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Bullpoofilter

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  1. 1) The general idea behind it may be a good one - absolutely, as an employer I see so many half hearted attempts at interviews / applications that the idea of providing assistance or training is, on the face of it, an excellent one. 2) There are some people that "play" the system in fact with ESA things are so bad you often do have to describe your condition on the worst possible day - also true, the sad fact is that people do play the 'system' like other minority groups they are not representative of the majority of their peers in a similar situation. But, the sad fact is that for some, not all, it is seen as a lifestyle choice. 3) People who work for the various work providers are generally ok people who are doing a job to the best of their ability although they may get worn down by the constant demands placed on them by clients and employer - I became an adviser for a prime with that intention of doing what I could to help, I left 6 months later. There were no nasty or cruel people that I worked with, we were there to do a job and at times that job was especially challenging. 4) Making it a business where profit is based on results causes more problems than it solves - completely agree, sadly though outcomes based funding is now prevalent as the bean counters need a box to tick 5) The DWP can abdicate from the bad processes by blaming the work providers nothing like outsourcing your problems to clear up your image 6) There is a general lack of training with the advisers, particularly where disabilities are concerned and even more so where MH issues are concerned - totally agree, we spent at most a couple of days looking at it. The focus was always on what the person could do rather on what they could not.. I found that actually spending time with people who could be helped was frowned upon as it didn't get quick results, I had over 250 individual clients at any one time all of whom had their own needs and requirements, as much as I might have wanted to, there was never enough time to spend in a quality manner. Likewise I had my fair share of people who were excellent, capable people with whom I thoroughly enjoyed my time and learnt from, they made the appointments with the aggressive, physically threatening people go just that little bit quicker, those who wanted to demean and berate, shout and swear and generally cause mayhem in the hope that you'd get fed up were just part of the job. I was called some wonderful names and have no doubt that some who read this will be thinking exactly the same and that's your choice... The work programme, in any form is going to be a challenge, there's no sticking plaster to cure the lack of jobs in the job roles that so many people were reliant on for their whole career. Likewise, you can't force someone to do something but it's clear that our government is constantly seeking out more persuasive ways of asking not-so-nicely. I could go on, but I won't.
  2. Unfortunately gift vouchers are subject to the terms and conditions specified by the trader. Part and parcel of buying them is the acceptance of these terms. I guess that the fact that over 14 months has passed since their expiry doesn't add anything to a request for a re-issue under goodwill. Sorry that I can't give you more positive news.
  3. Is that you offering your services San D? More: Consumer Action Group and less Complaining And Grumbling
  4. You know what? I agree with you... Even if the advisor did raise a doubt - which I would be frankly astonished if they did, it would still have to get past a decision maker. I also agree that serious damage can be done by someone unqualified and ill-equipped to help. So, it's important to realise the limitations of the service - healthcare and treatment is provided by the NHS, not the DWP. There's also a massive difference between an issue with confidence and significant and life-limiting anxiety, it's an unrealistic expectation on anyone who is not suitably qualified to make that diagnosis. The advisor can only work with what they know and have at their disposal and it's unrealistic to expect that every person we encounter on our path through life is qualified to the extent that they can make these decisions, hence my recommendation to seek medical help.
  5. Actually, this isn't strictly true. Tell your friend to ask for a referral to the Mental Health side of the Health and Wellbeing team, all offices have access to a qualified Mental Health worker. It's important to mention that they are not there to help your friend 'jump the queue' into NHS treatment. They are there however to help people and should be used where needed. The workers are independant from the advisers and their work isn't shared. Lastly, if your friend is finding that the anxiety they feel is making situations so stressful that they feel they need to leave it's a good indication that medical help via their GP is worth starting.
  6. You've done the right thing by asking. It might also be worth contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau or a Welfare Rights Officer. You can often find Welfare Rights contact details on the website of your Local Authority webpage. Good luck getting this all sorted out.
  7. That's quite right, a MAN must be sent in the manner specified. A non mandatory appointment can be arranged in a way that doesn't meet the MAN criteria. I would often send reminder messages to people, especially if they were regular non attenders but only if it'd been preceded by a MAN letter. It may be that the appointment is non mandatory in which case there's no harm in asking if someone can come in the following day. Check the address on file for you to make sure the MAN is being to the correct address. The JCP would often not inform us of any changes for a few weeks.
  8. To be fair I wouldn't engage with him. Just deal with it though the manager and don't give anyone a chance to get into a confrontation.
  9. I don't think I know anyone that likes doing the introduction part of a meeting especially the 'creeping death' technique that has each person introduce themselves in turn. That said I too have seen it at just about every meeting and interview I've ever been too from my Uni job in a supermarket to project board meetings at a national level. Getting comfortable with saying 'Hi, my name is....' Is really a valuable thing. The idea of writing something down is great too.
  10. See to be fair, there's very little to be nervous about. I know it's easy for me to say that sat behind a computer but introducing yourself is just that - nothing more. Everyone in the room is going to be feeling exactly the same as you and introducing yourself is a good way of breaking the ice and getting people to feel a little more relaxed. The way I've always looked at it is that there's every chance that you'll never meet those people again and if you do, you now share a common understanding and may even strike up a conversation / friendship.
  11. Joe, I never attended one whilst I was there but if my memory serves me correctly the workshop was more about methods and means of dealing with challenging situations. If you would prefer not to speak then mention it to the person facilitating the group before you go in and don't worry about it. You may be asked to introduce yourself at the beginning but have a chat with the facilitator beforehand.
  12. They must as far as the Sales of Goods Act is concerned repair, replace or refund - it's their discretion as to which they do.
  13. Monty, just read through your post and wanted to take a little while to reflect on it before I responded. Firstly, the initial appointment is nothing to be concerned about. It's really a 'getting to know you' exercise where you'll be asked a series of questions by your advisor. These are things like preferences / skills / any health issues etc. You'll also be asked to sign a pair of forms - there's stacks of information floating about on these and it's your choice whether or not you sign them. Have a read through them and make your own choice. and, that's about it beyond making a follow-up appointment. A few 'survival' tips I'd recommend. The offices can be busy places, especially if they're in big cities. So, when you get your appointment call the office and ask to be seen in a side room. You can also ask if you can be the first / last appointment of the day which generally helps as less people are milling around. Remember, your advisor won't know any of what you've written above so don't expect them to, explain the things you find challenging as it makes for an easier appointment for all concerned. If there are things that you'd rather not do then think of the things that you do want to do and what you need in order to get one of those jobs. Your advisor will do what they can but they don't have all of the answers. They almost certainly won't be a networking engineer / website designer so to help you through the recruitment process they'll be asking you plenty of questions, don't be purturbed by this. They're there to help you with the recruitment part - not doing the job itself. Lastly, have a think about seeing your GP there seems to be plenty happening for you right now and they really are there to help, and trust me, there's nothing they haven't heard before.
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