If this is how A4e works, no wonder it’s in big trouble
LAST November, my local Job centre referred me to A4e, a ‘social purpose’ company that is supposed to help people find work and which handles millions of pounds’ worth of government contracts. The aim was for me to undertake a one-month placement as part of a programme it described as ‘mandatory work activity’ (MWA). It was meant as a precursor to the work programme proper — all those deemed eligible for the work programme, which aims to help people find and stay in employment, had to complete a onemonth placement before their first work programme interview. A few days after the referral, A4e phoned asking a few questions, in particular what kind of work I was looking for. I said I’d worked with homeless and disadvantaged people in a professional capacity and it would be good to do a work placement with a local homeless charity and prove to myself I could still do the job. A week later, the local A4e office in Eastbourne advised me it was setting up a placement with a homeless day centre charity. Then I was told it would undergo a vetting procedure, including a health-and-safety audit. Finally, I was told everything was OK and I was given a start date, confirmed in writing the following day. I liked the job very much and the day centre liked me, but when I tried to collect my travelling expenses from A4e, I was told the placement hadn’t been vetted and my start date was being deferred. I became suspicious when my A4e adviser insisted I dealt through them and not with the Job centre. After that, A4e didn’t bother to contact me at all. When I called two weeks later, I was told it had failed the health-and-safety audit. I haven’t been contacted since. The organisation has also failed to contact the Jobcentre, despite several requests, and has now been referred to an investigation team at the Department of Work and Pensions. The Jobcentre has now bypassed MWA and referred me to the work programme proper. A4e has failed to communicate with the DWP on this matter and has remained silent despite several requests for information. What an utter shambles.
SEAN WHITE, Lewes, Sussex.