1. Personalising the Claimant Commitment

2. About Community Links
Local frontline service delivery organisation – 35 years in Newham
Advice, Employment & Training, Education, Community Hubs
300 staff, 1,500 volunteers
Nationally focused policy and research team

3. Community Links and Conditionality
We apply and appeal sanctions
Operational issues and policy issues
People being wrongly sanctioned
Providers don’t have control over sanctions
Led us to develop a programme of work on how to use sanctions more effectively

4. Building up the evidence..
EU Working age poverty –support and sanctions
2011 – UC green paper; change in tone
- DWP stakeholder group – CC
- Westminster lobby activity
- Monitoring welfare programme

5. Personalising conditionality – how to make it more effective: Deep Value‘
The principle behind conditionality is to ensure claimants compliance with a course of actions’
compliance should only be required if the actions address a claimant’s personal needs and are decided in a collaborative nature; engaging and motivating claimants. 
The journey back to work should be seen by both adviser and claimant as a mutual endeavour based on a shared sense of responsibility.
Sanctioning people is not the only way to ensure compliance; we believe it should be a last resort when all support has been exhausted.

6. Clarify the role of Conditionality and Support
Better understanding of the role of conditionality – about addressing behaviour
Tailored support means tailored conditionality
Better evaluation of why sanctions are being issued

7. The Claimant Commitment.. good points
Clarity – provides notices and explanation
Simplification
More discretion at the front line
Dynamic document
Takes into account personal circumstances

8. The less good bits It remains a one way commitment
Training and monitoring staff
Diagnosis of support needs
3 year fixed sanctions not changing behaviour

9. Challenges and opportunities
A new approach/model for conditionality: a joint personalised approach with the conditionality system linked closely to that of support
Better identification of support needs
More tailored support and conditionality
Reduced errors and appeals
A new relationship between Jobcentre Plus and the claimant. This type of relationship has clear expectations, is based on performance, support and motivation.

10. What we would like to see..
Clear goal setting (short and long term)
• An all encompassing diagnostic needs assessment (including all barriers to
employment)
• Support the claimant can expect and possible sanctions clearly defined
• A transparent and mutually agreed contract that is reviewed on a regular basis

11. Challenges Harsher sanctions – distance from labour market
Costs to tailor support and conditionality
Good monitoring and evaluation that distinguishes between support and conditionality
In-work Conditionality

12. Impact on delivery
Parallel Journeys: the Claimant Commitment needs to be handed over to Work Programme providers
Claimant Commitment approach and the black box
JCP and Local Authorities delivering the LSSF
Expansion of conditionality – Housing Associations, Local Authorities

13. Maeve McGoldrick, Policy and Public Affairs Manager
Contact Details
Maeve McGoldrick, Policy and Public Affairs Manager