Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Work Programme providers on the development of their workforce.

Work Programme providers are contractually committed to raising standards and they are expected to build and maintain a culture of improvement through continuous self-assessment and planning for improvement.

As part of the self-assessment providers must ensure their staff develop skills and expertise to meet the needs of participants. The Department’s Performance Manager’s will discuss staffing issues with providers as part of their regular performance management meetings.

The independent Work Programme Building Best Practice Group report (published 18 December 2014), recommended that the department continued to support the Institute of Employability Professionals ‘what works’ workshops, in which front-line advisers from different providers meet and share knowledge and best practice in supporting claimant groups. The Department fully accepted this recommendation and will continue to promote these workshops.