Personal Advisor role William Smith Ingeus Europe
The Era of the Personal Advisor Up to 1997 – advisory jobs linked to parts of the benefit claim – eg New Claims Advisors or Restart Advisors Not possible for clients to see the same advisor each time With New Deal - emphasis on continuity of support plus with a named personal advisor for every client visit Huge increase in new personal advisors created by Jobcentres as well as other Provider organisations In Australia tendency was for diagnostic interviews in a private personal advisor office - with job-matching and other tasks provided by other less experienced staff
The generalist personal advisor High client volumes – need for Personal Advisor interactions in open plan offices Many tasks expected from each Personal Advisor Caseload sizes adjusted for regular interventions of appropriate time Early stages of unemployment – fortnightly interventions (less than 5 mins)- caseload sizes of several hundred Later stages with longer interventions - caseloads of between 30 and 50
Tasks expected of Advisors
Common issues faced by personal advsiors Client Interview Skills CVs & Applications Low Confidence Debt & Arrears Childcare Health Problems Housing Problems Criminal Record ESOL Needs Basic Skills Needs Lack of Experience Transport Appropriate Clothing
Roles more tightly defined Engagement advisors - selling active participation Streaming - appropriate for many clients One speed doesnt suit all Support and referral of specialists - psychologists and physiotherapists Value of group sessions and peer encouragement Guidance for self-help Choice between providers and within provision Recent contracts – greater specialisation
Most European countries have programmes involving personal advisors In many (such as Germany and Sweden) minimum caseload sizes are specified For Ingeus – the job descriptions and tasks are the same Cultural factors – such as the acceptability about challenging client expectations In France – importance of the pilot (receptionist) International Variations