Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgements 9
Summary 10
1. Introduction 18
1.1. Policy and operational context 18
1.1.1. Provider-led Pathways and Jobcentre Plus-led Pathways 18
1.1.2. Funding arrangements and targets for Provider-led Pathways 19
1.1.3. Contract management 20
1.1.4. The Provider-led Pathways process 20
1.2. Research aims and questions 21
1.3. Research design and methods 22
1.4. Structure of the report 24
2. The experiences and views of Jobcentre Plus Advisers, Third Party Provision Managers and Contract Managers 26
2.1. Programme design 26
2.1.1. Contract design and implementation 26
2.1.2. The role of Jobcentre Plus advisers 27
2.1.3. Provision for existing incapacity benefits recipients 27
2.2. The work-focused interview at jobcentre Plus and handover processes 28
2.2.1. Referral rates from Jobcentre Plus to providers 28
2.2.2. Content of the interview and PLPA explanation of provider 30
2.2.3. Making referrals and transferring information 32
2.2.4. Client attendance at provider interviews 32
2.2.5. Jobcentre Plus post-referral contact with clients 33
2.2.6. Advisers' awareness of client progress 34
2.2.7. Working relationships with provider staff 35
2.3. TPPMs' and Contract Managers' roles and working relationships 37
2.3.1. The rdes of TPPMs and Contract Managers 37
2.3.2. Relationships between TPPMs and Contract Managers 39
2.3.3. Relationships between TPPMs or Contract Managers and provider managers 40
2.4. Provider delivery and performance 41
2.4.1. Views about provider staffing 41
2.4.2. Views about providers' use of waivers, deferrals and sanctions 42
2.4.3. Views about client interventions offered 42
2.4.4. Views about provider performance 44
2.5. Summary 46
3. The experiences and views of provider frontline staff and managers 48
3.1. The handover from Jobcntre PIus to providers 48
3.1.1. Volume of referrals 48
3.1.2. Jobcentre Plus waivers and deferrals 49
3.1.3. PLPA explanation of provider 49
3.1.4. Making referrals and transferring information 50
3.1.5. Working relationships between provider staff and Jobcentre Plus staff 51
3.2. Provider delivery 53
3.2.1. Implementation 53
3.2.2. Location and premises 53
3.2.3. Staff recruitment, retention and development 53
3.2.4. Models of delivery 55
3.2.5. Conducting work-focused interviews 57
3.2.6. Failing to attend and sanctioning 59
3.2.7. Provision of client interventions 60
3.2.8. Working relationships 63
3.3. Provider performance 64
3.3.1. Client feedback 64
3.3.2. Views about performance 65
3.4. Summary 67
4. The experiences and views of incapacity benefits recipients taking part in Provider-led Pathways 70
4.1. Employment positions over time 70
4.1.1. Employment position at the time of the research interview 70
4.1.2. Thoughts about health and paid work before the first work-focused interview with the provider 71
4.2. Learning about Provider-led Pathways 72
4.2.1. How people came to learn about Provider-led Pathways 72
4.2.2. Information about the provider received by those who did not have a work-focused interview at Jobcentre Plus 73
4.3. The work-focused interview at Jobcentre PIus 73
4.3.1. Information about the provider received by those who had a work-focused interview at Jobcentre Plus 73
4.3.2. Views about the usefulness and relevance of the work-focused interview at Jobcentre Plus 74
4.4. Understanding what would happen with the Pathways provider 74
4.4.1. The requirement to attend further work-focused interviews with the provider 74
4.4.2. Impressions of the provider before attending the first work-focused interview 76
4.4.3. Making appointments with the provider 76
4.5. Contact with the Pathways provider 77
4.5.1. The first work-focused interview at the provider 77
4.5.2. Subsequent work-focused interviews at the provider 79
4.5.3. Views about work-focused interviews and other contact with the Pathways provider 79
4.5.4. Failure to attend work-focused interviews with the provider 81
4.5.5. Understandings, perceptions and experiences of sanctions 81
4.5.6. Views about location and premises 82
4.6. Experiences of provider support 83
4.7. Support received through other sources 85
4.7.1. Support from Jobcentre Plus 85
4.7.2. Support from family and informal networks 86
4.8. Current situation and influences in moving towards work 87
4.8.1. People who had moved into employment 88
4.8.2. People thinking about paid work and taking steps towards it 89
4.8.3. People not currently thinking about work 90
4.8.4. People who wanted paid work but thought it an unlikely possibility 90
4.9. Views on the future 90
4.10. Summary 93
5. Conclusions and discussion 96
5.1. Tension between the 'black box' contract design and the expectations and level of involvement of Jobcentre Plus and Department for Work and Pensions 96
5.2. The tension between the discretion given to providers in establishing Condition Management Programmes and expectations of its use 98
5.3. Unclear divisions of responsibility 98
5.4. The implications of procedural problems 99
5.4.1. Information provision 100
5.4.2. Procedural efficiency 100
5.5. The importance of attendance at the Jobcentre Plus work-focused interview 101
5.6. Failing to attend and sanctioning 102
5.7. The fit between what Provider-led Pathways provides and people's expectations and needs 103
5.7.1. Contact and support over a period of time 103
5.7.2. Staff knowledge and skills 103
5.7.3. The tension between job outcome targets and tailoring support to people's needs 104
5.7.4. Providing the required support 105
5.7.5. In-work support 106
5.7.6. Client choice 106
5.8. Summary: lessons learned so far 106
5.8.1. Client circumstances and attitudes 106
5.8.2. Working well 107
5.8.3. Problems emerging 107
5.8.4. Concluding comments 108
Appendix 110
Appendix A. Provider-led Pathways, early implementation study: research methods 110
Appendix B. Research instiwients 124
Table 1.1. Achieved interviews across six fieldwork sites 23
Table 1.2. Main characteristics of the client sample 23
Table A.1. Recruitment 113
Table A.2. Job titles and roles of participating frontline staff 120
Table A.3. Age and sex of participants 121
Table A.4. Household types amongst participants 121
Table A.5. Self-reported health conditions 122
Figure 4.1. Employment transitions 88