Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 6
The Authors 7
Glossary 8
Abbreviations 9
Summary 10
1. Introduction 16
1.1 Background 16
1.2 Research objectives 17
1.3 Methodology 17
1.4 Response rates and non-response bias 18
1.5 Interpretation of the data 18
2. Levels of visitor traffic and type of contact 20
2.1 Introduction 20
2.2 Visitor traffic 20
2.3 Type of contact 22
3. Unappointed face-to-face contacts 25
3.1 Profile of unappointed face-to-face contacts 25
3.2 Reasons for visit 31
3.3 Time spent with Jobcentre Plus staff 33
3.4 Source of advice to visit the Jobcentre Plus office in person 34
3.5 Attempts to use alternative channels 36
3.6 Sources of contact failure 37
3.7 Reasons for not using alternative contact channels 38
3.8 Awareness of alternative contact channels 40
3.9 Drivers of channel preference 41
3.10 Contact channel preferences by type of contact 42
4. Conclusions and recommendations 44
4.1 Conclusions 44
4.2 Summary of recommendations 47
Appendix A. Detailed methodology (including weighting) 48
Sampling 49
Weighting 49
Stage 1 - Applying slot-specific weights to the contact sheet records 50
Stage 2 - Relating footfall for a recorded day up to a full week 51
Stage 3 - Applying weights at Jobcentre level to scale results for surveyed Jobcentres to the population 52
Appendix B. Statistical reliability 54
Appendix C. Footfall count sheet 56
Appendix D. Contact sheet interview 59
Appendix E. Unappointed face-to-face contact questionnaire 62
Appendix F. Definition of contact drivers 75
Appendix G. Jobcentre Plus offices surveyed 76
Table 2.1 Breakdown of weekly visitors, by region 23
Table B.1 Possible variation because a sample, rather than the entire population, was interviewed 54
Table B.2 The 95 per cent confidence interval for the overall footfall and the unappointed face-to-face figures 55
Figure 1. Type of contact 12
Figure 2.1 Distribution of visitor traffic, by day of the week and gender 21
Figure 2.2 Visitor traffic, by time of day and day of the week 22
Figure 2.3 Type of contact 23
Figure 2.4 Use of the Jobpoints and warm-phones 24
Figure 3.1 Gender and age profile 26
Figure 3.2 Economic status 27
Figure 3.3 Benefit type 27
Figure 3.4 Ethnicity and language 28
Figure 3.5 Longstanding illness/disability 29
Figure 3.6 Access to telephone and internet 30
Figure 3.7 Reasons for visit 31
Figure 3.8 Drivers of unappointed face-to-face contact 32
Figure 3.9 Time spent with staff 34
Figure 3.10 Source of advice to visit in person 35
Figure 3.11 Attempts to use alternative contact channels 36
Figure 3.12 Sources of contact failure 37
Figure 3.13 Reasons for not trying alternative channels 39
Figure 3.14 Awareness of Jobcentre Plus services and alternative contact channels 40
Figure 3.15 Drivers of channel preference 42
Figure 3.16 Contact channel preferences by type of contact 43