouded in typically cryptic language in the contract. we don't plan to limit the travel payments we make to customers, i think the 6 week limit does mean that our travel commitment is slightly less open ended than we initially thought. i suppose it's a matter of working out what the actual costs are going to be, and then having the relevant discussions with our contracts team. My major fear is that having such an open ended travel commitment might lead to us having to encourage less frequent visits to our support centres for financial reasons! Thanks to all for the constructive comments and help.