DEPARTMENT FOR WORK
AND PENSIONS News Release (Reference:EMP - 040) issued by The
Government News Network on 26 September 2007
Citizens Advice
and Jobcentre Plus have today announced a new partnership
agreement to improve links between them and deliver better advice
and support to people in England and Wales.
This improved cooperation, both locally and nationally, will
enable both organisations to give their clients and customers the
best possible advice and support. It will also provide greater
opportunities for Citizens Advice and other local partners to
contribute to the development and delivery of further improved
Jobcentre Plus services.
David Harker, Chief Executive for Citizens Advice said;
"This partnership agreement is about putting vulnerable
people at the heart of everything that both we and Jobcentre Plus
do. Our staff are in regular contact with Jobcentre Plus staff and
we want to improve the way people are given help, both through
bureaux and in Jobcentre Plus offices. We believe that CAB staff
will be able to make a valuable contribution to improvements and
future developments on the Jobcentre Plus network and want to
share our experience to facilitate this."
Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus said; "I
am delighted that Jobcentre Plus and Citizens Advice have signed
up to improving the way we work together. We are committed to
improving our services to customers, and this agreement represents
a new phase in our relationship with Citizens Advice. CAB, and
other partnerships organisations, make a valuable contribution to
helping us meet our overall aim of work for those who can and
support for those who cannot."
The partnership agreement is a result of joint working and
discussion between the two organisations. Jobcentre Plus helps
around 850,000 people each year into work, and pays benefits to
6.5 million people. It provides a range of services for
individuals and employers, both directly and in partnership with
other organisations.
Jobcentre Plus is modernising and improving the way its services
are delivered with the aim of improving its customer service. As
well as a national network of Jobcentres, it now operates a
network of Contact Centres and Benefit Delivery Centres and every
working day helps over 6,000 customers move into work.
Citizens Advice Bureaux advise over 2 million people each year on
employment, benefits and tax credits. In the financial year
2006/07 the CAB service helped people deal with more then 5.7
million problems, the most common being debt and welfare benefits.
Many clients that use a local CAB are also customers of Jobcentre
Plus and many are amongst the poorest and most vulnerable members
of society.
The two organisations intend to finalise a plan by the end of
2007 detailing the activity that will help facilitate good
communication, regular meetings and updates and information
sharing. The partnership agreement was announced at the CAB
service's annual conference in York on 25th September 2007.
Jobcentre Plus is also working with Citizens Advice Scotland on a
similar partnership agreement.
For more information on Citizens Advice contact:
Sarah Miller
020 7833 7178 or 07792 295083
sarah.miller@citizensadvice.org.uk
For further information on Jobcentre Plus:
For services that
Jobcentre Plus provides employers and people of working age visit
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Website http://www.dwp.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Citizens Advice
1. The Citizens Advice service is a network of independent
charities that helps people resolve their money, legal and other
problems by providing information and advice and by influencing
policymakers. For more information see http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free,
independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to
everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual
orientation, religion, age or nationality.
3. In the average month there are 600,000 visits to our
award-winning advice and information site http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
4. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers,
working at around 3,400 service outlets across England and Wales.
5. To volunteer call the volunteer hotline on 08451 264264
(local rate)
6. Citizens Advice Handbook, over 600 pages of practical,
independent CAB advice. An invaluable resource for any bookshelf -
available from all good bookshops or via http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
Citizens Advice Handbook; Penguin reference; Price £12; ISBN 0-141-01678-7.
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions,
brings together employment and benefit services for people of
working age and is a key element in the Government's
objectives to help people based on 'Work for those who can,
support for those who cannot'. It provides a professional and
modern service to meet the diverse needs of employers and those
seeking work, including:
* Personal advisers to provide practical support and advice to
help those in need find and keep work, including training
provision and benefits guidance
* A dedicated service to support employers in filling their
vacancies quickly and successfully, including the ability to place
jobs online
* Ability to search for jobs both online and over the phone
through Jobpoints in Jobcentre Plus offices, the Jobseeker Direct
phone line and through the website
* Swift, secure and professional access to benefits for those
entitled to them.
Customers can access Jobcentre Plus services through around 1,000
locations across Great Britain, including over 800 newly
refurbished Jobcentre Plus offices. Touch-screen terminals and
Customer Access Phones are also available in a further 120 sites
such as libraries and local authority premises. Jobcentre Plus
works with over 275,000 employers to place 17,000 people into work
every week. Over 400,000 vacancies are listed each week on its
website and more than 4m job search requests are received, making
it the number one UK recruitment website.