It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

To ensure the continuous improvement, Work Coaches learning is regularly reviewed with policy colleagues, work psychologists and representatives from service delivery. Through our evaluation strategy at key points, we conduct surveys to gather quantitative and qualitative data on learners’ experience, the questions focus on knowledge, confidence and required support. We also hold listening circles with Work Coaches to gather evidence of the effectiveness of the learning and consolidation. All opportunities to improve our products are impacted and changes are made as quickly as possible.

There are 10 Jobcentres within County Durham, all of which have teams who actively collaborate with a range of partners to support people into work and, help employers to fill vacancies.

The Jobcentres are working with partners such as Durham New College, Derwentside College, East Durham College, Durham County Council, Barclays, the NHS, Community Hubs, National Careers Service, and Mental Health Matters to provide a wraparound employment and skills offer for customers. This offer is designed to support customers and help them find work and, help meet the recruitment needs of local employers.

We take a sector-based approach to recruitment and our Jobcentres have been working closely with employers to run Job Fairs for various sectors including manufacturing, Civil Service, hospitality, logistics, health care, construction, retail, security, adult social care and telecoms. As an example, Durham Jobcentre recently hosted a Care focussed event with employers including Care Academy, Embracing Care, HC One, Kelly Park and the NHS.

Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) offer advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and those with health conditions into work. the Embracing Employment and Healthcare trial is currently being piloted within Durham City Jobcentre. Employment and Healthcare Practitioners (EHPs) are co located within the Jobcentre working with customers who apply for Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit and who have declared a health condition or disability. EHP’s work with them to understand the impact their health condition has on their daily lives, identifying their individual barriers and support them in addressing those barriers.

Our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into employment and helping those in work to progress. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering recruitment days, job fairs, and work trials and more intensive employment programmes.

Specifically on veterans, DWP takes its responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. Veterans who need help from the department in finding work receive support from their Work Coach, who are trained to provide tailored and personalised support to claimants dependant on their individual circumstances. For those who need specialist support, we have a network of Armed Forces Champions in every Jobcentre Plus District, providing specialist support to members of the Armed Forces community. Armed Forces Champions develop and maintain joint working relationships, provide specialist support to all Jobcentre staff and act as the first point of contact in communities for organisations and services.

Although there has been no specific assessment conducted, the Department monitors the support delivered through our Jobcentre network to ensure we offer the best service possible, and we have had and continue to receive positive feedback from customers and external stakeholders regarding their experience of working with Armed Forces Champions.

Champions are allocated to Jobcentre Plus Districts, rather than individual Jobcentres.

Our model for Armed Forces Champions comprises 50 Armed Forces Champions working alongside 11 Group Leads at managerial level in 37 Districts. This ensures that there is at least one Armed Forces Champion role allocated to each Jobcentre Plus District supported by a Group network, with resources in the network targeted where there is geographically particularly high levels of demand, for example in areas where a garrison is located.

In addition to the Armed Forces Champions roles, all Work Coaches are trained to provide veterans and others with the help and support they need to access both benefits and employment support.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Details of roles undertaken by staff before joining the department is not held centrally.

The local Jobcentre team are collaborating with a range of partners to support people into work and help employers fill vacancies. In addition to hosting job fairs, delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), and hosting employer Group Information Sessions, Southport Jobcentre is working with Sefton Council, local colleges, care & childcare providers, manufacturing, retail, education, agriculture, and hospitality companies, to provide an employment and skills offer to help meet the recruitment needs of local employers.

Southport Jobcentre has been working closely with employers such as Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s to hosts SWAP’s for Southport residents to have direct access to live vacancies. The Jobcentre has also collaborated with Southport College to hosts job fairs to bring together national and local employers for job opportunities as well as providers to support customers with breaking down barriers to work. Additionally, the Jobcentre looks forward to supporting Southport’s future regeneration and exciting projects which includes the Southport Enterprise Arcade, the Garrick Theatre development and the Marine Lake Events Centre.

Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) offer advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work, alongside close working with Merseycare, The Peer Mentoring Service, Life Rooms, and Sefton Council. Southport Jobcentre colleagues also attend local events to highlight the support available, including Access to Work, Disability Confident and the Working Health Pioneer programme.

We currently provide assistance and support through a variety of channels, including face to face in all of our jobcentres across the United Kingdom.

We have a dedicated team in place to support customers in receipt of a Migration Notice to transition to Universal Credit including a dedicated telephone line for queries.

We continue to learn what we need to put in place for customers receiving a Migration Notice to support their transition to Universal Credit.

We currently provide assistance and support through a variety of channels, including face to face in all of our jobcentres across the United Kingdom.

We have a dedicated team in place to support customers in receipt of a Migration Notice to transition to Universal Credit including a dedicated telephone line for queries.

We continue to learn what we need to put in place for customers receiving a Migration Notice to support their transition to Universal Credit.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the support available in Jobcentres in South East Cornwall constituency.

I am sure I speak for the whole House when I join my hon. Friend in sending our condolences to the family and friends of her predecessor.

Our employment relation teams are working hard with local employers to match customers to the vacancies in my hon. Friend’s businesses. We are building skills, working with sector-based work academy programmes and boot camps, supporting people with a generous increased childcare offer of up to £1,000 for one child and £1,700 for two, and helping people with access to travel. For those on the health journey, later this year we will roll out our WorkWell programme across England, including in areas in the south-west.

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to put on record my condolences to the family and many friends of my immediate predecessor Colin Breed, who sadly passed away last Thursday.

Under the Conservatives, we have near record levels of payrolled employment and I regularly hear from employers that they cannot get the staff needed. Last month’s House of Commons Library paper on people claiming unemployment benefits stated that 1,405 people were doing so in my constituency. What more can the Department do to make sure that the unemployed are ready to fit into vacancies as they arise by looking at what local businesses need?

We will always take a reasonable view and make sure that unavoidable circumstances such as those the hon. Gentleman speaks of will be taken into account when talking to customers.

On specific days, jobcentres have been closed due to ongoing industrial action. Can the Minister assure me that anybody who misses an appointment due to that action will not be sanctioned?

My hon. Friend will know that her local jobcentres are doing a good job of helping people find and progress in work in her area, driving the recruitment of seasonal workers and creating exciting partnerships with employers such as Morrisons.