Friday 30 November 2012

So I have written to my Job Advisor's boss. It's not at all fun all this you know.

Dear Ms ----

I am writing to you to request a change of Job Advisor.

Currently I am being advised by ----, and although she is always polite to me I believe that she has not fully considered what is best for me in my current situation.

She recently referred me to the Launchpad course for single parents which she claims is 'mandatory', yet I have researched this and found out that this is not the case if a claimant is already undertaking voluntary work or is already in training. I finished a Diploma in Gardening in May and was planning to do the second part starting in September but was told by ---- that I wouldn't be able to do this as I
had to start Launchpad. This was misleading.

I have now missed the opportunity to take part in this course. I am not sure this makes sense. I have read this in a DWP document:


'This module will be aimed at lone parents who have no recent work experience, who may need support to overcome a number of barriers'.

I am not that person. I have been gaining work experience and know what I want to do. I don't feel I have any barriers to overcome as I am resourceful and make the most of every opportunity. I really want to get a job. I even made steps toward organising a work placement at the nursery where I was volunteering, but was told by ---- that I could not do this as I would have to do a work placement chosen by the Job Centre in retail. I don't want to work in retail.


I went along to the first day of Launchpad, explained my situation, was told that I wasn't right for the course, and that there was another course more suited to me, that was for 6 hours a week.

On telling ---- this, she phoned A4E up and is in the process of trying to get me back on the 8 week full-time Launchpad course/Workfare placement.


“The following steps must be taken on every occasion you want to mandate a participant to do something:

Ensure that the activity is reasonable in the participant’s circumstances
 

I do not believe that going on Launchpad and the subsequent Workfare placement is a reasonable course of action for me.

I hope you can place me with an advisor that understands my circumstances. I have an appointment with ---- on Monday at 11.50 and would prefer not to see her as I feel she does not have my best interests at heart. This has made me feel very demotivated and I always come away from our meetings feeling as if I am being difficult instead of actively trying to make my life better.


Thanks for your time


-
I can tell you that her bosses name is Jolene, which means when I go in on Monday to speak to them both (I have awoken the dragon) the only thing that will be in my head the whole time is this:

'I had to have this talk with you/my happiness depends on you/and whatever you decide to do/Jo-leeeeene'. 

1 comment:

  1. Good luck, I hope you get a better adviser. I was in a similar position with an adviser who I wasn't happy with. I later realised she had misled me and I made a complaint. Anyway, some time later I get another appointment and it was the same person. I phoned up the Jobcentre office manager and asked to see someone else. They told me that I would have to travel to another jobcentre, which I happily accepted. Hope you're able to get someone else without them making trouble for you.

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