Workfare very quietly abandoned?

[J Ed]

Workfare Abandoned! Mandatory Work Activity and Community Work Placements Both To Be Scrapped

In a major victory for campaigners, two of the main workfare programmes are to be abandoned the DWP has quietly announced today. Private sector contracts to run Community Work Placements and Mandatory Work Activity will not be renewed says the department in their response to George Osborne’s spending review.

It's just weird that this isn't being reported anywhere else, are the right-wing press ignoring it because acknowledging that it is gone would alert people to its existence in the first place?

 

[superfly101]

Nope it's being polished and buffed into the next iteration!

Which is Health and Work Department for Work and Pensions’ settlement at the Spending Review - Press releases - GOV.UK

• a new Work and Health Programme replacing the Work Programme and Work Choice which will provide specialist support for the long-term unemployed and claimants with health conditions and disabilities

Earlier intervention and no escape for those pesky long term sick who will now face greater conditionality .

Tied in with the 600/800m announced for a new mental heath task force - report due in 2016; so 6 sessions of online self guided CBT for everybody (JSA after 2 years) and a hell of a lot of NLP bollox.

Plus something about more NHS linking into DWP preferred medical partners.

 

[J Ed]

a hell of a lot of NLP bollox.

I have come across this in call centre 'training', anyone with any capacity for critical thought can immediately see through it, but I suppose it doesn't matter whether NLP (like workfare itself) works or not it's just an excuse to funnel money from the taxpayer to boost corporate profits.

 

[smokedout]

Workfare Abandoned! Mandatory Work Activity and Community Work Placements Both To Be Scrapped



It's just weird that this isn't being reported anywhere else, are the right-wing press ignoring it because acknowledging that it is gone would alert people to its existence in the first place?

It's right at the end of the spending review document, most journalists probably havent bothered to read that far. The Guardian will notice in the next couple of days.

 

[pogo 10]

Am on a new course and am on esa, this course is designed to help get people back into work, lasts for 5 weeks and we just taslk about our emotions, thoughts and how these stop us from achieving our goals. Last one will be in 2 weeks time. Next week weve got interviewers coming and they keep saying come to the job club on a wednesday and fridays, its not mandatory. Meant to be starting a new course in january lasting for 3 monthsthrough same people and they said its likely you will find employment if you do the course as they offer some people jobs. This was arranged for me through my housing support officer, they seem a bit pushy on course trying to insist i go to the job club. Might just not do this course in jan.

 

[pogo 10]

Its meant to be a confidence and self esteem course am on now, seems like a sneaky way to force long term sick into work, well i dont feel well so going to tell them this next week.

 

[pogo 10]

Not being forced into another job where i dont get paid again and up shit creek with no wages and no benefits, just fuck that.

 

[pogo 10]

Sneaky sneaky cunts, telling my counsellor am sinking again. Not going back next week.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Its meant to be a confidence and self esteem course am on now, seems like a sneaky way to force long term sick into work, well i dont feel well so going to tell them this next week.

"But you can't still be mentally ill, you've done the online CBT."

 

[SpookyFrank]

And don't get me started on NLP. That shit stands up to about as much scrutiny as voodoo.

 

[pogo 10]

Dont get me started, another thing they said was about inventors and how we can do whatever we want and oh come on give yourselves a little push. Yeah, whatever, am meeting my housing officer and am going to voice my concerns in tem minutes. Like you can change people in five sessions over 5 weeks, oh please.

 

[treelover]

Its a victory in some ways, but maybe a phryic victory, (see below) but its partly down to tiny little groups like Boycott Workfare, Johnnyvoid, Keep Volunteering Voluntary, who used social media, etc in a very effective way to undermine the programmes, no thanks to the rest of civil society, the unions, (excepet Unite Community) what is left of the left, etc.


"Thanks! Want to anticipate what's coming next. #workfare to be tied more to 'health' policy & focus shifting to ESA?"



but as posters state, its being replaced by a much more insidious programme of coercion and psychobabble, behavioural change programmes, etc , based on the more onerous conditionality of Universal Credit, for instance, refusal to answer the phone to your 'workcoach' may result in sanctions, many sick or mentally ill people rarely pick up the phone on abad day, will they be sanctioned? The new 'Health And Work Programme' may also just be Workfare rebadged, but more difficult to respond to.

Under UC, if u don't answer the phone, u can be sanctioned. Via @refuted & @PaulieTandoori http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-11-19/17005…

i think sanctioning and saving money will be the prime mover now, the focus will be on the sick and disabled where they think there are savings to be made, but also an idological assault to make sick and disabled people think themselves into positive health and attitude, watered down Stalinism for the 21st century..

 

[smokedout]

It's very clear they are turning their attention towards those on ESA. Theres no money to be saved in the JSA system, it only costs about £4 billion a year and half of that goes in fees to welfare to work companies and Jobcentre staff, both of which are now being cut. I suspect Osborne, not IDS is calling the shots now, and we'll hear lots about a new scheme that will get one million people off the sick, just like we did with the launch of the Work Capability Assessment. Of course it won't work, and a lot of people will suffer, and it probably won't save any money but Gideon's desperate and in the fantasy land where sick and disabled people can be cured with hard work and psychobabble then it's quite easy to pretend you could save 3/4 billion by magicking them all into work.

 

[pogo 10]

FFS, just been volunteering at allotment and a guy there is volunteering there and also does a training course to help become a cooker fixer. He said hes been sanctioned for a month[was 13 weeks but they changed it] and hasnt been eating. A couple of us offered help but hes said hes ok, got baccy and is going to food bank. FFS. Told my housing officer the course im on wont make people become super confident after 5 sessions and told her i havent been well she said go to new course what theyre doing and just see what its all about. Will do january but not going next week as theres a photographer and interviewer coming.

 

[pogo 10]

Actually might go and refuse to have my picture taken and tell interviewer im not well enough to be put up shitty creek again, ffs ffs ffs.

 

[ViolentPanda]

And don't get me started on NLP. That shit stands up to about as much scrutiny as voodoo.

NLP can work on an individual basis, but that success is predicated on the person absolutely wanting to make the change envisioned - it's merely a reinforcement device, not an "agent of change" in the way many hucksters sell it. NLP hasn't worked in previous "jobs training" iterations, and incorporating it into an online self-administered CBT regime won't work either.

 

[Brainaddict]

NLP can work on an individual basis, but that success is predicated on the person absolutely wanting to make the change envisioned - it's merely a reinforcement device, not an "agent of change" in the way many hucksters sell it. NLP hasn't worked in previous "jobs training" iterations, and incorporating it into an online self-administered CBT regime won't work either.

Well, like a lot of these 'alter your thinking' methods, it can work on certain people in certain circumstances and where there aren't huge barriers (like lack of jobs) in the external world. It gets a mention in this article on the limits of positive thinking: http://theleveller.org/2015/10/positive-thinking/

 

[existentialist]

NLP can work on an individual basis, but that success is predicated on the person absolutely wanting to make the change envisioned - it's merely a reinforcement device, not an "agent of change" in the way many hucksters sell it. NLP hasn't worked in previous "jobs training" iterations, and incorporating it into an online self-administered CBT regime won't work either.

Yep. Like a lot of things, it's not so much the idea as the uses it's put to. NLP incorporates all kinds of very valid psychological ideas, and - as ViolentPanda says - with the right kind of client/subject can be very useful in many areas.

But when it's used by shitty sales training organisations to try to manipulate people into making purchasing decisions, or bowdlerised into some kind of "get well quick" scheme to be licensed at huge cost and (mis)applied to try to manipulate people into making employment choices (assuming there are any choices), its misuse in this way becomes evil.

To some extent, the same is true of CBT, which can be a fabulous intervention for the right kind of client with the right kind of problems, and the right kind of mind to work with it, but when it is rolled out in some cultish "if this doesn't fix you, you didn't want to get well enough" kind of heads-we-win, tails-you-lose intervention, that too is to misuse it in an evil way.

Actually, you could say the same about pretty much any psychological intervention. Which is why ethical practitioners are under an obligation to work in the client's best interests, not those of the provider, and why university studies and experiments have to be scrutinised by ethics committees and others for validity, ethicality, safety, and so on.

Inappropriately treating someone with psychological therapies (or "therapies") is every bit as liable to cause harm as inappropriately medicating them, so a) it needs to be validated accordingly, and b) it can't be long before the DWP start talking (they may already have?) about compulsory medication. Wait until they decide they can't trust doctors to do that right, either, and decide they're going to start administering that directly as well.

Orwell and Kafka, neck and neck...

 

[pogo 10]

Just not going back there, have been to counselling today and am going on an adventure trust trip for 5 days at end of jan and they do training courses so ill just do this instead and fuck them.

 

[J Ed]

Well, like a lot of these 'alter your thinking' methods, it can work on certain people in certain circumstances and where there aren't huge barriers (like lack of jobs) in the external world. It gets a mention in this article on the limits of positive thinking: Is the positive thinking industry built on wishful thinking? - The Leveller

One thing that's interesting to me about how it seems to be being used by the DWP is how similar that use is to the way it is used in call centres. Call centre trainers and line managers use it as a victim blaming mechanism. They will tell you that the reason the person you are dealing with on any given call is angry and unreasonable is because you aren't using the right magical words, or you aren't using them in the right way, if you were then they wouldn't be angry in the first place. Same thing with the DWP except with having a job or not.

Funnily enough I have never met any real adherents of NLP who actually took calls, just managers and trainers. I do believe that amongst these managers and trainers there were genuine believers, some seemed to think that the technique could be 'dangerous in the wrong hands'. One trainer once bragged to me about how he used NLP to pick up women, and it does seem to be based on the same bullshit pseudoscience recommended by 'Pick Up Artists'.

 

[pogo 10]

Not going back on course and def not doing other course in jan, as theyre meant to be a homeless charity when i think in reality the dwp are renting rooms off them. Shitting myself in case they stop my benefits although theyve not said its mandatory to go on course. Signed some sort of form thinking it was ok as just thought it was a self esteem course i was doing. Whole thing has turned out to be a fucking nightmare. Sneaky rats.

 

[pogo 10]

A woman who i met who said she works there was having a fag and she asked me what course i was on so i said the self esteem course so she said you dont look like you need any confidence, sneaky. The more im googling, looking on here and thinking back to the things theyve said on course the more i worry.

 

[pogo 10]

Just googled the other name they use and it says we are a company which offer training and employability skills for those not in the work club. Benefits will not be affected and we engage with people with mental health difficulties, disabilities and people with addictions. We help them into work or volunteering and offer a 6 month aftercare programme. You must be able to commit to a 2 day week minimum. The course lasts for 12 weeks. Question is can i trust them.

 

[pogo 10]

Went back today and a speaker came in and said she was funded by the dwp and helps people who are ready for work to get jobs. Woman whos running course says she offers one on one counselling. Told them i was feeling overwhelmed and not ready for work or cvs. Am not doing the course in january and going on an adventure trust for 5 days with one of the women im at counselling with arranged through my counsellors. Need to be around people who have been on similar journeys to myself. Woman who runs group has asked to come to our conversation cafe to see film we made about women with mental health difficulties so told her to come. Last day on wed and an interviewer is coming and we are having a little party.

 

[existentialist]

Ask anyone who's claiming to offer 1-2-1 counselling which professional body they are a member of. Then come back and tell us.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but it's generally accepted that it's wise only to work with counsellors who are members of a reputable professional association, such as UKCP, BACP, BABCP (other bodies are available)

 

[pogo 10]

Ask anyone who's claiming to offer 1-2-1 counselling which professional body they are a member of. Then come back and tell us.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but it's generally accepted that it's wise only to work with counsellors who are members of a reputable professional association, such as UKCP, BACP, BABCP (other bodies are available)

Asked her today what sort of counselling did she offer and she started talking to someone else so ive now decided not to go on wednesday and am going to tell my counsellors that if she comes to convo cafes that i already receive counselling and am not going to engage in one to one with them. Saw my volunteer today and she was lovely and asked me if they put me under pressure, said no it was ok but wasnt going on their course in jan. My counsellors are great and am not happy anywhere else.

 

[pogo 10]

Ask anyone who's claiming to offer 1-2-1 counselling which professional body they are a member of. Then come back and tell us.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but it's generally accepted that it's wise only to work with counsellors who are members of a reputable professional association, such as UKCP, BACP, BABCP (other bodies are available)

Asked her today what sort of counselling did she offer and she started talking to someone else so ive now decided not to go on wednesday and am going to tell my counsellors that if she comes to convo cafes that i already receive counselling and am not going to engage in one to one with them. Saw my volunteer today and she was lovely and asked me if they put me under pressure, said no it was ok but wasnt going on their course in jan. My counsellors are great and am not happy anywhere else.

 

[pogo 10]

Ask anyone who's claiming to offer 1-2-1 counselling which professional body they are a member of. Then come back and tell us.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but it's generally accepted that it's wise only to work with counsellors who are members of a reputable professional association, such as UKCP, BACP, BABCP (other bodies are available)

Asked her today what sort of counselling did she offer and she started talking to someone else so ive now decided not to go on wednesday and am going to tell my counsellors that if she comes to convo cafes that i already receive counselling and am not going to engage in one to one with them. Saw my volunteer today and she was lovely and asked me if they put me under pressure, said no it was ok but wasnt going on their course in jan. My counsellors are great and am not happy anywhere else.

 

[pogo 10]

Ask anyone who's claiming to offer 1-2-1 counselling which professional body they are a member of. Then come back and tell us.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but it's generally accepted that it's wise only to work with counsellors who are members of a reputable professional association, such as UKCP, BACP, BABCP (other bodies are available)

Asked her today what sort of counselling did she offer and she started talking to someone else so ive now decided not to go on wednesday and am going to tell my counsellors that if she comes to convo cafes that i already receive counselling and am not going to engage in one to one with them. Saw my volunteer today and she was lovely and asked me if they put me under pressure, said no it was ok but wasnt going on their course in jan. My counsellors are great and am not happy anywhere else.

 

[pogo 10]

She tried to say again today to come to the job club, told her im not ready.