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Next Step Operating Instructions: INTRODUCTION

1. accessing further fully funded support via the telephone channel of the service delivery or European Union 9 3 European Social Fund j nd skills Investing in jobs and skills using another provider of their choice for further specific face to face support with charges agreed between the individual and the provider 14 Prime Contractors will be able to inform individuals about other specialist fee charging services which may be useful to them Where a customer chooses to pay for this service outside of the core offer the fee is paid directly to the service provider The option to pay for services outside of the core offer only applies to the face to face channel For August 2010 customers will not have the ability to pay for services through the telephone or web Channels 15 Further information about how information on paying customers should be recorded will be provided in due course Evidence 16 Evidence for payment for advice sessions will be based on the production of a signed Skills Action Plan There is no requirement for the Data Capture form to be signed 17 All customers should be treated as new customers from 1August 2010 Evidence for outcome payments 18 There will be no requirement to follow up customers after 31 July from the existing contract Outcome payments relating to anyone seen under this contract will need to be claimed by 31 August 2010 19 It is a requirement of the service that e
2. THEFT S Thievery THIEF THIEVE S YOI YOT European Union 6 2 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 12 Operating Instructions National Measures KPIs and Service Levels 1 National measures key performance indicators KPIs and Service Levels have been defined to measure overall performance across the service 2 Regional KPIs will also be agreed for each Prime Contractor and will form part of the Prime Contractor s contract for delivery of the service Customised KPIs will also be established for the telephone channel National measures Targets 3 The following overall national impact measure for the service has been defined to measure the success of the service and all channels must be working to achieve this target The overall national impact measure will be achieved by aggregating the performance of the telephone face to face and web channel A minimum of 50 of customers who receive advice which results in a skills action plan being created should achieve a positive outcome A positive outcome is defined as Getting a job and remaining in sustainable employment for 13 weeks Progression in work Progression in skills acquisition Receiving advice is defined as creating a skills action plan either facilitated by a telephone or face to face adviser or self served through the web channel 4 Itis recognised that customers who only receive information may also go on to progress as a result
3. European Union 1 1 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills people with a self declared learning difficulty or disability including those with mental health conditions Priority Objectives for the Service 11 The priority objectives of the service are to deliver a service which is fully integrated and seamless between the face to face telephone and web delivery channels and which signposts and refers individuals to these channels according to individual needs deliver a high quality and personalised service that provides information advice and support on skills careers and learning opportunities to customers provide skills assessment services to individuals with identified skills needs who have either been referred by other agencies or self referred This will include the production of a Skills Action Plan use a range of products and tools to support the delivery of personalised up to date information and advice on careers and skills support national and regional marketing strategies and assist customers in getting the information they need Support and level of service available 12 The service will provide either through a careers adviser face to face by telephone or email via the web or by self service through the web channel a range of support described in the table below General information about the service for example how the service can help or support finding information on
4. Why is the customer in contact with us Their wants and needs How we personalise the service based on who they are and why they are in contact with the service For example the information and advice offered specific services the intensity and frequency of support offered and which channel will be encouraged and suit them best The outcome for the customer such as information and advice provided enrolling in training finding a job or participating in learning and work 14 The Customer Experience Framework will help to guide the course of action It doesn t provide hard and fast rules as to the action advisers should take it is flexible to allow focus on outcomes European Union 3 1 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 15 An example of how the customer experience framework is applied to customers is given below Customer Experience Framework _ with these needs iiigh access the HE to get the appropriate Customer Profile Information amp Advi i i nformation amp Advice have received the Specific job CJ1 Contact information information and Labour market advice needed and ntormanon have what I want in order to successfully Intensity amp Frequency of apply for a new job Support need to understand what the aacs can do for me and how to contact them CJ2 Help or Information need help or information One detailed session Personal Information with
5. 10 request will be queued as a task in the CRM for the Prime Contractor to follow up on the next working day Details held in the queuing system will include contact details and the reason for the inquiry The customer will then be contacted directly by the Prime Contractor Arrange for the customer to speak to a telephone channel adviser either immediately or at another time to suit the customer In co located offices if a Next Step adviser is available the Next Step adviser can either see the customer there and then or book an appointment through the CRM Where engagement activity is taking place e g jobsfairs advisers can book appointments directly through the CRM without going through the telephone channel Please also see the Service Offer section of the Operating Instructions for further information European Union European Social Fund 5 8 Investing in jobs and skills 11 Operating Instructions Working with Offenders Face to face channel 1 These instructions are for those delivering the face to face element of the service Advisers delivering the service by telephone need to be aware of paragraphs 11 and 12 below should a customer disclose that they are an offender 2 The Prime Contractor will need to provide services that meet the needs of offenders and ex offenders in the community These are customers who are defined as e Offenders on licence from custody under the supervision of probation co
6. 29 30 31 Prime Contractors must offer flexible hours of operation to meet demand and customer need This includes delivering the service to meet the needs of external organisations including employers in redundancy situations Prime Contractors must ensure arrangements are in place to receive calls through a single Prime Contractor contact point from the telephone channel to enable a seamless transfer of customers wanting to book a face to face session As a minimum these arrangements should be available Monday to Friday 09 00 hours to 17 00 hours excluding bank holidays In instances where customers contact the telephone channel for a face to face appointment and the office is closed information will be queued in the CRM for the Prime Contractor to follow up on the next working day within 24 hours of the call Prime Contractors must ensure that there is comprehensive coverage of the face to face channel across the whole of the geographical area that the contract covers This must take into account of those communities where web access might be limited or restricted where use of the telephone may be a barrier the needs of employed people who will require access to services out of hours i e at evenings and weekends Prime Contractors must also ensure access to specialist services for all customers either through the knowledge and expertise of their delivery network or through signposting and referral on to other
7. A specific example used to test the customer experience by providing a real life sequence of events A service level is a measurement of performance which relates specifically to a channel or region A document which sets out from a customer perspective hat they want from the service and then demonstrates and measures how we will deliver this to them his can be a completed activity with a face to face adviser or an interaction between a customer and adviser at the ontact centre Please see Appendix B for details of how a ession is recorded in the CRM his is a less formal process than a referral A customer is old or given a leaflet about the service or another organisation that could help i e if specialist advice is required A written record of an interaction which lists the main points discussed and the actions which the customer and he adviser have agreed to carry out This will be recorded in the CRM If used in mid sentence in web copy all European Union Fund dsk 8 European Social 1 0 2 Investing in jobs and skills lower case Can also be referred to as action plan lower ase O BE USED FROM THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW WEBSITE ONWARDS This is a universal skills diagnostic tool designed to provide a coherent and flexible approach to kills assessment and personal action planning The outcome of the assessment is a report which a customer ould act on by themselves
8. Next Step Operating Instructions INTRODUCTION These Operating Instructions are the rules within which the service operates They should be made available to all advisers and staff across the service These Operating Instructions should be used as areference document for all aspects of service delivery They will help to ensure we have a consistent customer offer across all channels The Operating Instructions are not public facing The use of language and terminology used in this document is directed to staff working in the Next Step service Care should be taken that all communications with customers are clear and customer friendly avoiding the use of abbreviations or acronyms Throughout this document we have referred to Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the Telephone channel However often in common parlance when we refer to Prime Contractors we are also including the Contractor for the Telephone channel The Operating Instructions will eventually sit on the Adviser Portal of the website but for the time being will be available on the Next Step Team Site These Operating Instructions will be reviewed and updated as the Service beds down over time European Union 1 European Social Fund j nd skills Investing in jobs and skills OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS CONTENTS 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Policy Brand Guidelines The Service Offer Service Sta
9. adults lacking employability skills and those needing more in depth support to enable them to progress into raining or sustainable employment unded careers skills and advice services letter or text SMS for all service offers European Union 9 9 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Formerly Skills Accounts Part of the Next Step customer ebsite where the customer registers to access information and tools to help them progress in life and ork Offender Learning amp Skills Service Not in scope currently but will come into scope beyond A focus to ensure that every interaction has a clearly ommunicated outcome which will support customers in progressing in work and life An outcome payment that is payable when individuals enter learning and or skills training or sustainable employment For face to face prime contractors documentary evidence is required to claim the outcome payment Learning which is below 16 hours per week Based on the Customer Experience Framework the service ill use a blend of capability and tools to provide an ppropriate outcome based on the customer profile and needs Advisers work with customers to ensure that they achieve one of the following a enter learning or training b progress in work or c move into sustainable employment see definition below Entry level Other qualifications below level 1 Level
10. 2 9 Investing in jobs and skills The service will be aligned to government priorities Course of action will be based on the Customer Experience Framework Our channels are integrated and aligned The service will be outcome focused and action oriented The service is based on the identification and removal of barriers and challenges The service will have a continuous improvement and development culture The service is proactive in offering outbound contact with customers The service operates within the context of government and departmental priorities with which it needs to align The service is tailored to customer need intensity frequency and content of those sessions is proportional to need and aligned to policy The Customer Experience Framework will help to guide the course of action It doesn t provide hard and fast rules as to the action advisers should take it is flexible to allow focus on outcomes The customer feels that the service has been designed for them and accesses a consistent branded experience across all channels including key partners and third parties The customer sees the service as providing joined up advice and feels that hand offs between channels are seamless The customer accesses the same level of service whoever they speak to and however they speak to us When the customer touches the service we are aware of what they have done before We aim to promote the use of the most appropri
11. erms of a contract of employment whether it is written down agreed orally or implied by the nature of the relationship Self employed Earning one s livelihood directly from one s own trade or business rather than as an employee of another Employed In full time part time paid work or self employment Registered Unemployed In receipt of Job Seekers Allowance JSA or Employment and Skills Allowance ESA Funding bodies other providers and other organisations ith which providers or contractors interact for the benefit of customers other users and the adult careers ervice he face to face channel consisting of advisers in a range of locations across England Use hyphens Never bbreviate f2f or similar Face to face advice but advice ace to face A customer who has either received notice of redundancy or has concerns that they are in danger of being made redundant he formal follow up process is when customers are ontacted for customer service purposes and to find out if hey have entered learning training or work Follow up ill commence after one month of inactivity of the ustomer from the date of the last advice session and then further two months after that earning which is 16 hours or more per week L A defined set of rules that will shape how the service is European Union European Social Fund dsk S 98 Inves
12. 1 January ea Sunday 2 January 8 00 4 00 pm Language Lines 3 The Language Lines will be available 09 00 to 17 00 Monday to Friday with the exception for Punjabi and Urdu which will be available 9am 8pm See Service Offer section of Operating Instructions for further details of Language Line support 4 Telephone numbers for the Language line service are in the Service Offer section of these Operating Instructions and the Next Step website Face to face channel 5 The face to face channel will put in place flexible hours of operation to meet demand and customer need This includes operating at times to meet the needs of external organisations including employers in redundancy Situations 6 Prime Contractors must ensure arrangements are in place to receive calls through a single contact point from the telephone channel so there is a seamless transfer of customers wanting to book a face to face session Asa minimum these arrangements should be available Monday to Friday 09 00 hours to 17 00 hours excluding bank holidays 7 In instances where customers contact the telephone channel for a face to face appointment and the office is closed then calls will be queued in the CRM for the Prime Contractor to follow up on the next working day European Union European Social Fund dsk 3 34 Investing in jobs and skills 8 The Prime Contractor will inform the contact centre of the main delivery hours of the face to face ch
13. 15 The Prime Contractor will receive an outcome payment when evidence is provided that the customer has progressed See Budget and Funding section of the Operating Instructions for details of evidence requirements Measuring progression through the telephone channel 16 As well as the national impact measure of 50 of advice customers achieving a positive outcome the telephone channel also has a target of 40 of customers receiving the information service to achieve a positive outcome as set out in paragraph 3 17 Follow up at 1 and 3 months will be carried out by the Contractor for the telephone channel Further information on how follow up is to be carried out at 6 months will be confirmed in due course Measuring progression through the web channel 18 For customers accessing the service via the web channel progression will be measured by taking a representative sample of customers who have registered with the service and conducting a customer survey The survey will focus on both customer progression and satisfaction of the service that they received 19 It is envisaged that these surveys would be conducted through email In addition customers using the web channel whether registered or not would be asked periodically if they wish to complete a web survey to gauge satisfaction Regional Key Performance Indicators 20 As well as the national impact measures and key performance indicators regional key performance indicators
14. Education FE Jobcentre Plus funded provision Learndirect provision Higher Education HE UnionLearn A framework which breaks all qualifications into manageable units and credits which are recognised by providers learners and employers Entry level certificates GCSEs grades D G BTEC Introductory Diplomas and Certificates OCR Nationals Key Skills level 1 NVQs Skills for Life 5 GCSEs grades A C BTEC First Diplomas and Certificates OCR Nationals Key Skills level 2 NVQs Skills for Life A levels Advanced Extension Awards GCE in applied subjects International Baccalaureate Key Skills level 3 NVQs BTEC Diplomas Certificates and Awards European Union European Social Fund 1 O 1 Investing in jobs and skills BTEC Nationals Key Skills level 4 NVQs BTEC Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards 1st year BA degree HNCs and HNDs NVQs BTEC Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards 2nd year BA degree National Diploma in Professional Production Skills BTEC Advanced Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards 3rd year BA degree Diploma in Translation BTEC Advanced Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards Masters degree Specialist Awards PhD A formal process takes place when a customer is referred o or from one organisation to another with a booked ppointment e g to Jobcentre Plus To support the referral there will be a sharing of customer information
15. a partnership strategy We want to encourage Prime Contractors to actively market and promote Next Step However because we need to maintain the consistency and integrity of the service brand high profile activity such as advertising or PR should be agreed and signed off by the Communications Team at the Skills Funding Agency If in doubt please contact T 0114 267 5071 E jason jones skillsfundingagency bis gov uk or T 0114 267 5052 E jane palmer2 skillsfundingagency bis gov uk Face to face service 4 It is a service requirement that the Prime Contractor Prepares a marketing and stakeholder engagement strategy as part of their overall delivery plan which reflects and supports the national marketing approach and also reflects the level of intermediary marketing and communications required to support increasing access to the service through all channels of delivery Makes full use of consistent branding Nominates a named contact who will be responsible for marketing and communications attending meetings using toolkits and guidance provided as part of the Skills Funding Agency s marketing and communications strategy European Union European Social Fund 3 6 Investing in jobs and skills Complies and ensures compliance with the Next Step brand brand values and guidelines This will include ensuring that o Prime Contractors and sub contractors delivering services under the brand fully understand and comply wit
16. addition other services required will include e Providing adequate stock storage facilities stock reports and audit e Providing packaging materials if required e Set up of daily and weekly reports and provision of summary reports e Setup and maintenance of email facilities to support campaigns e Data capture requests received by email e Data items to be received in various formats i e batch file flat file CSV Comma Separated Values or other via ftp File Transfer Protocol 45 The Contractor will manage messaging to support campaign responses and the core service The messaging must ensure that during busy periods or out of hours customers are offered alternatives to queuing for an adviser Web Channel 46 The web channel will act as a virtual careers adviser and will replicate the offer available through the telephone or face to face channels The web channel will be accessed directly by customers to allow the customer to self serve a range of online tools and services 47 Through the web channel individuals will be able to Register for Next Step to create a personalised online space that includes storing documents set their career and life goals and aspirations European Union 2 1 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills understand their starting point in terms of the skills and personal attributes they have and what they need to do to meet their needs and ambitions make informed c
17. and ad hoc reports for information on performance of Prime Contractors defined in the section on Key Performance Indicators and day to day management Formal reports for Prime and Sub Contractor reporting have been created as per requirements gathered from the network The advanced find and report wizard function of the CRM will allow any additional reports needed ACD telephone channel call management system MI enabling the business to manage performance of the telephone channel European Union 6 9 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Web analytics to measure usage of the Web Channel including numbers of visits tool usage navigation around the site time spent on site etc The Data Service providing MI on Next Step account details Results of independent service evaluation conducted using methods such as focus groups interviews and post service research 5 The Skills Funding Agency has commissioned The Data Service to undertake a monthly extract of the CRM data In time this will be stored as part of their Data Warehouse but in the short term will be used to create a data cube for analysis purposes This static validated information will be used for external reporting to BIS and responding to questions arising 6 There is a requirement for Prime Contractors to provide robust and timely management information on finance volumes progress towards national and regional i
18. and specified regional priorities will also steer the focus of activity by Prime Contractors for the face to face channel These will normally but not always align with the national priority groups for in depth and ongoing support Regional KPIs are set out in the Prime Contractor contract for the face to face channel European Union 6 5 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 21 Regional KPI s will be reviewed annually and may be varied or different ones identified throughout over the life of the contract Service Levels 22 The following service levels have been defined for all channels and for channel specific levels Channel Service Levels All channels The service must achieve and maintain an overall 75 quality assurance rating for internal audits The service must achieve a 90 quality measure for external audits Quality assurance will include monitoring for completeness and accuracy of data captured target of 95 of data captured is complete and accurate Skills Action Plans must be prepared for each advice session If information required by the customer is long or detailed or the adviser feels it appropriate information will be confirmed in writing via email or text whichever is best for the customer within a maximum of 5 working day letter email text is sent of the advice session Complaints in writing directly related to the quality of the service will receive an initial response within 48 hou
19. appropriately 2 It is a requirement that Prime Contractors ensure that they and their sub contractors have arrangements in place to protect personal information securely that conform to government security standards All personal data that is transmitted sent by email sent by post the internet or removable media or used and stored in CRM must be appropriately protected and stored 3 These Standards are available at 080625 pdf 4 tis arequirement that Prime Contractors ensure that the arrangements comply with any Skills Funding Agency guidance or instruction in relation to Data Security In addition the Prime Contractor will be required to comply with the data security requirements of Department for Work and Pensions DWP and Ministry of Justice for prison and probation services This will include having data security agreements in place where appropriate 5 Where the Prime Contractor is providing services to customers claiming out of work benefits it must provide data to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions or his nominated representative in accordance with the requirements notified to the Prime Contractor Failure to transmit complete or accurate data under this clause will constitute a serious breach of contract in accordance with Clause 10 of the General Terms and Conditions of the Contract and may result in payment for this part of the service to be delayed or withheld Personal and Sensitive Data 6 Advisers wh
20. be contacted directly by the face to face service 6 For Jobcentre Plus customers the following arrangements will apply Jobcentre Plus advisers will signpost their customers to Next Step using the national telephone number 0800 100 900 Jobcentre Plus advisers wanting to book a face to face appointment should telephone 08000 924 429 European Union 2 2 European Social Fund d skilis Investing in jobs and skills However in co located offices if a Next Step Advisers is available the Jobcentre Plus adviser can refer the customer for an immediate appointment if the adviser is free or an appointment can be booked directly through the CRM system Where engagement activity is taking place e g jobsfairs advisers can book appointments directly through the CRM without going through the telephone channel Face to face to telephone channel 7 Customers must always be made aware of the telephone channel and discussion should include information on the extended opening hours of the telephone channel and ongoing service offer The amount and type of use the customer makes of the telephone channel will be driven by customer choice and needs All customers can make use of the telephone channel at any point in the service 8 Particular examples of when customers may need or choose to make use of the telephone channel might include if they cannot easily travel to a face to face location when they have exhausted their entitlement
21. capture form does not have to be signed separately as it is not used to claim funding See below for arrangements where face to face advisers do not have internet connectivity 11 The first advice session must result in a Skills Action Plan but subsequent sessions could result in either a new action plan or modification of the existing plan Any changes to the Skills Action Plan in the face to face channel require the signature of customer to be gathered in order to claim funding for the session Arrangements for face to face advisers where the adviser has no immediate access to the internet 12 The Prime Contractor is expected to make every effort to make arrangements for advisers to have access to the internet to support the delivery of their work and services to customers 13 However it is recognised that to reach our target audience and provide comprehensive geographic coverage of an area those services will sometimes be delivered in locations where internet access is not always or easily available These arrangements only apply in exceptional circumstances where internet connectivity is not possible European Union European Social Fund 46 Investing in jobs and skills 14 All the arrangements set out below must be carried out in line with the Data Security requirements set out in the Data Security section of these Operating Instructions 15 If an adviser does not have connectivity to the internet they should At the time
22. channel Skills Funding Agency and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills The information will be used to improve the reach and quality of the service European Union European Social Fund 45 Investing in jobs and skills 7 Prime Contractors and any sub contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must also ensure that they have the appropriate operating system software and hardware requirements for Microsoft Dynamics web client See Annex A below for details 8 All users of the CRM involved in the delivery of the careers and skills advice services including non delivery staff who have access to personal data must have been subject to a satisfactory enhanced criminal records bureau CRB and a baseline personnel security standard check Staff must be subject to a satisfactory enhanced CRB check a minimum of every three years and new staff must be subject to an enhanced satisfactory CRB check within three months of commencing work on the contract See Section on Safeguarding for further details 9 Please also see the Data Security section of these Operating Instructions for details of how to ensure the ID matching of customers when accessing their records on the CRM 10 All Skills Action Plans must be created using the CRM system Advisers in the face to face channel must obtain the signature of the customer on the Skills Action Plan in order to be able to claim funding for the advice interview The data
23. contract Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must also abide with the requirements with regards to accreditation of the matrix Standard The matrix Standard is currently being revised and further information will be provided in due course Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must also comply with the Common Inspection Framework Providers will be inspected between one and four years after securing their contract This will require Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel to have in place sufficiently robust procedures to demonstrate and evidence organisational competence in the following areas capacity to improve outcomes for customers the quality of provision European Union European Social Fund 7 8 Investing in jobs and skills Ta leadership and management equality and diversity safeguarding An OfSTED inspection that declares the provision inadequate overall or satisfactory overall but inadequate against one or more of the key areas including Leadership and Management and capacity to improve will trigger an intervention from the Skills Funding Agency To support Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel in fulfilling this aim there will be national impact assessments of the service on an annual basis a national evaluation of the integrated service against the published priority for t
24. courses and on premises open to other members of the public Prime Contractor and sub contractor staff must agree referral processes with Offender Managers and or Education Training and Employment ETE advisers in each probation trust to ensure that they have all the required information to complete a Skills Action Plan which takes into account the nature of the offence and any related restrictions The Prime Contractor should be aware that the Ministry of Justice and DWP have undertaken a joint review of arrangements for unemployed offenders in both custody and community One of the recommendations from the review is the use of a shared consent form known as an ETE Referral Form This form is completed by the Offender Manager or ETE Adviser so the Jobcentre Plus adviser knows that the individual is an offender Next Step advisers may receive these forms for unemployed offenders from the Jobcentre Plus adviser There is also a ETE Referral Guide available From 1 August 2012 the Prime Contractor will be responsible for providing careers and skills advice to prisoners The service is currently provided by the Offender Learning and Skills Service OLASS and the Prime Contractor will be required to work with OLASS CIAS providers from the 1 August 2010 to 31 July 2012 to ensure that appropriate transition arrangements are in place More information about this will be provided in due course European Union European Social Fund 60 Investing
25. customer progression targets into learning and work improvements in skill levels and customer satisfaction In the first year of operation this split will be 75 fixed cost payments to cover operational costs 25 performance or outcome based funding In subsequent years this ratio is likely to change toward a higher proportion of outcome performance payments Initially the telephone channel should be capable of handling upwards of 1 million telephone sessions per annum and upwards of 250 000 email sessions and have capacity for significant further expansion according to the developing needs of the integrated adult careers service European Union 9 0 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Face to face Channel 1 The number of individuals expected to be supported through this channel is 700 000 accessing over 1 million sessions 2 The share of the overall indicative budget and volumes allocated to each Prime Contractor is based on a formula that is a combination of the adult population the number of low skilled individuals and the number of people on benefit within the region area of delivery and apportioned between Start Up costs Start up costs regional training costs management costs and delivery costs 3 Start up costs can be claimed between 1 April and 30 September 2010 and used to support the following IT equipment fully compliant with data security regulations needed for service deliver
26. diagnostic tools Appointment booking for advice sessions either via telephone or face to face once a customer has been identified as being appropriate for this type of support according to customer need and profile signposting to the web channel of the integrated adult careers service and or other agencies organisations as appropriate such as Citizens Advice debt advice agencies and legal advice handling of any complaints concerning the service or advice provided according to an agreed complaints process For all customers accessing information a customer record must be created on the CRM system that includes summary of the discussions that take place Advice 34 The advice service is an enriched offer that builds on the information service for customers who have more complex needs or require skills assessment activity Delivery of additional telephone advice sessions is not dependent on customers being included in one of the priority groups for the service An adviser will assist a customer during the first advice session and together they will create an action plan Upon agreement with the customer the adviser will then call back up to three times to see how they are progressing against their skills action plan and to provide further motivational support Individuals using the advice service will benefit from an in depth discussion with a suitably qualified adviser around moving into work European Union 1 9 European Social
27. in jobs and skills Recording information on Offenders 11 It is imperative that under no circumstance is any reference made in the free text boxes on the CRM Skills Action Plan or any off line recording of information that an individual may be an offender That is either serving a current sentence or having completed their sentence 12 To aid advisers a list of prohibited text is provided below This list of prohibited text has been agreed between the Skills Funding Agency and the National Offender Management service and Prime Contractors must ensure that existing and any new advisers are made aware of this instruction This list is not exhaustive and advisers must continue to carefully consider input to free text boxes in the Skills Action Plan Prime Contractors will be informed in writing by the Skills Funding Agency of any changes that may be made to this instruction in the future Prohibited Text ARSONIST S ASBO Anti Social Behaviour Order s ASSAULT Assaulted BAIL Bail Hostel s BURGLAR Burglary Burglars Burgle Burglaries CES o G O CRIMINAL S EXTREMIST S o d O GAOL S GUILTY HMP H M P Her Majesty s Prison HIVIPS H M P S Her Majesty s Prison Service IMPRISON OOO INMATE S JAIL S KILLING S Killer s MISDEMEANOUR S European Union European Social Fund 6 1 Investing in jobs and skills E MUGGER S S G O OFFENCE S o s O OFFENDER S o s O PAROLE S pa PROBATION S s O TERRORIST S
28. included as an attachment in the Notes section of the Action Plan record Email the completed Word file containing customer data and the Skills Action Plan to any central processing point managed by the Prime Contractor for uploading on to the CRM Information must be uploaded to the CRM within 2 working days of the interview European Union 4 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 17 Any e mails sent by the adviser must be sent ona daily basis with no more than 15 customers details sent in one email E mails must be encrypted to the level that we specify in the Data Security section of these Operating Instructions After the interview Customer 18 If it is not possible to print the Skills Action Plan at the time of the interview advisers in the face to face channel can either E mail the Skills Action Plan in line with Data Security requirements to a customer following the interview The Skills Action Plan that is emailed to the customer must be exactly the same as the version signed for on the slip by the customer at the time of the interview If the Skills Action Plan is created using the Skills Action Plan functionality in the CRM advisers can email the Skills Action Plan using the email function in the CRM If using the offline form the Skills Action Plan will need to be attached manually as a Word document in the email Post the Skills Action Plan to the customer in line with the Data Security
29. of the interview Use the off line word template available on the Next Step Team site or from the Prime Contractor to create a data capture form and Skills Action Plan for each customer This form mirrors the customer record intervention and Skills Action Plan record in the CRM data capture form in the CRM Make sure all information is recorded and typed into this document at the time of the interview Two copies of the Skills Action Plan should then be printed by printing off the relevant pages at the end of the data capture form Both copies of the Skills Action Plan must be signed by the customer One copy of the Skills Action Plan should be given to the customer and one copy retained by the adviser to support the claim for funding for the advice session If no printer is available the customer should be asked to sign a slip to confirm the contents of the Skills Action Plan and arrangements made to send a copy of the Skills Action Plan to the customer at a later date See below After the interview CRM 16 When the adviser next has internet access and within a maximum of 2 working days they must then either Use the information in the form to create a new customer record or amend update an existing record if appropriate An intervention record and Skills Action Plan must be created in CRM The action plan content itself can either be recreated in the CRM which is better for reporting purposes or the Word file can be
30. on an individual or group basis via face to face or contact centre advisers Avoid areers guidance hose employed directly by the Prime Contractor Contractor for the Telephone channel or sub contractor to sive information and or advice on careers and skills This activity may form all or part of their usual work roles and overs all channels in the service Always to be written as dviser avoid advisor Please note just the term adviser an be used if used in context with careers e g Book now or a careers advice session Your adviser will help you he service is available to all adults in England Any adult ged 19 and over or 18 and over for Jobcentre Plus ustomers or those in custody will be able to receive personalised help and support Adults who are not in receipt of benefits but who are not orking and who are interested in returning to the labour market Personal or practical barriers which hinder a customers bility or willingness to participate in education training or employment An appointment booked by the customer or by the JCP adviser or Next Step adviser he facility to request a call back from an adviser via the ebsite If used in mid sentence in web copy all lower ase he web capabilities e g to build a CV which the service ill provide to support the delivery of skills based advice A carer spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to family or potentially friends European Union
31. or go onto discuss the report ith an adviser In web content use skills health check to describe the process and skills health check tool when referring directly to the tool oft outcomes refer to achievements for a customer which aren t measurable such as increased confidence self awareness and motivation the ability to overcome barriers to participation the identification of clear goals and knowledge of opportunities and sources of support deliver the service on their behalf Employment of a minimum of 13 weeks duration is required for Face to Face outcome payment for ustainable employment The Jobcentre Plus the definition is staying in work for 6 months i e for individuals to leave and remain off benefits for 6 months or more he telephone channel delivered by advisers in two his relates to the internal handover of a customer between the three service channels he universal service describes the core offer Information support and advice to support progression in ork and life of the service which is available to all adults ithin England he vision is articulated as Our vision is for millions of people to enjoy more rewarding lives We want to create a ulture where career development and acquiring new kills is the norm This will improve individuals lives ociety as a whole and in turn increase productivity and boost the economy he web channel for the service compri
32. personal data 11 Sensitive Personal data as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 below should not be included in emails or the Skills Action Plan Please see paragraph 8 above for information about where any sensitive data should be recorded 12 Sensitive Personal Data as defined in the Data Protection Act means personal data consisting of information as to The racial or ethnic origin of the data subject record in drop down box of Data capture form on CRM Political opinions Religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature Whether the subject is a member of a trade union within the meaning of the 1992 c 52 Trade Union and Labour Relations Consolidation Act 1992 Physical or mental health or condition any necessary information to go in Comment box of CRM Sexual life The commission or alleged commission of any offence or Any proceedings for any offence committed or alleged to have been committed the disposal of such proceedings or the sentence of any court in such proceedings 13 Particular note should be taken of the requirement that on no account must information relating to Offending or Offences be recorded or shared Please see Working with offenders section for further details Operational Security 14 Advisers should always work on the basis that any personal data in emails Skills Action Plans or any other recorded information should be kept to the minimum necessary to meet t
33. provide an access route to the contact centre for Jobcentre Plus customers and advisers where a customer has been signposted or referred to the service The telephone number for Jobcentre Plus customers and advisers is 0800 924 429 All calls go through to the same single pool of first line advisers at the telephone contact centre The telephone contact centre adviser can identify the number that the caller has dialled whilst on the phone and respond appropriately to support different Campaigns Separate telephone numbers are available on the customer web portal to support customer with specific language needs The telephone numbers for the Language Line services are Telephone number 0800 093 1119 European Union European Social Fund 2 5 Investing in jobs and skills 0800 093 1333 European Union European Social Fund 2 6 Investing in jobs and skills 4 Operating Instructions Service Standards 1 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must comply with the requirements of national service standards The purposes of the standards are to ensure that quality and delivery across the service exceeds minimum Skills Funding Agency and OfSTED standards deliver better customer service and improved outcomes for customers and establish common agreed underpinning principles and quality standards across the whole of the service 2 These Service Standards have been developed to shape the
34. relevant regional planning groups by agreement for the face to face channel Active and effective communication between Next Step Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel and Jobcentre Plus colleagues European Union European Social Fund resting in jobs and skills 56 Investing in jobs and skilis 2 3 Building knowledge about Jobcentre Plus services at strategic and operational levels Sharing knowledge about the service offer with Jobcentre Plus staff at strategic and operational levels Responding effectively to emerging needs such as large scale redundancies and large scale job opportunities Developing innovative responses to reaching Jobcentre Plus customers including for the face to face channel through shared outreach provision and locations Working with Connexions services and Jobcentre Plus to ensure a seamless careers advice and skills service for 18 year old JCP customers This will also include the provision of a seamless service to those 18 year olds leaving custody See Working with Offenders section Working in conjunction with Jobcentre Plus the Skills Funding Agency and learning providers to facilitate the implementation of electronic systems This will allow the sharing of customer data between Jobcentre Plus Next Step and learning providers Ensuring the co location of face to face advisers in Jobcentre Plus offices where appropriate and possible through planned arrangements for
35. requirements set out in the Data Security section of these Operating Instructions 19 E mails to customers must never contain sensitive information such as ethnicity disability health issues or details regarding offending custody or community sentences Please see Data Security section for further details 20 Particular attention must be paid to the restrictions on recording information on Offenders Please see the Working with Offenders section of these Operating Instructions for further information 21 Advisers delivering the service by telephone will always email the Skills Action Plan to customers unless the customer has no email address in which case it will be posted Technical support 22 Arrangements are in place to ensure that Prime Contractors sub contractors and advisers receive appropriate technical support to resolve any issues regarding Skills Funding Agency applications including the CRM and the Next Step website European Union 4 g European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 23 Any technical problems regarding the CRM and Next Step website including associated applications such as CV builder will be managed by the central technical support desk This is not a customer facing support function The role of the technical support desk is to handle issues connected to Skills Funding Agency applications only The issues that will be dealt with under this category include Failure of the system so th
36. service 9 The Guiding Principles provide the direction and overall approach for how the service is designed and delivered 10 The service must be designed and delivered to customers in line with these Guiding Principles The Guiding Principles are not public facing or visible to the customer Guiding Principle Impact on the customer The service will provide a rich customer focused service Customers need to provide information in order to realise the full benefits of the service The service is built on a set of common and shared standards and responsibilities shared with the customer as well as across the service The service provides a free impartial universal service by providing customers with options Our customer security is paramount The service will be provided in England The customer can access a universal information and advice service about careers courses and funding with a depth of service that includes personalised and comprehensive advice delivered by qualified advisers Customers trust that the service is of a high quality and that advice will be appropriate for them A customer has to put something in to get something out A customer can remain anonymous but they will not be able to access the full range of services Detailed information is required from a customer when they have an advice session in order to personalise the advice they receive The customer understands what service they ar
37. the number of individuals that are seen through this contract not the number of sessions delivered to an individual Customers from the 08 10 contract may be seen from 1 August 2010 under this contract as if they have not been seen under the previous service A maximum of three sessions in one contract year can be claimed for each customer who falls into one or more of the priority groups set out in the Service Offer section of these Operating Instructions but we would expect the customer to be supported until their need is met It is expected that the full payment for delivery of the service will be passed on to sub contractors Outcome payments An outcome payment of 20 is payable for individuals entering learning and or skills training sustainable employment defined as 13 weeks or more increasing earnings through progression in work or a combination of these Paying for services In addition it is recognised that customers outside of the priority groups and therefore not eligible for free face to face sessions beyond the initial session may require and want to receive further support following their initial free face to face session They should have the choice of paying for further face to face support where the contracted provider offers a fee based service with the fee to the individual no more than the equivalent to the funding provided by Skills Funding Agency for each additional session for those in priority groups
38. the web of their situation and the outcome needed A customer could have an initial session or multiple sessions and they could use one delivery channel or a mixture it all depends on their profile need and preference 15 The level of personalisation will also depend on the amount of information the customer provides The more information that is provided the richer more personal specific advice support can be given At all levels of service help and advice can still be provided but it will not be as rich and not all information will be saved to create a history 16 The following table provides a view of how customers can access the service at differing levels in order to personalise the support that they receive There are different features of the service available to customers through public browsing and full registration whereas full registration is achieved through registering for Next Step on the web or creation of a CRM record by an adviser Publi a Browsing General browsing on the web site 7 Picking up a leaflet from a face to face adviser or key partners Asking for general information when calling the telephone channel Case study amp brief description of 7 entitlements Careers amp Job Information Latest news Videos Audio m Promotional material Course search Course Directory m Access to LMI Eligibility checker for learner support m Ability to create an action plan via web channel Stat
39. the website General not personalised for a specific customer information about careers and skills Personal skills assessment audit with the aid of IT based tools Information relating to a campaign such as Our Future It s in our hands Links to Jobcentre Plus to provide information on specific job opportunities Ability to book telephone or face to face careers and skills advice sessions Course search Job profiles Help with using IT based tools General information Careers and skills generic information European Union 1 2 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Tailored careers and skills advice which can be provided via the telephone and face to face for example information for those facing redundancy or Specialist Advice returning to work following a planned absence This also includes referrals out to partners and specialist advice services for example community health specialists or benefits rights and entitlements Personalised service which results in an action plan with agreed follow ups Advice regarding skills and interests CV help Detailed skills assessment Personalised advice Confidence building and empowerment One off assessment or multiple sessions based on customer need The ability to register with Next Step and set up a personalised online space 13 The service will support a broad range of customers needs which are set out i
40. to develop and enhance the service beyond August By building strong networks rooted in local communities we will help individuals tackle all the barriers they face to getting on in learning work and life STYLE The way our brand speaks is a bit like David Attenborough full of energy enthusiasm and possibilities It s a voice we respect and listen to One that educates and informs by involving us rather than talking at us We talk as equals With respect We re straightforward Never clever for clever s sake or overly poetic We shun technical words but that doesn t mean we dumb things down We simply ensure that what we say is super clear and as easy as possible to understand Our words like our service are practical and useful See the Brand Guidelines for our 6 rules to speaking in the Next Step way European Union 5 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Our brand ELEMENTS See the Brand Guidelines for our brand elements e Logo e The Path e Imagery e Typography e Colour LOGO Our logo comes in four variations A version with our service descriptor as a lock in a left and right hand version without a lock in and a version for use when a service descriptor is needed but space is at a premium A service description should always be used on examples where the audience could be engaging with the brand without previous knowledge of the service E g press and TV advertising store fasci
41. 17 When delivering the service advisers must create a customer record through the customer relationship management CRM system encourage customers to register for Next Step to allow them to manage their own Careers as appropriate clearly outline the offer access points types and level of service available signpost or refer to other channels ensure the service is consistent across face to face and telephone channels A customer can self serve using tools and information on the web enable the customer with adviser support as appropriate to personalise use the service to meet their need Face to face channel offer 18 The face to face channel will be delivered on a sessional basis All adults aged 19 and over and 18 year olds who are Jobcentre Plus customers or in custody can access a free careers and skills advice session from a careers adviser Adults who are in one or more of the priority groups set out in paragraph 10 will be entitled to access multiple sessions to address their career and skills needs 19 The Prime Contractor for the face to face channel must ensure that adults receive labour market focused careers and skills advice that helps them to progress into learning and or work and sustainable employment and ultimately realise their career ambitions provide where appropriate additional and ongoing careers and skills advice for priority customer groups as defined by national and regional E
42. 5 3 a GB re O 0a a gt D a 5 7 between words Next Step C A D Q 72 Oo D x et O a WY D 5 et D 5 O O D ga D O a 5 3 D Oo lt O et g O lt O s x lt c Nn a MO O Z M lt O gt M x lt a Nn a MO O L L Y lt lt m xe xe lt gt D27 ra 5 5 gt 2 2 2 OD 0 T Q Q O WN 7 3 oS O x L 3 Oo amp wi O a gt Q gt 5 3 on ra fa fom cl lt c O et fg v 5 ra O 5 cr o J Z O et O 5 D L C lt Nn O a gt D O om 0 rap t gt a ao 6 O jei 0P N O gt ma a gt 72 gt 0 a gt a 5 N Also use financial circumstances to describe financial position Better than situation Not audio file European Union European Social Fund 1 O 5 Investing in jobs and skills Not Career Development Loan oo business like use industry field or nothing at all eg in inancial services Not Summit Skills Summitskills ourse subjects in lower case apart from English which is a proper noun General terms such as university courses in engineering in lower case too unless talking about a specific ourse of a specific university such as Biochemistry at Durham University Always capitalised NOT UK online Centres or U
43. 9 6 European Social Fund g iniobs and skilig nvesting in jobs and skills his could be caring for a relative partner or friend who is ill frail disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems This definition is subject to review and onsultation by the Dept of Health Agencies offering specialist support for example in ounselling housing assistance or debt management to hich contractors or subcontractors refer customers he inspection framework for all publicly funded learning provision administered by the Office for Standards in Education OfSTED he contact centre is run by the Contractor that provides information and advice via the telephone email and orums Avoid using the terms call centre advice line helpline Customers wishing to engage in learning are able to search or the course which is right for them through the use of he new Next Step Course Directory which will support hem in making the decisions which are right for them If used in web copy it is possible to also use the course directory he facility to search for a course via the course directory available on the web channel If used in web copy in mid entence use course search Avoid Course Search An individual who accesses the service Not citizen caller lient or enquirer Please see Appendix B for details of how a customer is recorded in the CRM hat a customer hears sees and feels when interacting i
44. Fund Investing in jobs and skills career change or in work progression and resulting in an agreed skills action plan and possibly multiple interventions 35 When customers are referred to the advice tier of the telephone channel every effort will be made to ensure that all calls can be referred immediately Where this is not possible advice sessions should take place within 24 hours of the initial call with the information service unless the customer requests otherwise Language Line Services 36 The telephone channel will provide The core services in Gujarati Punjabi Sylheti Urdu Farsi Polish French Somali are all open Monday to Friday 9am 5pm except for Punjabi and Urdu which is open 9am 8pm Translation support for advice calls via a 3 way conversation between language line adviser English speaking in depth adviser and the customer A service where advisers will contact learning providers to assist in booking customers onto courses Acommunity liaison adviser who o Visits outreach organisations to drive up demand for the service within communities o Is supported by a team of quality advisers who quality assure the services provided this function is subject to review as a minimum on an annual basis o Makes contact with each face to face region a minimum of twice a year 37 Further information on the role of the community liaison adviser will be made available in due course 38 The telephone num
45. Getting back into work as described above anew Phone Call activity would be created within CRM which is linked to the original Intervention record If Joe then gets referred to the face to face team then a Service Activity would need to get created which has a service type of Face to Face Appointment outlining the start and end time of the appointment and which adviser he will be seeing Customer An individual who accesses the service This is recorded as a Contact within the CRM system and describes the details held about an individual including contact details address details and demographics This is a container for all other records within the CRM System specific to this person Intervention A problem enquiry or case for which a customer has requested support from the Next Step service This is recorded as an Intervention within the CRM System A customer could have many Intervention records open at one point in time relating to each different issue they may have however most of the time they will have only one For example an intervention could be created within CRM to record the fact that Joe Bloggs is looking to get back into full time employment after being unemployed for 18 months This intervention could remain open indefinitely as the adviser may never find out if and when Joe Bloggs gets back into work Interventions will not be used for counting customers and customer sessions they are used t
46. K online Practical or work related would get the point across better in the context Not voluntary work Note spaces and bold European Union European Social Fund 1 O 6 Investing in jobs and skills Legacy terms NOT TO BE USED Use telephone channel contact centre as appropriate or in eb copy avoid using any descriptor and for example say Call us or Call an adviser Use adviser careers adviser Use advice session Use advice careers advice Use telephone channel contact centre as appropriate or in eb copy avoid using any descriptor and for example say Call us or Call an adviser Use adviser careers adviser Use adviser careers adviser Use Language lines language service Use Next Step course directory Use Next Step personal online space Use skills health check tool refer to the process as a skills health check European Union Fund J skills European Social 107 Investing in jobs and skills Operating Instructions Terminology Appendix B Definitions relating to the Customer Relationship Management system Activity Is used to record the fact that some form of interaction has taken place with the customer An Activity record within CRM can be seen as a Phone Call Email Task Service Activity Letter or Fax For example if Joe Bloggs were to call the contact centre about his intervention
47. ace to face Prime Contractor is closed then tasks will be queued in the CRM for the Prime Contractor to follow up on the next working day Details held in the queuing system will include contact details and the reason for the enquiry The customer will then be contacted directly by the face to face service 12 For Jobcentre Plus customers the following arrangements will apply Jobcentre Plus advisers will signpost their customers to Next Step using the national telephone number 0800 100 900 Jobcentre Plus advisers wanting to book a face to face appointment should telephone 08000 924 429 However in co located offices if a Next Step Advisers is available the Jobcentre Plus adviser can refer the customer for an immediate appointment if the adviser is free or an appointment can be booked directly through the CRM system Where engagement activity is taking place e g jobsfairs advisers can book appointments directly through the CRM without going through the telephone channel Face to face to telephone channel 13 Customers must always be made aware of the telephone channel and discussion should include information on the extended opening hours of the telephone channel and ongoing service offer The amount and type of use the customer makes of the telephone channel will be driven by customer choice and needs All customers can make use of the telephone channel at any point in the service 14 Particular examples of when customers ma
48. against channel specific key performance indicators Financial health and financial management and control Inspection outcomes Customer health safety and welfare The Outcomes of the service 15 The following tables provide a framework for research and evaluation into progression based on both the hard outcomes some of which will be measured for performance See Section on Key Performance Indicators and soft outcomes which are reflected here Not all of these outcomes will be captured by the CRM but can contribute to wider research and evaluation of the service overall European Union g 0 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills I m doing a training course on my way to work I ve got a qualification which will help me get a career found a job started and kept my new job career I ve started completed learning in work I ve got a qualification which will help me advance don t need to do anything different at the moment feel more confident more able to progress have fewer barriers to progression Continuous improvement is a good thing for me won t need as much help next time I can self serve I ve had a great experience 81 The customer has progressed into training that has a work related outcome The customer has achieved a qualification The customer has found employment that offers the opportunity of progression The customer has successfully applied
49. aken to comply with restrictions and requirements relating to the recording of information about Offenders Please see the European Union 5 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Working with Offenders section of these Operating Instructions for further information Completing the Skills Action Plan 11 The Skills Action Plan must as a minimum capture Personal contact details of the customer Details of the adviser The customer s current situation Their skills and work goals Actions needed to achieve their goals The signature of the customer for the face to face channel 12 The Skills Action Plan should Be customer focused and identify customer need Clearly identify the steps needed to enable the customer to progress Include referral to learning and work providers and other agencies as appropriate Adopt a positive tone and approach Promote equality and diversity Only include information the customer agrees to record Be easily understood by all readers grammatically correct and avoiding jargon unexplained acronyms and abbreviations 13 Skills Action Plans should also be written with the SMART principles in mind These are Specific e g Being specific about skills and learning and work goals such as become a classroom assistant rather than want to work with children Measurable e g Can the customer tell if they have achieved something g applying for a specif
50. an adviser to 4 Date of Birth Personal CJ3 Find a Career proaleeranlaclon pian details location etc Customer Characteristics Out of work and not training Claiming Benefits Short Term Skill level lt L2 Low employability skills Tools Customer Attitude a l Clear goal good attitude ah ROEN Close to goal Low Skills Account perceived barriers want advice to help me into a new job career Contact Centre for diagnostic tool Web for further information CJ8 Keep in touch want the aacs to keep in contact with me to provide advice We need to get this right to underpin the way in which the service is designed and built The seven Service Standards 16 We have identified seven Service Standards that our customers expect when interacting with the service as illustrated below These are written from the perspective of the customer and align with matrix the quality assurance standards for information advice and guidance 17 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the Telephone channel must ensure that the Service Standards are an integral part of service delivery and should be reviewed as part of quality assessment and customer feedback processes and incorporated into arrangements for continuous quality improvement European Union 3 2 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Be there when need you Don t forget me follow up lama customer of the servi
51. and remained employed for six months The customer has engaged in a training course while maintaining work The customer has achieved a qualification There is no specific need to act or change anything at the moment i e the appropriate outcome is to keep doing what the customer is doing at the moment The customer feels that they are more confident or more capable of progressing The customer has an improved attitude towards progression in life The customer understands how they can make use of the service including the ability to self serve in future The customer feels that the service they accessed was positive and they received a good experience European Union European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 16 Operating Instructions Labour Market Information LMI Next Step will operate in a national regional and local context delivering a service which responds to individuals needs and steered by regional priorities areas sectors customer groups to provide advice in a labour market context informed by high quality up to date labour market information Key to the delivery of the integrated adult careers service will be the provision of comprehensive up to date and timely national regional and local labour market information to customers Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must demonstrate how Next Step service delivery will be supported by the effective use of up to date
52. anguage line providing support in a range of community languages This service will be provided by the Language Team within the Telephone Contact centre Further details of the language line support available are set out in the Service Offer section of these Operating Instructions European Union g 9 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills gin 20 Operating Instructions Budgeting Funding and Financials Budgeting 1 The budget is agreed annually and is set based on the number of 2 individuals the service as a whole is required to reach The budget will include elements for delivery of services and implementation of each activity set out in the contract The requirement is for funding to follow the customer this includes the payment of outcome payments to incentivise contractors to support customers through to the end of the journey and into positive outcomes linked to improving skills entering employment and progressing within work and life Economies of scale and efficiencies in management costs and overheads will be sought to ensure that maximum resources are available for frontline delivery Telephone Channel 1 2 The Contractor will be paid based upon a combination of fixed and variable payments to cover a proportion of the costs of delivering the service along with variable outcome performance based payments The detail on the outcome and performance based payments will be based on a mix of
53. annel 9 The Prime Contractor will hold details of the operating hours for service delivery of all of their service delivery outlets including outreach centres The opening hours for delivery of the service should also be displayed at the centre location delivering the service Web channel 10 The web channel will be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week with very occasional exceptions where the system needs update or maintenance and will clearly state the main operating hours of the Telephone and Face to face service European Union 3 5 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 6 Operating instructions Marketing and Communications We believe aconsistent and service wide approach to marketing and communications is required to achieve the ambition for Next Step to deliver a seamless customer experience across all the delivery channels A national marketing strategy will help to establish Next Step and support the three channels of the core offer web telephone and face to face It will emphasise the brand values and reflect the brand guidelines It will be implemented through aprogramme of branded marketing communications ranging from PR through to social digital media building relationships with customers of the service utilising the CRM system facilitating networking and best practice local marketing communications by face to face contractors maximising promotion of the service through
54. annel at any point in the service and at any time The Prime Contractor must ensure that all face to face advisers understand the role of the website and can use the website and resources as part of their session with a customer and based on customer need and choice must be able to Support customers to register for Next Step to create their own personal online space Use the skills diagnostic tool Search for course details and locations View relevant job profiles Point customers to the website for advice on producing CVs covering letters and applying for jobs Use the job search facility where appropriate Access advice on funding sources for learning View and use national and regional labour market information Web channel to face to face 21 22 The web channel will provide the contact address for the main delivery site of the face to face Prime Contractor for customers who make the choice to follow up their web experience with a face to face contact It is envisaged that at a later date the facility for a customer to search for a local office in their area directly from the web channel will also be available Contact with the face to face service will still be made through the single national telephone number In particular the customer may contact the face to face channel via the national telephone number for additional support if for example if they need more help to interpret their Skills Diagnostic repo
55. as or leaflets in doctors surgeries However in instances where the audience understand the brand offer and service then the service descriptor is no longer required e g on the website in store graphics or any correspondence with registered users The PATH The Path is a device which gives our brand dynamism and cut through It can be used to hold copy frame an image or simply add a memorable graphic quality to our communications IMAGERY Our brand exists to fuel the potential of millions and imagery is a great way to illustrate the positive impact we can have on people To do this we must show people on their own journey to self improvement and communicate that personal development is both a positive thing and possible to achieve TYPOGRAPHY Bliss is our primary typeface It should be used for all printed communications signage fascias and with the exception of online any externally produced on screen applications TV ads corporate videos information videos etc Calibri is the secondary typeface We use this on all internally produced communications PowerPoint office notices etc Verdana is the typeface we use exclusively for online European Union 6 European Social Fund d skilis Investing in jobs and skills COLOUR We have a colour palette containing 5 colour groups each consisting of a primary and secondary colour Also in the palette are black for use in body copy and white which is an importan
56. at the advisers are unable to use the CRM or other applications Inability to access the Next Step customer website or other applications Tools on the Next Step customer website such as CV builder are not working Systems running slowly 24 Prime Contractors must provide contact details email address telephone number and postal address of between 2 and four staff who will be the filter for technical questions from advisers 25 Their role will be to ensure that the questions forwarded are related to issues or problems with Skills Funding Agency applications and not connected to local systems beyond the control of the Skills Funding Agency Issues out of scope include Network connectivity Training issues Hardware issues 26 It is advised that at least one of the individuals should have received super user training It is not envisaged that this role will be onerous or that there will many queries The nominated individuals will receive further information including an outline of their responsibilities 27 Prime Contractor nominated contacts will be provided with the email and telephone contact details of the technical support desk These contact details must only be used by the nominated contacts and not by individual advisers Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must provide advisers with the contact details of their own nominated staff who will forward appropriate queries to the technical suppor
57. ate channels for communicating with the service to create Intelligent Consumers of the Service The customer can access a service that enables them to make informed choices The customer s needs are understood and the service is based on an assessment of skills Skills information and advice is focused on the appropriate or right outcome we will enable customers to progress in their working lives appropriate to their needs and situation The customer accesses advice that is practical realistic and balances short term requirements with longer term goals The customer accesses a tailored service that takes into account their current situation and any real or perceived barriers to work or learning This supports the service being outcome focused Expert advisers are empowered to resolve a customer s queries and probe deeper than the initial query to identify other barriers and issues Within the web channel the service will use customer insight to anticipate and overcome common barriers and challenges and provide appropriate guidance The service will continually improve by acting on customer and staff feedback including adviser coaching in an open environment and continuing web development to ensure that the web channel remains fit for purpose Continuous improvement and development also applies outwardly to enable the customer to improve throughout their life A continuous improvement culture supports the operation becoming outcom
58. authentication mechanism such as a password In instances European Union European Social Fund 7 6 Investing in jobs and skilis where a password is used it must not be supplied with the data It must only be disclosed to the intended recipient once they have confirmed safe receipt of the data and positively identified themselves Xix User rights to transfer data to removable media should be carefully considered and strictly limited to ensure that this is provided only where absolutely necessary for business purposes and is subject to monitoring xx The individual responsible for the removable media should handle it as if it were the equivalent of a large amount of their own cash XXi Electronic media that have been used for protected personal data must be disposed of through secure destruction overwriting erasure or degaussing Identity assurance ID verification for Customer Matching Process shared secrets 18 The following arrangements will apply from the 1 August 2010 to assure the identification of individuals when they contact the service 19 Shared Secrets will NOT be used as a means of identity verification from 1 August As an interim solution from day 1 customers will be verified based on confirmation of 4 pieces of data using the search functionality within the CRM Surname First Name Date of Birth Postcode 20 Unless all 4 pieces of data are correctly matched a new customer record sh
59. be available to all adults in England whatever their prior skills or employment status fuelling the potential of millions of people Customers will be able to choose to use the service online by telephone or face to face Whichever channel they use they will experience the same high quality service European Union European Social Fund 4 Investing in jobs and skills To make this happen the service has been designed around a central principle e That the customer s needs shape the service that is delivered and e That advisers take responsibility for continuity and quality Customers will benefit from expert impartial advice which reflects labour market intelligence They will also be able to make an informed choice about where they learn by having access to user friendly information on courses and providers including how successful previous learners have been at progressing into further learning and employment The online channel of the new service will integrate these sources of information so that an individual can see in one place all that they need to make a personal choice about how to move forwards in work and life Those who require more support to understand and make use of this information can speak to an adviser in person or on the telephone People receiving out of work benefits who need skills training to move into sustainable employment will be referred to the service by Jobcentre Plus We will continue
60. bers for language line services are available in the Ways of Working section of these Operating Instructions or the Next Step web site Partnerships Helplines and Campaigns 39 The Contractor for the telephone channel will provide responses and fulfilment services for specific campaigns usually related to learning and skills 40 Campaigns and Partnership arrangements are brokered by Skills Funding Agency and are the outcome of relationships with partners such as Sector Skills Councils Broadcasters e g BBC and stakeholders such as Department of Business Innovation and Skills BIS and other government departments European Union 2 0 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 41 The campaign partner services will run similarly tothe information service They will provide free impartial information or advice for specific campaigns relating to learning skills and or work 42 Some campaigns use the main Next Step number 0800 100 900 Some Campaigns such as support for Jobcentre Plus customers currently require a dedicated telephone number and CRM script 43 The Contractor will put in place an appropriate structure for managing the knowledge required for campaigns and generating the MI reports required Services to support campaigns 44 Requests will come from customers telephoning a campaign service or the core service All requests must be fulfilled within a maximum of 4 working days on receipt of the order In
61. ble sealed envelope and sent through internal post or delivered by hand Both means should be supported by a signature service for the delivery and receipt of documents A Signature service is a daily record of the transfer of numbered packages signed out and in by an officer at an appropriate level in each organisation External distribution iv A signature delivery service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery or trusted courier must be used so that the parcel can be tracked online European Union European Social Fund 74 Investing in jobs and skills from sending to receipt with electronic proof of delivery Recorded or Registered post is not considered to be secure Storage Information classified as PROTECT should Not be left unattended e g table desk or printer Be stored in a locked cabinet when not in use Not be emailed or transmitted via the internet without the use of encryption as set out below Disposal of papers Vi All material that has been used for protected data should be subject to controlled disposal Documents must be disposed of sensibly by destroying in a manner to make retrieval or reconstruction unlikely such as incineration pulping or shredding Notified address Vil Under no circumstances should the information be transmitted to any location other than the notified address For example if an adviser is delivering Action Plans to a JCP office the documents must not be taken home overnig
62. ce and want you to Listen to me and respond Help me move on Monitoring and measuring the service standards 18 The service will be monitored and measured in a number of ways including Key Performance Indicators KPI The OfSTED Common Inspection Framework The matrix Standard Self assessment by Prime Contractors and sub contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel Independent research Management information from the customer relationship management CRM tool Supported by Skills Funding Agency contract managers The Service Standards in practice To see how each of the Service Standards relates to the Guiding Principles and how they might be demonstrated and measured please CLICK HERE Further detailed information on national measures can be found in the KPI section of these Operating Instructions European Union 3 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 5 Operating Instructions Hours of Operation 1 The integrated adult careers service will be available through the telephone face to face and web channels as follows Telephone channel 2 The hours of operation for the telephone channel core service will be 08 00 to 22 00 Monday to Sunday with the following exceptions in 2010 11 Friday 24 December 8 00 am 4 00 pm Christmas Day Saturday 25 December Boxing Day Sunday 26 December Friday 31 December 8 00 am 4 00 pm New Year s Day Saturday
63. delivery of the service and should be used to provide the focus for how advisers work with customers 3 All advisers and others involved in the delivery of services must be made aware of and fully understand how the service standards apply to them and then demonstrate this in their work with customers 4 The delivery of the service should be driven by A set of Guiding Principles for the service that provide the direction and overall approach A customer experience framework that puts the customer at the heart of how the service works thinks and prioritises Seven Service Standards written from a customer perspective that are aligned with matrix the quality assurance standards for information advice and guidance 5 Please also refer to the Brand section of these Operating instructions for details of the Mission and Vision for the Service 6 We have also provided some examples of how the Service Standards can be demonstrated and measured for each channel of the service 7 The relationship between the Vision Guiding Principles Customer Experience Framework and Service Standards is set out in the diagram below European Union 2 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Single Vision supported by one brand Guiding Principles Ol UE ola al am gt 4 olla aler Framework Guiding Principles Direction and vision underpinning the whole customer experience Who is the customer Personal In
64. develop and grow in their working lives but things often get in the way hold people back and suppress their potential Our job is to remove the barriers We exist to Fuel the Potential of millions of adults and the experts that support them To do this we must inspire by being positive and deliver by making it possible Our VALUES We must be ENTHUSIASTIC Positive energy is infectious it inspires and motivates We must be EXPERT We need to know our stuff to deliver high quality effective information and advice We must be IMPARTIAL We only ever act in the best interests of our customers We must be PRAGMATIC Our aim is to get the job done The right outcome is more important than the right process Our VISION For millions of individuals to enjoy more rewarding working lives and to create a culture where career development and acquiring new skills is the norm This will improve the lives of individuals society as a whole and in turn increase productivity and boost the economy Our MISSION To give everyone access to the best information advice and resources that help them make more effective skills careers work and life choices SERVICE DESCRIPTION Next Step is a service that gives everyone access to the best information advice and resources to make more effective choices about skills careers work and life Our brand SUMMARY In 60 seconds The integrated adult careers service will be launched in August It will
65. e able to access and their own rights and responsibilities in accessing that service and where the links are with partner organisations for example Jobcentre Plus It is the customer s responsibility to act on the advice provided The customer feels that the advice that they access enables them to advance and is appropriate for them The service is accessible to all adults in England 19 and over and 18 and over for Jobcentre Plus customers or those in custody The customer accesses advice which enables them to make a decision for themselves The customer feels confident about providing and receiving all information across all our channels Customers provide shared secrets to allow their identify to be checked when returning to the service and supporting a single service across multiple channels The customer understands that data is shared across channels and that data and information policies comply with legislation and Skills Funding Agency commitments A customer can choose to be anonymous if they wish to be but this will restrict the services they can access The service provides information and advice about training and work in England with regional and local information provided where appropriate It is recognised that those outside England will be able to access the service handoffs to careers advice services in other parts of the UK e g Wales and Scotland will need to be put in place European Union European Social Fund
66. e available to be accessed by a customer The prime Contractor and Contractor for the telephone service must have systems and processes in place to ensure a seamless transition between the Telephone channel to face to face channel Face to face to telephone channel Face to face to web channel Web channel to face to face channel Web channel to telephone channel Telephone channel to web channel Telephone channel to face to face rA 10 Advisers for the telephone channel must always make customers aware of the face to face service and discussion should include reference to the local services being available The Prime Contractor must ensure arrangements are in place to receive calls from the telephone channel so that there is a seamless transfer of customers wanting to book a face to face session The telephone number for each Prime Contractor will not be public facing but will only be used by telephone contact centre staff to make contact with the face to face channel This can include the warm transfer of customers to book the appointment themselves As a minimum these arrangements should be available at the face to face service Monday to Friday 09 00 hours to 17 00 hours excluding bank holidays See Hours of Operation section European Union European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 40 11 When advisers contact the telephone channel for a face to face appointment and the office of the f
67. e focused The customer feels valued information and advice is followed up in order to offer a better customer experience The service is built on an ongoing relationship with the customer European Union 3 0 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Customer Experience Framework 11 The Customer Experience Framework puts the customer at the heart of how the service works thinks and prioritises It ensures that the service can be designed with the customer in mind to ensure that business objectives are achieved and customers are pleased with the service they receive 12 The customer experience Ensures a consistent look and feel across the service Sets out appropriate ways for customers to interact with the service Drives how the service interacts with its customers Demonstrates that the service understands its customers and their needs Allows focus on what the customer needs and the exclusion of what is not necessary allowing costs to be reduced 13 The Customer Experience Framework allows us to build the service around the customer Using the Customer Experience Framework we can identify how to personalise the service for each customer to achieve the right outcome in the right way There are four aspects to the Customer Experience Framework These are Who is the customer Their details characteristics such as their situation and their attitude for example their feelings about their Situation
68. e other channels of the integrated service European Union g 4 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 17 Operating Instructions Workforce Development and Training Qualifications 1 The Prime Contractor must ensure that all advisers delivering careers advice as part of the integrated adults careers service hold qualifications appropriate to their role The Skills Funding Agency will provide further guidance on appropriate qualifications and levels of qualification 2 All staff appointed or contracted to the service will be expected to have or be working towards obtaining appropriate qualifications within six months of being appointed with the expectation that an appropriate qualification be achieved within two years of the commencement of their training course 3 The Prime Contractor must have in place a staff competency framework shaped by the sector qualifications strategy for careers advice services which should include e arrangements to map existing staff competencies against current service needs e plans for continuous professional development drawing on the workforce development strategy for the adult careers information advice and guidance workforce the CPD Implementation Plan and Career Progression framework produced by Lifelong Learning UK LLUK www lluk org career guidance htm e areas of service development where competency requirements will need to be addressed for example o recent reform
69. e recruitment of apprentices Training to support the implementation of the new service and requirements for its successful operation Continuous professional development for all advisers and delivery staff Management costs Management costs will cover Overall administration of contract Premises and associated costs relating to staff engaged on the contract Staff costs for all non delivery staff TUPE payments cannot be claimed for Overheads associated with contract management Management of sub contractors Impact analysis and evaluation Quality assurance including preparation for OfSTED Quality of skills action plans and customer data The Skills Funding Agency will look to secure economies of scale and efficiencies in management costs to ensure that maximum resources are available for delivery The Prime Contractor will provide support to the management costs and training costs of sub contractors where appropriate Delivery Costs Delivery costs may be claimed from 1 August 2010 and cover Staff costs for the delivery team and outreach support Other overheads in relation to direct delivery European Union European Social Fund 9 2 Investing in jobs and skills 10 11 12 13 Collection of evidence of outcomes All sessions are payable at 40 per individual except in the South East 43 East of England 41 50 London 46 50 Performance will be measured based on
70. egrated adult careers service will be known as Next Step and will consist of three integrated channels web phone and face to face operating under one brand name and telephone number and underpinned by a Customer Relationship Management CRM system It will be a universal service providing personal relevant advice on getting on in work and life to any adult aged 19 and over or 18 and over for Jobcentre Plus customers or those in custody The service will provide access to better information about the labour market and new tools to help adults at any stage in their lives make the right choices about skills careers and qualifications and plan their career development a new professional development framework for careers advisers and will be visible through the Next Step brand to raise the service s appeal to the public Within the web channel registration for Next Step will provide a secure personalised space that gives customers access to the online tools and services empowering them to manage their own learning and career development and provide increased information for the service to provide further benefit to the customer European Union 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 2 Operating Instructions Brand Full brand guidelines are available on the Skills Funding Agency s Campaign Resources website http www skillsfundingagency bis gov uk campaignresources We believe everyone has the ability to
71. ement of eligibility for government funding 7 14 Customer record via the CRM is created exists when the customer contacts the telephone or face to face channels or sends an email via the web channel Full customer details and shared secrets captured to support on going interventions across telephone and face to face channels Access to advice via the telephone or face to face channels Full Skills Action Plan saved via telephone amp face to face channels when receiving an advice session Supports cross referrals between telephone and face to face channels Next Step registration created exists for personalised online space Customer can save searches and functions European Union European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills No activity from using the web channel saved e g searches and functions such as CV A limited customer record can be created anonymous Demographics data captured in CRM when accessing the telephone and face to face channels anonymous An enquiry can be logged in CRM and is managed as an intervention Access to information such as CV builder Encourages more self help Full skills action plan saved Creating and storing personal details generated through the skills diagnostic tool and saved searches e g from course searches Skills assessment report saved from skills diagnostic tool Customer can provide a user name and password to access forums via the web channel
72. endent 3 party European Union European Social Fund F 9 Investing in jobs and skills 12 The service must have a continuous improvement programme which not only focuses on how the overall service can be improved based on customer feedback but also looks at how the operation can run more efficiently These include Improving customer insight as a result of providing the service to customers the service will collect a wealth of data on customers that should be used to inform service development and continuous improvement Improving efficiency of operation the service must implement a programme of continuous improvements to achieve significant efficiencies and improved value for money year on year without compromising the quality of the service Improving outcomes for customers the service must focus attention on how to improve the outcomes for customers 13 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel should explore how over time they can operate more productively identifying how cost can be reduced as a percentage of the service delivery Performance monitoring arrangements 14 Assessment of the Prime Contractor and the Contractor for the telephone channel performance and decisions about intervention and continued commissioning of services from providers will be informed by Annual performance against contribution to whole service key performance indicators Annual performance
73. formation Customer Details Customer Characteristics Customer situation Customer Attitude Customer attitude Customer Profile Why is the customer in contact with us CJ1 XXX I need fulfiment of that alie I want CJ3 XXX I want Customer Journeys How do we personalise the service Information amp Services Advice Offered Offered Au asta we as Intensity amp Channel Frequency of Encouraged Support r Offered aj Functions and Tools What s the outcome Potential Outcome Resolved by Relevant CJs Information provided followup declined or not lacs 2 3 4 5 6 7 necessary Information advice provided and follow up agreed lacs Fulfilment Fulfiment service Enrolled on a training course Training Provider Completed training course Found a job Successfully applied Employer Started job new career Leaming in work Employer Training Provider Do nothing Service Outcome ST i AYA Coro gt ol lert iio ah Be there when Don t need you forget me follow up lama customer of the service and I want you to Provide relevant information and advice lane a aatclare 28 Listen to me and respond European Union European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Guiding Principles 8 The following Guiding Principles have been defined which build a foundation for the
74. h the brand values identity and guidelines o advisers understand and recognise the importance of the service offer the brand values and the customer charter o customers are aware of their rights and responsibilities when accessing the service o Prime Contractors respond to requests for information and provides evaluation data to support marketing campaigns Telephone Channel 5 The CONTRACTOR must Make full use of consistent branding Nominate a named contact who will be responsible for marketing and communications attending meetings using toolkits and guidance provided as part of the Skills Funding Agency s marketing and communications strategy Comply and ensure compliance with the Next Step brand brand values and guidelines This will include ensuring o advisers understand and recognise the importance of the service offer the brand values and the customer charter o customers are aware of their rights and responsibilities when accessing the service o responsiveness to requests for information and provides evaluation data to support marketing campaigns 6 The telephone channel is vital to driving demand Customers must experience a quality service which will encourage repeat business and personal recommendation Customers should be made aware of the full range of the Next Step services 7 Advisers also have a key role in identifying potential case studies for use in marketing 8 Please also see the Brand Gu
75. he Prime Contractor should develop professional development strategies for careers advisers to ensure that the information and advice provided challenges stereotypes and gives customers an understanding of non traditional occupations 6 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel should also ensure that advisers can support customers to help them overcome occupational segregation and stereotyping build awareness of flexible working patterns and promote better use of lifecycle skills and qualifications especially for people returning to the labour market It must offer support on overcoming barriers preventing individuals from entering learning and work 7 The Skills Funding Agency will monitor take up of services and outcomes achieved against equality and diversity measures and Prime Contractors and For the purpose of this document the term Equality and Diversity is used as defined in the Equality Act 2010 This defines protected characteristics as age race religion or belief sex sexual orientation disability gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity European Union g g European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills the Contractor for the telephone channel must act to improve both take up and outcomes if necessary 8 All channels of the service will conform to defined and agreed usability and accessibility standards 9 The service will provide a l
76. he needs of the customer and the business requirement European Union European Social Fund 73 Investing in jobs and skills 15 Advisers should only access citizens records when there is a business need to do SO 16 In addition Advisers must not share access credentials such as login names or passwords Logins and passwords should changed regularly and be configured so that they cannot easily be guessed e g Minimum 8 characters alphanumeric and capitals They must inform their line manager if they believe that their credentials have been compromised Unattended equipment must be locked or logged out Transfer of documents 17 In summary but not exclusively the Prime Contractor must ensure arrangements are in place for handling document transfer between organisations which include Marking of documents i Due to the personal and sensitive data being held that would enable an individual to be identified documents including Skills Action Plans must be SECURITY marked Print in bold capitals same size as body text centre top and bottom of each page header AND footer with PROTECT PERSONAL ii Multiple documents for transfer should be double enveloped with the INTERNAL envelope ONLY marked PROTECT PRIVATE The name and the address should also be on the internal envelope No protective labelling to appear on the external envelope Internal distribution iii Documents must be in a dou
77. he service See Service offer section of these Operating Instructions an expectation that providers will undertake regional local evaluations to establish the effectiveness of approaches and inform service developments Continual Improvements 10 11 It is vital that the service listens regularly to its customers and seeks ways to improve the service it delivers As well as complying with national workforce standards and meeting national quality standards Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel in delivering the service will need to undertake continuous quality improvement as part of core business Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must have arrangements in place to gather and act on feedback from both sub contractors and individual users including customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis and Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel are responsible for responding appropriately to the feedback and co ordinating this activity for the area where they are responsible for delivery The Telephone channel will gather customer feedback through Immediate transfer of a percentage of customers to a telephone service who will ask the customer questions about their satisfaction with the service they have just received After one month 31 days after last intervention and flagged by CRM a sample survey of customer satisfaction carried out by telephone by an indep
78. hoices using the tools and information available undergo a skills assessment produce their own action plan create and save a CV and be supported to use the information effectively and understand the best route to achieving their goals Telephone channel to face to face 1 Advisers for the telephone channel must always make customers aware of the face to face service and discussion should include reference to the local services being available 2 The Prime Contractor must ensure arrangements are in place to receive calls from the telephone channel so that there is a seamless transfer of customers wanting to book a face to face session 3 The telephone number for each Prime Contractor will not be public facing but will only be used by telephone contact centre staff to make contact with the face to face channel This can include the warm transfer of customers to book the appointment themselves 4 Asaminimum these arrangements should be available at the face to face service Monday to Friday 09 00 hours to 17 00 hours excluding bank holidays See Hours of Operation section 5 When advisers contact the telephone channel for a face to face appointment and the office of the face to face Prime Contractor is closed then tasks will be queued in the CRM for the Prime Contractor to follow up on the next working day Details held in the queuing system will include contact details and the reason for the enquiry The customer will then
79. ht The data can however be scanned on to an encrypted USB stick Transfer of information over the internet or via email viii Xi Wherever possible protected personal data should be held and accessed on paper or ICT systems on secure premises The second best option is secure remote access so that data can be viewed or amended without being permanently stored on the remote computer using products that meet the Federal Information Processing Standard FIPS 140 2 standard or equivalent The third best option is secured transfer of information to a remote computer on a secure site on which it will be permanently stored Both the data at rest and the link should be protected at least to the FIPS 140 2 standard or equivalent as above Protectively marked information must not be stored on privately owned computers unless they are protected in this way European Union 7 5 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills xii Xiil XIV In all cases the remote computer should be password protected configured so that its functionality is minimised to its intended business use only and have up to date software patches and anti virus software The Skills Funding Agency standard to meet the FIPS 140 2 standard is that all documents marked PROTECT require encryption before transmission using Winzip v 9 0 or later and including Always select the 256 bit Advanced Encryption Standard 256 AES Always use 15
80. ic course at a specific place rather than just might do an ESOL course Achievable e g either now or in the longer term depending on how many steps it might take to achieve the goal Realistic e g Are their choices realistic and based on up to date labour market information linked to job goals Timebound e g Is there an agreed specific timescale or date for each action agreed European Union 5 4 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Privacy Notice 14 Customers must also be made aware of the Privacy Notice setting out how the information contained in the Skills Action Plan may be shared with other specified organisations Particular attention must be drawn to the provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 with regard to sharing information with the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus European Union 5 5 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 10 Operating Instructions Joint working to meet the needs of the unemployed Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must manage and co ordinate the delivery of careers and skills advice services to Jobcentre Plus customers This will include developing as appropriate in the face to face and telephone channels close working relationships with the Skills Funding Agency Jobcentre Plus and for the face to face Prime Contractor other relevant regional and sub regional bodies to plan activity wi
81. ice integration features such as Export to Excel and Mail Merge you must have one of the following installed on the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web client European Union European Social Fund 5 0 Investing in jobs and skills e Microsoft Office 2003 SP3 e Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 Network Where the computer running the client is connected to a LAN WAN a 100MB sec capable Network Interface Card NIC is recommended Where the computer running the client is connected to a mobile broadband connection a HSDPA 3G EDGE and GPRS compatible device is recommended to ensure access to the fastest available connection Where an individual computer running the client is connected to a fixed line broadband connection a minimum connection bandwidth of 1MB sec is recommended If the connection is via WiFi then use of G or N class devices is recommended For scenarios where multiple computers will be sharing a broadband connection refer to Data Network requirements section below Note Microsoft Windows 2000 editions and Windows XP Media Center Edition are not supported for installing and running Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Data network requirements for face to face advisers It has been calculated that it will require approximately 1 06MB of data to be transferred between the internet browser client and the application based ona typical transaction following these steps through the applicatio
82. idelines section of these Operating Instructions European Union 3 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Full brand guidelines are available on the Skills Funding Agency s Campaign Resources website http www skillsfundingagency bis zov uk campaignresources Advice T 024 7682 3974 E amanda simpson skillsfundingagency bis gov uk European Union European Social Fund 3 8 Investing in jobs and skills 7 Operating Instructions Ways of Working across the face to face telephone and web channels 1 Customers will interact with the service using a blend of channels as described in the diagram below Interoperability simply means the way in which the service will work as an integrated single service across the three channels The movement between the three channels will be supported by a single Customer Relationship Management CRM system Interoperability between channels Face to Face Online Web Telephone Channel Channel Channel 2 The Contractor for the telephone channel will establish Operational Coordinators partnerships to act as the contact point for designated face to face Prime Contractors Prime Contractors for the face to face channel must also designate a named contact point to work with the telephone channel 3 These designated named contact points will work directly to develop this relationship but must ensure that the Skills Funding Agency Operational Managers i
83. ities site 9 The Prime Contractor and Contractor for the telephone channel must develop links to Sector Skills Councils Jobcentre Plus and other organisations producing labour market information at a national regional and sub regional level to ensure access to up to date labour market resources sector based careers and skills advice and any available assessment materials 10 The service as a whole will need to work with a range of strategic stakeholders including the National Apprenticeship Service and Unionlearn to provide a seamless offer for employees and support for employers wanting to help up skill their workforce and ensure advisers have the necessary knowledge sharing with those services to help individuals access the support they need 11 The Prime Contractor for the face to face channel will be responsible for the collection and dissemination of local labour market information including liaising with the appropriate organisations to ensure that they provide this data and make it available to the web and telephone channels European Union g 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 12 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must ensure that advisers make use of labour market information as part of effective practice when working with customers They musthave arrangements in place to collate and share local and regional knowledge expertise and labour market information across th
84. l Fund Investing in jobs and skills 3 Operating Instructions The Service Offer 1 The integrated adult careers service will be a single integrated service with three delivery channels web telephone and face to face operating under one brand and shaped by local partnerships and innovative ways of working 2 The service will provide a universal offer for all those in and out of work It will provide targeted support focusing on people with specific barriers to getting into and on in work 3 One of the objectives of the service is to build lifelong relationships with its customers to encourage them to use the service throughout their lives and not just in times of crisis 4 The integrated adult careers service will help people find the right combination of advice for them reflecting their specific needs to help them progress in work and life It will provide personalised relevant advice on getting on in work and life reflecting individual needs and situations enable customers to manage their own careers and provide the appropriate level of support to meet their needs be available for any adult aged 19 and over or 18 and over for Jobcentre Plus customers or those in custody See Working with Offenders section for further detail of how Prime Contractors will work with Offenders allow people who require more intensive ongoing support to get that support on the basis of their need 5 The service will work clo
85. learning provision The Learner Plan is only issued to offenders serving a custodial sentence and must therefore be treated as sensitive information 5 Offenders in the community who are unemployed may be referred to Next Step by Jobcentre Plus advisers See section on Working with the Unemployed However particular note must be taken of the instructions European Union European Social Fund 5 9 Investing in jobs and skills 10 relating to any input to the CRM on individuals that advisers are aware are under sentence See paras 11 and 12 Prime Contractors will need to reach agreement with the Skills Funding Agency probation trust and where appropriate Jobcentre Plus on how and by whom offenders will be referred through an agreed set of processes and documentation see paras 7 and 8 where the service will be delivered on Jobcentre Plus see 8 probation or outreach premises to get the best fit within local arrangements how proper account is taken of risk management in line with probation recommendations and the sentence plan what data can be recorded and shared with regard to offenders see paras 11 and 12 below Prime Contractor staff working with offenders must ensure that they make recommendations in line with identified risk and the sentence plan as this may limit long term employment options and the type of learning and training they can undertake High risk offenders may not be able to undertake training on
86. lude individual one to one sessions that meets the need of the customer outreach advisers and activities drop in workshops e g for job search support customised careers and skills advice programmes with specific groups partnership delivery with Jobcentre Plus and community based organisations links with learning and training providers including informal adult learning and Links with employer facing support including skills brokers and Union Learning Representatives 24 Arrangements could also include Imaginative use of tools and resources e g webcams however customers requiring telephone or email advice should be signposted or referred to other channels Group activities which provide value for money if appropriate for customers and Drop in workshops e g for jobsearch support 25 In order to encourage access and use of the service it is a requirement that the Prime Contractor for the face to face channel ensures that the face to face channel is visible through identifiable access points around the region presence at local and regional events co location with Jobcentre Plus and a range of other organisations including probation collaborative initiatives with community and partner organisations outreach activities including adviser visits surgeries and group activities European Union 1 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 26 27 28
87. mprising on average 30 of their caseload e Offenders serving a community sentence or order under the supervision of probation comprising on average 70 of their caseload e Offenders who have a sentence of less than 12 months who are released from custody without a supervision requirement 3 The Prime Contractor needs to develop close working relationships in their locality with NOMS National Offender Management Service which includes both probation and prison services The first two categories of offender as outlined in Paragraph 1 will be managed by the probation service the third may be referred from custody Until the responsibility for the Offender Learning and Skills Service OLASS careers information and advice service CIAS transfers to the Prime Contractor on the 1 August 2012 the Prime Contractor will develop arrangements with the CIAS provider and establishments with regard to through the gate activity These arrangements will form part of the transition work with existing OLASS Careers Information Advice Service CIAS set out below 4 Individuals who have been released from custody may have information in the form of a hard copy Learner Plan about the learning activity or work experience that they have undertaken while in custody The Learner Plan will also provide a record of an individual s Unique Learner Number ULN and continued use of the ULN should be encouraged if an individual progresses to mainstream
88. n Home Page Contact Search Contact Intervention Intervention SOA Lookup Intervention Save For scenarios where multiple advisers will be sharing a broadband connection for the purpose of updating the system in bulk based on data captured during appointments where web access was not available it is recommended that an average duration is determined for completion of a typical transaction and this is used to calculate a connection bandwidth requirement based on the following formula European Union 5 1 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Typical transaction data MB duration seconds No of concurrent advisers sharing a connection Connection bandwidth MB second In all cases a minimum connection bandwidth of 2MB sec is recommended 52 European Union European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 9 Operating Instructions Skills Action Plan 1 The Skills Action Plan forms an important and integral part of the advice process with customers and provides a record of the discussion with the customer that they can use to reflect on their existing skills plan for future skills development and support achievement of their learning or work goals 10 The Skills Action Plan also provides evidence of the delivery of the service and should reflect the high quality of the service to contribute to inspection and quality assurance arrangements All customers who receive a
89. n advice session face to face or through the telephone channel whether accessing a single session or multiple sessions must receive a Skills Action Plan In all cases the Skills Action Plan will now be completed through the customer relationship management system CRM Actions to take in the face to face channel where there is no internet connection include typing the Skills Action Plan into the off line template provided ready to attach to the customer s record as soon as internet access is available and within a maximum of 2 working days Advisers in the face to face channel must obtain two signed copies one for the customer and one for records of the Skills Action Plan in order to claim funding for the session Any subsequent modifications to the Skills Action Plan also requires the customer s signature to be gathered in order to claim funding Please also see the CRM section of these Operating Instructions for further information including details of step by step actions required if the adviser does not have internet access at the time of the interview Advisers in the telephone channel will always e mail the Skills Action Plan to the customer unless the customer does not have an email address in which case this will be posted All actions relating to the Skills Action Plan must be completed in line with Data Security requirements set out in the Data Security section of these Operating Instructions Particular care must be t
90. n each regional contract area are kept up to date and agree any key decisions relating to delivery of the contract 4 How the customer accesses the service will be driven by customer choice There will be a single national telephone number 0800 100 900 for customers to access including booking face to face appointments the face to face and telephone channels and there will be one web site 5 The service will provide a blend of national regional and local content and the following table outlines examples of what a customer can expect from the different channels including the type of Labour Market Information LMI at national regional and local level European Union 3 9 European Social Fund pie iei 6 Level National Regional Full national service with broad universal information and features Some regional information through regional areas of the site and customised searches Some local information through postcode searches e g job or course searches Full national service with broad universal information and features Regional information and advice captured through the regional relationship manager role Limited local information Web Channel Telephone Channel Full national service with broad universal information and features Detailed regional information potentially shared through the prime contractor knowledge management role High amount of local information and knowledg
91. n the case of face to face contractors KPIs and other required outputs including Service Level Agreements for the Contact Centre ensure the accurate and timely collection and input of customer data to the national customer relationship management CRM system ensure tracking systems which include the CRM are in place to identify and monitor the impact of the service and performance against national and regional KPIs conduct their own evaluations provide support and contribute to regional and national evaluations as required fulfil requirements for the recording of individual users Unique Learner numbers face to face 7 Feedback mechanisms will be confirmed in due course but it is anticipated that there will be a group or network of MI leads and users to work on development of the MI and associated reports especially with respect to the CRM 8 Prime Contractors should also read the following documents in conjunction with these Operating Instructions CRM Reporting User Guide Web Channel 9 The requirements for MI are currently being defined for the Web channel European Union European Social Fund 70 Investing in jobs and skills 14 Operating Instructions Data Security 1 Since February 2008 all Government Departments and public bodies have been required to ensure that any personal data that is transmitted sent by email sent by post taken outside of government public premises is protected
92. n the table below Many customers will have a combination of these needs and will need a range of services to be delivered to help them progress Advice to help a customer choose or change career Providing up to date national regional and local sector labour market information Detailed careers information such as qualifications and skills required for roles Develop my career Providing personalised skills assessment and advice on how to find and access learning Taaleleoemaaciice Advice to find and enrol on a course Access to information on provider quality Support in registering for Next Step Equipping customers to successfully apply for a job Example tools CV builder Interview advice Local labour market information Links to Jobcentre Plus Job readiness Information and advice related to funding or eligibility for funding Information and advice on Learner Support programmes and Child Care and Career Development Loans Funding and eligibility advice Specialist help advice and referrals to partners and specialist Support advice services e g returning to work such as Citizens Advice Bureau housing associations childcare legal advice debt advice European Union 1 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills How the service is personalised 14 The service offer to individuals depends on the profile of the customer and an individual adviser assessment self directed on
93. national regional and local labour market information Three tiers of labour market information will exist to support the service o National LMI including up to date data derived from the Sector Skills Councils which will be edited summarised and presented as snapshots in an adviser friendly format o Prime contractor led regional and sub regional LMI will be collated centrally and fed into the web channel o Local LMI will be collated by the subcontractors and fed up to the Prime Contractors Labour market information must reflect principles of equality of opportunity and must be impartial accessible up to date robust and relevant to the needs of practitioners in their careers and skills advice work with customers Recognised research best practice must be used in ensuring appropriate provenance and accuracy of data The national and regional LMI provided by the SSCs include full publications and bite size versions and the full publications will cover o sector information a brief description of what the sector covers o information on careers available and new emerging jobs transferability of skills career paths and opportunities for progression o information on pay rates in the sector information on entry requirements application processes e g Apprenticeships o qualifications different types of qualifications needed acceptable and approved courses where these exist o dataon employment and labour market trend
94. ndards Hours of Operation Marketing Ways of working integration Customer Relationship Management CRM system Skills Action Plan Joint working with the unemployed Working with Offenders National measures KPIs and Service levels Mi and Reporting Requirements Data Security Quality LMI Workforce development Safeguarding Equality and Diversity Budgets and funding Terminology European Union 2 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 1 Operating Instructions Policy context In establishing a new integrated adult careers service John Hayes MP Minister of State for Further Education Skills and Lifelong Learning said We need to give people of all ages the opportunities to enrich their lives and succeed so it is vitally important that everyone gets the help and support they need to make career choices By integrating adult careers services we are building a more responsive system that will provide all the information and tools people need in one place making it easier and quicker for all users to get the right information and support for them Geoff Russell Skills Funding Agency Chief Executive said The vision is for millions of people to enjoy more rewarding lives We want to create a culture where career development and acquiring new skills is the norm This will improve individuals lives society as a whole and in turn increase productivity and boost the economy The int
95. nteraction with the service access customer information including key contacts with advisers within the service record outcomes including any referrals or signposting pre register customers for Next Step to allow them to create their own personalised online space create and save Skills Action Plans Support campaigns through the telephone channel produce MI for operational management and service improvement reports for some users 3 All advisers must use the CRM to enable the delivery of a truly integrated service Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must ensure that that all staff receive appropriate and timely training to effectively use the system 4 A Train the Trainers User Manual has been developed to support advisers in training other advisers on the use of the CRM system Link to CRM User manual including the completion of the Skills Action Plan 5 Prime Contractors must nominate a super user of the CRM to work with the Skills Funding Agency on the development of the CRM including training and system updates and provide details of the users of different categories of the system Further information will be provided on the role of the super user and other users of the system Please also see details of the technical support desk in paragraph 22 below 6 The aggregated results MI from the CRM will be available in due course to the Prime Contractors Contractor for the telephone
96. o have access to personal data and sensitive personal information as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998 should be aware of the difference between the two Personal data includes information such as name address date of birth and Sensitive personal data includes information such as disability ethnic origin or health Please see paragraphs 10 and 11 below for further details 7 Advisers must be aware of the sensitivity of the data they have access to and should treat it accordingly by European Union European Social Fund F 1 Investing in jobs and skills Being aware of those around them who could view the information displayed on screen Not writing down any personal or sensitive information on paper or similar media where this can be avoided Not saving sensitive or personal information to their machines or making use of removable media to store personal or sensitive data where this can be avoided Making sure that where this cannot be avoided the personal or sensitive data is removed as soon as possible Skills Action Plans Advisers must not include sensitive data in the Skills Action Plan in either the CRM or off line version Any sensitive data should only be recorded where absolutely necessary either in the Comment box of the CRM or in the drop down box of the CRM where appropriate e g ethnic origin Minimum scope of protected personal data 9 10 The table below sets out the minimum scope of p
97. o understand why a customer is contacting the service and manage them through the service Session Face to Face Is a completed activity with a face to face adviser In CRM this is recorded as a Service Activity of type Face to Face Appointment In order to be paid for the Service Activity must be marked as Completed within the CRM system Session Telephone Information Is an interaction between a customer and a first information tier adviser at the contact centre This is recorded in the CRM as a phone call activity European Union European Social Fund 1 08g Investing in jobs and skills Session Telephone Advice Is an interaction with a second advice tier adviser at the contact centre with an associated action plan This could be recorded within CRM as a phone call activity if the call is transferred immediately OR as a service activity of type careers coach call back if a call back is scheduled European Union 1 0 9 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills
98. of their interaction with the service and these may be counted towards the progression target 5 Outcomes will only be paid for customers based on the evidence requirements set out in the Budget and Funding section of these Operating Instructions Measuring Progression through the face to face channel 6 The national impact measure is made up from a number of more detailed service targets For the face to face channel these have been identified as European Union 6 3 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 40 of face to face customers who create an action plan and go on to enter learning or training 30 of face to face customers who create an action plan and go on to enter sustainable employment 15 of face to face customers who create an action plan and go on to progress in work 7 itis also a requirement that of those customers receiving Job Seekers Allowance JSA who are referred to the service by Jobcentre Plus and create an Action Plan 40 enter learning or training 30 enter sustainable employment 8 The key national performance indicators for the face to face channel are 45 of face to face customers to become qualified to a higher level at least 15 of customers to have a learning difficulty or disability that could adversely affect their participation in work 95 of customers to be satisfied with the service they receive and 100 of organisations delivering the co
99. one or more interventions or referrals to learning and skills provision specialist provision for those affected by the economic downturn or other support to help overcome barriers to entering learning and sustainable employment support for learning brokerage career progression and or job search Individuals outside of the priority groups who require additional support beyond the initial face to face session have the following support available to them Accessing further fully funded support via the telephone channel Use of the web channel to access a range of tools and services Paying for further face to face support where the contracted provider offers a fee based service Any fee charged to the individual should not exceed the funding provided by the Skills Funding Agency or Using another face to face provider of their choice for further specific support with charges agreed between the individual and the provider European Union European Social Fund 1 6 Investing in jobs and skills 21 Prime Contractors will also be able to inform individuals about specialist fee charging services which may be useful to them Access to the face to face channel 22 Access to the face to face channel will be through a range of flexible delivery mechanisms It is a requirement that the Prime Contractor ensures the customers have access to the service in a way that meets their particular needs 23 Access arrangements should inc
100. or more characters for the pass phrase The pass phrase MUST NOT be emailed with the encrypted zip The pass phrase must not be communicated to the intended recipient until the sender has verified that the intended recipient has taken safe receipt of the encrypted data Any e mails sent by the adviser to a central processing point must be sent on a daily basis with no more than 15 customers details sent in one email and be encrypted to the level that we specify in these Operating Instructions Transfer of information via removable electronic media XV XVI XVII XVIII Wherever possible protected personal data should be held and accessed on paper or ICT systems on secure premises This means organisations should avoid the use of removable media including laptops removable disks CDs USB memory sticks PDAs and media card formats However where it is not possible to avoid the use of removable media all the following conditions must apply The information transferred to the removable media should be the minimum necessary to achieve the business purpose both interms of the numbers of people covered by the information and the scope of information held Where possible only anonymised information should be held The removable media should be encrypted to a standard of at least FIPS 140 2 or equivalent for example Winzip 9 0 or later using the 256 bit Advanced Encryption Standard in addition to being protected by an
101. orkforce standards processes procedures technology and training across the service Target Audience 8 The service is available to all people in England aged 19 and over or 18 and over for Jobcentre Plus customers or those in custody National priority groups have also been identified and customers within these groups are able to receive ongoing face to face support through additional sessions with an adviser Customers who fall outside these priority groups can access additional advice sessions via the telephone and web virtual adviser channels 10 The priority groups are low skilled adults i e without a full level 2 qualification especially women who are locked in low skilled low prospects jobs young adults aged 19 24 without a level 3 qualification Adults facing redundancy newly redundant or at a distance from the labour market Jobcentre Plus customers in receipt of out of work benefits people from ethnic minority communities adults aged 50 plus carers as defined by Department of Health guidelines offenders in custody and in the community under the supervision of probation services and ex offenders t A carer spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to family or potentially friends This could be caring for a relative partner or friend who is ill frail disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems this definition is subject to review and consultation
102. orking days of receipt and a full response provided within a maximum of 5 working days Web Channel The web channel will be available 97 99 target of the time with very occasional exceptions where the system needs update or maintenance How easily customers get to their destination i e optimum number of clicks will be measured National Service Volumes 23 The following national service volumes have been agreed for each channel of the service Face to face 700 000 individuals WENE UEIR These figures are based on the targets for a full financial 7 year 1 million interventions Interventions These figures are based on the targets for a full financial year European Union 6 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills Telephone A total of 1 million sessions per year across information Language lines and Campaign lines Call back Requests Up to 120 000 Call Back Requests from the website Telephony In depth Around 100 000 sessions resulting in a skills action plan 250 000 emails and web form sessions Email Forums Moderated Approximately 2500 posts per year Web Channel Web Sessions 20 million session includes a visit and interaction with the web tools and services European Union European Social Fund 6 8 Investing in jobs and skills 13 Operating Instructions Management information monitoring and reporting arrangements 1 Management Info
103. ould be created 21 Shared Secrets will be implemented at a later date yet to be agreed but potentially 1 November 2010 Further information will be supplied in due course European Union 7 7 European Social Fund j nd skills Investing in jobs and skills 15 Operating Instructions Quality The service must have consistent and national quality standards which are externally validated and it is a requirement that all providers meet minimum quality requirements for delivery of the service The key components of the quality assurance arrangements for the telephone web and face to face channels including online email advice and content are the matrix Standard with external validation by approved assessors wWww matrixstandard com inspection by OfSTED using the Common Inspection Framework http www ofsted gov uk Ensuring level AA Double A conformance to web content accessibility for the web channel Minimum requirements 3 All providers delivering the service will need to hold and retain the matrix Standard and organisations who have not yet achieved matrix accreditation must obtain a certificate of commitment within three months of the award of a contract and must commit to being fully assessed against the Standard within six months from the commencement of the contract 4 All sub contractors of the face to face service must have achieved matrix accreditation within six months of the start of their
104. permanent temporary and outreach approaches based on customer need and geographical location Ensuring that advisers use agreed processes and documentation for booking appointments transfer of information between Jobcentre Plus and Next Step including sharing of the Skills Action Plan as appropriate Ensuring that any customers mandated to the face to face channel are provided with the service required by the Jobcentre Plus personal adviser in order to meet the conditions of mandation of the Jobseekers direction Booking appointments for Jobcentre Plus customers Jobcentre Plus customers will be either signposted through the national telephone number 0800 100 900 or referred to the telephone channel using the dedicated Jobcentre Plus number 08000 924 429 Please also see Ways of Working section in the Instructions Jobcentre Plus advisers who are referring a customer to Next Step can either Book an appointment for the customer with a face to face adviser by telephoning the dedicated phone number and the Jobcentre Plus adviser will then be transferred to the relevant Prime Contractor Out of hours the Signposting The customer will be made aware of the service by the issue of a leaflet or some other collateral Referral An appointment is made for a customer by a third party and Next Step in the face to face channel may receive information from that third party European Union European Social Fund 5 7 Investing in jobs and skills
105. phone service Web channel to telephone channel 18 The web channel will provide the national telephone for the customer to access additional support from a telephone contact centre adviser This may be European Union European Social Fund 24 Investing in jobs and skills 19 20 for first line support or if appropriate onward referral may be made to advice available through the telephone channel In particular the customer may contact the telephone channel for additional support if for example if they need more help to interpret their Skills Diagnostic Tool report The customer will always be given the option of making contact with either the face to face service or the telephone service Telephone channel to web service 2i 22 23 Telephone contact centre advisers should always tell customers about the web channel including the ability to use the web at any time Customers should also be encouraged to register for Next Step on the web to enable them to create their own personalised online space including storing documents such as CVs and Skills Diagnostic tool results The customer can choose to use the web channel and should be encouraged to do so when it is clear that the customer can self serve through this channel Telephone numbers for the Service 24 25 26 27 28 29 The national telephone number for the service is 0800 100 900 In addition a separate number will exist to
106. prehensive and permanent external and internal signage is essential European Union European Social Fund 7 Investing in jobs and skills Our advisers must use branded materials and wear Next Step name badges Temporary Locations where Next Step is delivered some of the time Our Next Step products or services must be fully branded as Next Step using all the elements outlined in the brand guidelines Appropriate Next Step templates including promotional items stationery and signage must be used Visible comprehensive temporary external and internal signage is essential Our advisers must use branded materials and wear Next Step name badges TEMPLATES A series of templates is available in PDF format on the Skills Funding Agency Campaign Resource site http www skillsfundingagency bis gov uk campaignresources e Brand reference sheet e Calling card e Business card e Comp slip Letterhead template Powerpoint template Word template Name badge Note pad Post it notes Appointment card Table wrap Pen template e Strut card e Window decal 30 cm Window decal 1m Door sign Empty belly poster Generic leaflet Generic poster Generic pop up banner The Skills Funding Agency Communications and Campaign team can provide brand advice European Union European Social Fund 8 Investing in jobs and skills T 024 7682 3974 E amanda simpson skillsfundingagency bis gov uk European Union European Socia
107. re face to face offer to be accredited to the matrix Standard within six months of the start of the contract 9 Follow up will be carried out for all customers receiving advice via the face to face channel one three and six months after the customer s last intervention 10 Follow up at 1 and 3 months will be carried out by Prime Contractor staff Further information on how follow up is to be carried out at 6 months will be confirmed in due course 11 Follow up should be carried out by the adviser who had the last contact with the customer For instance if a telephone channel adviser sees a customer and then refers them to the face to face channel it would be the responsibility face to face adviser to follow up the customer 12 It is also good practice for advisers to remain in contact with customers as part of their ongoing relationship and support to the customer Formal follow up does not take the place of this informal contact Sustainable employment is defined as being in employment for 13 weeks European Union 6 4 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 13 The Customer Relationship Management CRM system will flag after 31 days of inactivity after the last point of contact that that a follow up is needed and then after another 2 months 14 The results of a follow up must be captured in the CRM system to enable the collection and reporting of management information and performance management
108. resources as part of their session with a customer and based on customer need and choice must be able to Support customers to register for Next Step to create their own personal online space Use the skills diagnostic tool Search for course details and locations View relevant job profiles Point customers to the website for advice on producing CVs covering letters and applying for jobs Use the job search facility where appropriate Access advice on funding sources for learning View and use national and regional labour market information Web channel to face to face 15 The web channel will provide the contact address for the main delivery site of the face to face Prime Contractor for customers who make the choice to follow up their web experience with a face to face contact It is envisaged that at a later date the facility for a customer to search for a local office in their area directly from the web channel will also be available Contact with the face to face service will still be made through the single national telephone number 16 In particular the customer may contact the face to face channel via the national telephone number for additional support if for example if they need more help to interpret their Skills Diagnostic report or would like a more detailed conversation about local services 17 The customer will always be given the option of making contact with either the face to face service or the tele
109. rity as appropriate in 2010 and 2011 i Changes to legislation relating to the Independent Safeguarding Authority are currently under consideration Further guidance will be issued in due course when it becomes available European Union g 7 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 19 Operating Instructions Equality and Diversity 1 The service must comply with all relevant legislation with regards to Equality and Diversity 2 As well as complying with all relevant legislation the service should develop strategies to encourage people from the identified priority groups to use the service and meet the specific needs of those users 3 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone service should strive to ensure that their workforce is diverse and as far as possible reflect the communities they serve including attracting and serving people from all socio economic backgrounds 4 The language used to position deliver and promote the new service must be appropriate for the communities it is seeking to help and clearly communicate the message of universality For example providing advice in a variety of languages and modes of delivery making sure that services can be understood and used by those with learning difficulties and disabilities as well as those less familiar with or able to access web based technology and that older people feel that the service is as much for them as for younger adults 5 T
110. rmation MI is essential to understand how the service is performing and therefore how to improve it There are two types of MI Quantitative through supporting technologies and Qualitative through focus interviews groups and research 2 Management information is needed for Department of Business Innovation and Skills BIS from the Skills Funding Agency to inform strategy development monitor performance against agreed indicators and to provide advice to Ministers Skills Funding Agency to monitor and analyse the performance of contractors and inform policy and operational developments and the future specification of services and Prime Contractors and sub contractors to monitor their own performance to improve customer service and assist with the drive to continuous improvement and high quality service delivery Department for Work and Pensions Aggregated reports are provided as well as extracts of records for data matching purposes Partner Campaigns currently through the Contact Centre 3 The aimis for management information across the three delivery channels to be standardised and as compatible as possible This will allow differences between the 3 channels to be highlighted and to enable performance to be monitored against key performance indicators and impact measures for the service as a whole 4 Management information will be created through five sources as follows The reporting capability within CRM formal
111. rotected personal data Departments must identify data they or their delivery partners hold whose release or loss could cause harm or distress to individuals This must include as a minimum all data falling into one or both categories below Documents including e mails and Skills Action plans with any combination of the information below must be Security marked PROTECT Personal as set out in paragraph 14 One or more pieces of combined with 2 information about that information that can be used individual whose release is along with public domain likely to cause harm or information to identify an distress individual Name addresses home or business or 1 Sensitive personal data as defined by both postcode email telephone s2 of the Data protection Act including numbers driving licence number records relating to the criminal justice date of birth records system and group membership See paragraph 12 below Note that driving licence number is included in this list because it directly 2 DNA or finger prints bank financial vields date of birth and first part of or credit card details mother s maiden surname name National Insurance number Tax benefit or pension records health European Union European Social Fund 7 2 Investing in jobs and skills records employment record school attendance or records material relating to social services including child protection and housing Sensitive
112. rs and a final response within 5 working days The telephone channel will deal with complaints by telephone or email and not by letter unless this is requested by the customer Telephone 90 of calls will be answered within 15 seconds with an abandon rate of lt 5 Customers of the telephone channel will send the Skills Action Plan out within 24 hours of the service being received Web form enquiries should be answered within one working day The telephone channel will reply to letters within 24 hours of receipt In busy periods callers details can be taken for call backs European Union 6 6 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills which should be delivered within a maximum of 24 hours In addition should the advisers need to undertake additional research on behalf of the customer a call back will be carried out within than 24 hours Face to face Face to face appointments will be delivered within 5 working days or later at the specific request of customers Customers of the face to face channel should be given a copy of the Skills Action Plan at the end of their session If in exceptional circumstances it is not possible to issue the Skills Action Plan at the end of the session this must be issued within a maximum of five working days and meet security criteria 90 of customers will be seen within 10 minutes of a pre arranged appointment Enquiries received by letter will be acknowledged within 2 w
113. rt or would like a more detailed conversation about local services European Union 4 2 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 23 The customer will always be given the option of making contact with either the face to face service or the telephone service Web channel to telephone channel 24 The web channel will provide the national telephone for the customer to access additional support from a telephone contact centre adviser This may be for first line support or if appropriate onward referral may be made to advice available through the telephone channel 25 In particular the customer may contact the telephone channel for additional support if for example if they need more help to interpret their Skills Diagnostic Tool report 26 The customer will always be given the option of making contact with either the face to face service or the telephone service Telephone channel to web service 27 Telephone contact centre advisers should always tell customers about the web channel including the ability to use the web at any time 28 Customers should also be encouraged to register for Next Step on the web to enable them to create their own personalised online space including storing documents such as CVs and Skills Diagnostic tool results 29 The customer can choose to use the web channel and should be encouraged to do so when it is clear that the customer can self serve through this channel Telephone n
114. s 1 through to 8 Other qualifications Not known not provided No qualifications Priority groups identified for Next Step low skills adults without a level 2 qualification especially omen locked in low skilled low prospects jobs young adults aged 19 24 without a level 3 qualification adults facing redundancy newly redundant or ata distance from the labour market Adults aged 50 plus Jobcentre Plus customers in receipt of out of work benefits people with learning difficulties or disabilities including hose with mental health issues offenders in custody and in the community under the upervision of probation services and ex offenders people from ethnic minority communities European Union European Social Fund 100 Investing in jobs and skills carers as defined by Department of Health he contract holder responsible for the delivery of the areers and skills information and advice offer The term Prime Contractor includes the contractor leading on the delivery for the contact centre A series of steps activities to document a workflow and derive an appropriate outcome A customer moving forwards in work and life either by inding employment receiving training or progressing in heir existing job A specific type of activity These are programmes for the unemployed Apprenticeships Informal Adult Learning IAL non accredited learning Further
115. s and forecasts o skill shortages o information on opportunities for adults changing career direction European Union European Social Fund dsk 3 8 2 Investing in jobs and skills o information on points of entry or transfer into a sector from another area which would be helpful for inspiring job changers o job profiles o case studies including role models and different types of customers making their way in the sector e g women returning to the labour market graduate entrants Apprentices etc and o Frequently asked questions 6 These publications can be found at http www advice resources co uk Usefullnformation Imi full documents http www advice resources co uk Usefullnformation LMIBitesize small digestible versions to be used with customers 7 The information will be regularly updated and will comply with Next Step quality assurance arrangements 8 This national and regional LMI will be accessible online to advisers and customers The web LMI offer within Next Step will provide in due course o easy navigation with clear signposting o efficient searches both within and across sectors and links to other sources of relevant information o the use of understandable language which is jargon free o print friendly versions of downloadable documents including high resolution images of charts and o Link to Jobcentre Plus job opportunities site and the National Apprenticeship Service opportun
116. s to the Qualification and credit framework QCF o researching using and applying labour market information o negotiating with employers around the needs of low skilled employed adults o developing an individual s employability skills working with higher skilled people o supporting individuals with multiple barriers to getting on in work and in life o meeting the needs of clients from different ethnic backgrounds o meeting the needs of clients with learning difficulties and or disabilities o meeting the needs of older clients o using technology in the delivery of services and o flexible delivery methods including working with groups O European Union European Social Fund 8 5 Investing in jobs and skills o working with key partner organisations such as Jobcentre Plus and the Probation Service o Working with offenders in the community o Working with carers The Prime Contractor must support any Skills Funding Agency training plan and work with the Skills Funding Agency to ensure that it is successfully implemented The support will include Ensuring that staff are released to attend appropriate training Providing funding from their training budget to support the participation of staff in nationally agreed training initiatives The Prime Contractor must comply with the Skills Funding Agency s national induction scheme and its delivery staff registration scheme through the adviser portal in scope for November 2010
117. sely with Jobcentre Plus and other partners such as those delivering careers services to young people those working with offenders Further education Local Authorities and Higher Education An integrated offer 6 The service will be delivered through three channels These are A national website available to individuals via self service and mediated through an adviser A national contact centre providing support through telephone email and web forums The national telephone number is 0800 100 900 A regional and local face to face channel providing access to advisers at venues local to individuals European Union 1 0 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills All Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the Telephone channel must work together to form a truly integrated and improved offer to individuals The three channels of the service will be integrated by applying the single brand and telephone number provided by the Skills Funding Agency and Department for Business Innovation and Skills BIS use of a single national telephone number the availability of consistent web based tools and providing a personalised offer that takes account of the customer profile along with their need and adviser assessment self directed through the web using a common customer relationship management system seamless customer journeys through the service between web telephone and face to face channels and applying common w
118. ses the customer ebsite i e the virtual adviser with a range of tools and apabilities to support advisers and customers Ensuring that the workforce has the skills and capabilities European Union European Social Fund 1 O 3 Investing in jobs and skills required to deliver the service both for Destination 1 and beyond Additional words terms for web copy Not 30 per week Not A level or A Level onsider whether theoretical would get the point across better in the context NOT National Certificates National Tests Online Tests NOT Adult certificates for numeracy and literacy Always capitalised But apprentice or apprentices would be lower case Use get your fees paid Not G C S E European Union European Social Fund 104 Investing in jobs and skills eneral terms all lower case Not accredited Always lower case unless at the start of a sentence Avoid eb unless in relation to the web channel Always lower case except at beginning of a sentence h C L gt gt C gt n O T lt Z o OD a c ct O oO H fa lt ctr 2n D O D a o 0 o O lt Q OD gt 2 fap Q et D O Go S a Bi h TA N fap 5 on D 5 4 2 2 c eo 3 s S z D g 5 Qa v O O O Q Q D m O ec O v e S 5 3 8 ales 5 o 3 v WN 3 G rap 7 rap S 2 D E O 2 o r 3 a D O gt gt nN O a S 3 Q O a lt
119. specialist agencies Prime Contractors are expected to provide access to the following areas financial advice linked to job or career change HE access and funding advice learner support advice including funding childcare and travel benefits rights and entitlements specialist advice for specific groups e g offenders ex offenders migrant workers support for redundancy pre retirement support sector specific labour market advice advice on obtaining qualifications particularly through the Qualifications and Credit Framework QCF regional and local advice services in particular financial and housing childcare support community health specialists European Union European Social Fund 1 8 Investing in jobs and skills The Telephone Channel offer Information 32 Through 0800 100 900 the telephone channel will provide free impartial 33 information including covering provision of general careers and course information including o awareness raising of a customer s entitlement to funded learning that leads to the achievement of specified qualifications support in registering for Next Step to provide a personalised online space for customers o provision of more detailed careers information such as qualifications and skills required for job roles funding advice returning to work childcare etc skills assessment and diagnosis of customer need with the aid of IT based
120. t desk and provide responses back to the adviser 28 The technical support system will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it is meeting the needs of both Prime Contractors and the Skills Funding Agency European Union 4 9 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills APPENDIX A Minimum requirements needed to be able to access and use the CRM system 29 The following specification sets out the minimum IT requirements for advisers to be able to access and use the Customer Relationship Management CRM system Operating system Hardware Software The following operating systems are supported for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook client Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP SP2 The following hardware is required for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook client e Dual core 1 8 GHz CPU or higher e 2GBmemory or higher e 2GB free disk space or higher The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web client requires one of the following Internet Explorer Web browser versions e Internet Explorer 6 SP1 e Internet Explorer 7 e Internet Explorer 8 The following settings must be applied to the browser e Popups must be enabled for the application URL e Application URL must be included in the list of Trusted Sites In addition the following software is required jeSpell Enterprise Antivirus Full disk encryption using BitLocker or equivalent Microsoft Outlook 2007 To use Microsoft Dynamics CRM Off
121. t element in retaining the contemporary freshness of our brand DUAL branding Our Next Step products or services must be fully branded as Next Step using all the elements outlined in the brand guidelines No dual branding of Next Step services is permitted with the exception of the European Social Fund and approved government partners Products or services made available or merchandised through Next Step should retain their own brand identity e g Apprenticeships Referral agencies e g Jobcentre Plus can use the Next Step logo on appropriate materials This type of use should be agreed and signed off by the Communications Team at the Skills Funding Agency LOCATIONS There are generally 4 types of location where the Next Step Service is provided e Contact centre e Permanent e Temporary e Referral Contact Centre Our Next Step products or services must be fully branded as Next Step using all the elements outlined in the brand guidelines Appropriate Next Step templates induding promotional items and stationery must be used All scripts and guidance for advisers must fully reflect the Next Step Values Vision Mission and Style Permanent Locations where Next Step is delivered all the time Our Next Step products or services must be fully branded as Next Step using all the elements outlined in the brand guidelines Appropriate Next Step templates including promotional items stationery and signage must be used Visible com
122. t out what arrangements are in place to minimise risk set out how the organisation will take appropriate action to address concerns about the protection of vulnerable adults outline how customer health and safety will be ensured and outline provider security and confidentiality arrangements 2 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel are accountable for ensuring that all staff whether directly employed or employed by a sub contractor involved in the delivery of careers and skills advice services including non delivery staff who have access to personal data are subject to A satisfactory enhanced Criminal Records Bureau CRB check a minimum of every three years New staff must be subject to an enhanced satisfactory CRB check within three months of commencing work on the contract a Baseline Personnel Security Standard Check that must include o Verification of identity o Anationality and immigration check o Anemployment and history check o A declaration of unspent convictions obtained in the form of a basic disclosure certificate obtained via Disclosure Scotland 3 The Prime Contractor is accountable for ensuring that all staff whether directly employed by the Prime Contractor or employed by a sub contractor involved in the delivery of high quality careers and advice services including non delivery staff that have access to personal data are registered with the Independent Safeguarding Autho
123. th the service Linked to the Customer Experience Framework which describes how the service provides a blend of capability and tools to personalise the interaction based on the customer profile and needs See Service tandards A customer want or need and the fulfilment of that need hich enables us to understand how the service will respond The customer s experience differs depending on he customer profile and the desired outcome Attributes personal data e g age characteristics e g skill level and attitude to describe the customer and allow us o personalise the service they receive based on who they A solution which enables a single view of the customer across the channels enabling the capture of contact European Union European Social Fund 9 7 Investing in jobs and skills history and the management of Skills Action Plans Of working age and not employed not claiming benefits not self employed not actively seeking work or in full or part time education A group that has different national or cultural traditions rom the majority of the population and who may be ata disadvantage because they are given unequal treatment mid sentence in web copy all lower case Employment The total number of employees self employed participants in government training schemes and people doing unpaid family work Employees Those who work for an employer under the
124. that will include industry best practice and e learning approaches by maintaining and sharing a register of new starters and leavers in conjunction with the Skills Funding Agency maintaining and sharing with the Skills Funding Agency a register of all staff who require access to the national induction and delivery staff registration scheme ensuring that the Prime Contractor s in house induction and staff registration schemes complement and support the national induction and delivery staff registration schemes The Prime Contractor must support any national and regional development objectives for improving the competence and capacity of the workforce in future This will include employing and supporting apprentices in the delivery of this contract It is a requirement that the Prime Contractor agrees with the Skills Funding Agency the number of apprentices they will recruit and train during the lifetime of the contract European Union g 6 European Social Fund j nd skilis Investing in jobs and skills 18 Operating Instructions Safeguarding vulnerable adults Criminal Records Bureau CRB checks 1 Prime Contractors and the Contractor for the telephone channel must have a policy and strategy in place to safeguard those customers who could be defined as vulnerable adults The policy should define customers who may be considered to be vulnerable adults in accord with the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 se
125. thin the region or area to include working actively with Jobcentre Plus at a local level to improve turn up rates for appointments and reduce waiting times for customers The service offer for Jobcentre Plus customers is the in depth on going careers and skills advice and support set out in the Service Offer section of these Instructions The offer provided to Jobcentre Plus customers should be one that helps people to increase their skills levels to compete effectively in the labour market and to support them back into work breaks the low pay no pay cycle by helping people get the job search skills they need to stay in work and progress where they can helps people develop employability related skills and supports people to develop their skills to help them make the most of their abilities and opportunities in the local labour market In the Jobcentre Plus context the skills assessment element of the in depth offer is being referred to as the skills health check The skills health check may include the use of the skills diagnostic tool The Prime Contractor and the Contractor for the telephone channel provides support for planning and co ordination of the offer nationally through the telephone channel and in the region sub region for the face to face channel through Clear joint strategic planning for services to Jobcentre Plus customers nationally for the telephone channel and in the district or region and participation in any
126. ting in jobs and skills designed and delivered he provision of information about learning or work A joint DWP SFA and BIS initiative to more closely align he provision of skills to the ability to progress in work A single touch point or experience between a customer and the service An enquiry case or problem for which the customer has requested support from the Next step service Please see Appendix B for details of how an intervention is recorded in the CRM obcentre Plus is a government agency supporting people of working age from welfare into work and helping employers to fill their vacancies Avoid JobCentre Plus or A set of measures that demonstrate the achievement of he service against defined National Targets National regional and local information and analysis bout current and future labour markets In copy use labour market information but if abbreviated use LMI he provision of information and advice in eight languages Gujarati Punjabi Sylheti Urdu Farsi Polish French and Somali In copy use language lines mid entence Avoid minority language service his is classified into the following headings less than 6 months 6 11 months 12 23 months 24 35 months over 36 months not known not provided adults who lack a level 2 qualification and or will be in low skilled low prospects jobs adults who experience barriers within the labour market
127. to the funded face to face offer or when they fall outside the priority group for additional free face to face advice sessions 9 Customers may use the information and advice services of the telephone channel as many times as they wish Face to face to web channel 10 All face to face advisers must make customers aware of the web channel and service offer available on the web including the ability to use web channel at any time This may also be included as a resource in the Skills Action Plan 11 The customer can always choose to use the web channel and should be encouraged to do so when it is apparent that the customer can self serve through this channel 12 Customers should also be encouraged to register for Next Step on the web to enable them to create their own personalised online space including storing documents such as CVs and Skills Diagnostic tool results 13 Other examples of when customers may need or choose to make use of the web channel might include when they have exhausted their entitlement to the face to face advice offer or when they fall outside the priority group for European Union European Social Fund 2 3 Investing in jobs and skills additional free face to face interventions But all customers can make use of the web channel at any point in the service and at any time 14 The Prime Contractor must ensure that all face to face advisers understand the role of the website and can use the website and
128. umbers for the Service 30 The national telephone number for the service is 0800 100 900 31 In addition a separate number will exist to provide an access route to the contact centre for Jobcentre Plus customers and advisers where a customer has been signposted or referred to the service The telephone number for Jobcentre Plus customers and advisers is 0800 924 429 32 All calls go through to the same single pool of first line advisers at the telephone contact centre European Union European Social Fund 43 Investing in jobs and skills 33 The telephone contact centre adviser can identify the number that the caller has dialled whilst on the phone and respond appropriately to support different Campaigns 34 Separate telephone numbers are available on the customer web portal to support customer with specific language needs 35 The telephone numbers for the Language Line services are European Union European Social Fund 44 Investing in jobs and skills 8 Operating Instructions Customer Relationship Management CRM System 1 To enable the delivery of the single service a common customer relationship management CRM system will be implemented across the service This will enable a seamless customer experience between the web telephone and face to face channels of the service 2 The CRM will be able to carry out the following functions It will enable Prime Contractors to track individual customer s i
129. uropean Union 1 5 European Social Fund J skills Investing in jobs and skills 20 priorities to help their progression into training and sustainable employment ensure flexible delivery arrangements through a range of locations and outlets supported by strong partnership working which may include signposting and referrals to other channels ensure all adults have access to a free careers and skills advice session from a qualified adviser that includes a diagnosis of careers and skills needs provision of initial advice on actions to be taken in the context of their careers and skills goals and the labour market agreement of careers and skills goals for the short and medium term access to other services including registration for Next Step to provide a personalised online space referral to learning or other appropriate provision and job search support information on access to further face to face sessions for those in priority groups or paying for services and careers and skills advice through the telephone and web channels m ensure that adults in the specified national priority groups set out in paragraph 10 are entitled to additional free sessions These sessions may include further detailed advice and support identification of personal careers and skills goals and targets A skills and career assessment using the skills diagnostic tool SDT agreement with customers on
130. vidence is supplied to support all claims for payment Evidence could include financial records of payment to the sub contractor paid invoices receipts to support the invoice and timesheets to demonstrate the amount of time delivery and non delivery staff spend on the contract 20 All claims for Outcomes must be evidenced Only one outcome payment per customer will be paid though more than one outcome may be recorded on the action plan 21 Evidence of the customer entering learning and or skills training could include European Union 9 4 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 22 23 24 25 26 27 Signed and dated documentary evidence of learning skills training undertaken from the provider and or employer Evidence of sustainable employment which is defined as being in employment for a minimum of 13 weeks and could include Copy of payslip signed by the customer after 13 weeks of continuous employment Documentary signed evidence from the employer on letter head or similar confirming customer in post for minimum of 13 weeks Copies of correspondence between employer and customer such as a job offer or contract of employment Evidence of increasing earnings through progression in work could include Copy ofa letter from the employer to customer indicating an increase Copy of payslips showing such increase signed by customer Evidence for the regional KPIs is to be agreed in
131. writing with the regional lead for the contract prior to 1 August 2010 The Prime Contractor is able to work with their regional contractor for the Careers Information and Advice Service CIAS for offenders to ensure that the customer has access to the Next Step service on completion of their sentence However as the CIAS provider is paid for a pre release interview the Prime Contractor must ensure that any claim regarding these customers must relate to work after they have left their establishment CRM requirements for the entering of data and Skills Action Plans are to be adhered to for all customers Invoices are to be submitted by the fifth working day of each month to comply with Skills Funding Agency practices for all contracts Payment will be made on receipt of the appropriate itemised invoice of actual costs paid monthly in arrears when the relevant evidence has been supplied The Prime Contractor is responsible for ensuring the sub contractors supply the relevant evidence European Union European Social Fund 9 5 Investing in jobs and skills 21 Next Step Operating Instructions Terminology Customers take up of education training or employment ome form of interaction has taken place with the ustomer Please see Appendix B for details of how an activity is recorded in the CRM Usually a longer and more in depth interaction than the giving of information It may be spontaneous or pre arranged and may be offered
132. y Development of those networks and partnership arrangements that are required to support the delivery of the core service offer Engagement and promotional materials posters leaflets newsletters All additional materials must be agreed with the Skills Funding Agency Learner Communications and Campaigns team before going to print Please contact james miller skillsfundingagency bis gov uk Additional activity outside that led by National Office to support the implementation of the new brand This must be agreed with the regional Skills Funding Agency lead To fund specifically identified set up costs associated with the implementation of the face to face channel of the integrated adult careers service that are agreed in advance with the Skills Funding Agency Start up costs cannot be used for any payment associated with any TUPE transfer Claims for payment can be made on submission of a detailed invoice once an Implementation Plan has been agreed with the Skills Funding Agency European Union European Social Fund 9 1 Investing in jobs and skills Receipts and evidence of claim must be retained for audit purposes Regional training costs 4 Regional training costs must cover training associated with the delivery of the contract for all staff including sub contractors to ensure all staff are competent to deliver this service This will include Training and development of existing and new workforce including th
133. y need or choose to make use of the telephone channel might include if they cannot easily travel to a face to face location when they have exhausted their entitlement to the funded face to face offer or when they fall outside the priority group for additional free face to face advice sessions 15 Customers may use the information and advice services of the telephone channel as many times as they wish Face to face to web channel 16 All face to face advisers must make customers aware of the web channel and service offer available on the web including the ability to use web channel at any time This may also be included as a resource in the Skills Action Plan European Union 4 1 European Social Fund Investing in jobs and skills 17 18 19 20 The customer can always choose to use the web channel and should be encouraged to do so when it is apparent that the customer can self serve through this channel Customers should also be encouraged to register for Next Step on the web to enable them to create their own personalised online space including storing documents such as CVs and Skills Diagnostic tool results Other examples of when customers may need or choose to make use of the web channel might include when they have exhausted their entitlement to the face to face advice offer or when they fall outside the priority group for additional free face to face interventions But all customers can make use of the web ch

Next Step Operating Instructions: INTRODUCTION

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