Work TV

Benefit claimants are being driven into destitution after facing large unexpected deductions from their Universal Credit payments, the government has been warned. Frank Field MP Chair of the DWP Select Committee has been speaking out in the iPaper. Under UC, large deductions can be taken from peoples benefits without any warning. Claimants getting a payment of £300 can have £200 deducted in the example Frank Field MP gives, thus pushing claimants into rent arrears. Universal Credit is driving people to use food banks and driving up the homeless figures. 

Fortunately, the DWP is focused on putting new claimants onto UC but leaving existing claimants to migrate later. This has not been widely promoted that this is happening, and some people are breathing a sigh of relief as a result. 

ABC Note: Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/exclusive-benefit-claimants-driven-into-destitution-by-surprise-deductions/

New Personal Independence Payment (PIP) videos

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched 5 videos to help people who are claiming, or are about to claim, PIP. The videos are also available with British Sign Language.

The PIP videos provide information on:

• * who can claim
• * how to claim
• * what supporting information needs to be provided when making a claim
• * the face-to-face assessment
• * the decision process  

ABC Note: you can see one of the videos below

The find a job service, which lets people search and apply for full or part-time jobs in Great Britain, replaced Universal Jobmatch on 14 May 2018.

The service offers jobseekers and employers a simpler and more streamlined way to log in and access their information.

 Universal Jobmatch accounts can be accessed through the find a job homepage until 17 June 2018.  

Bilingual Jobs in Business and Customer Support Sectors
 
‘Your Language – Our Business – Ireland’

 The European Employment Service of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (EURES Ireland), with European Commission direct support, is delighted to host ‘Your Language – Our Business – Ireland’, an Online European Job Day.

The event will take place today, Tuesday 22 May, between 1.00pm and 5.00pm. It is aimed at attracting Irish and European jobseekers with bilingual language skills to work in the business and customer support sectors in Ireland.

Like all European Online Job days, today’s Job Day is a virtual event taking place on the dedicated web platform www.europeanjobdays.eu. Online chat tools and livestreaming of the event will enable employers and jobseekers in Ireland and Europe to ‘attend’ the Job Day from their own home or office. They can also take part in online interviews.

Via the European Job Days web platform employers will have free and direct access to a range of recruitment services during the event that include:

• publishing their vacancies on the event’s website;
• the facility to automatically screen and match CVs;
• and scheduling and conducting online interviews.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Minister for Employment Affairs & Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., urged employers and jobseekers to participate:

“This is a unique opportunity for employers who are hoping to recruit staff.  Because it’s an online event, they have the choice of participating from their office or home.  It is also an excellent opportunity for jobseekers. 

Employers such as PayPal, Convergys and Shopify will make presentations during the afternoon which will be broadcast live.  These employers will hold live chat and Q&A sessions and will also conduct online interviews with potential employees from Europe. 
To date 20 employers and over 1,000 jobseekers have registered for the event.  We hosted a similar online event in March this year that focused on the hospitality sector and it proved to be very successful.”

Among the 20 employers already registered for the event are Business Development Specialist, Business Travel Consultants, Sales Development Representatives, Telesales Executives, Call Centre Agents, Digital Marketing Specialists, Inside Sales Representatives, Customer Service Representatives/Agents, Customer Success Guru, Collections Specialists, Contact Centre Agents, Customer Support roles. These employers are offering 100s of bilingual jobs in the business support sector.

The event is funded and supported by the European Commission and there is no cost to employers or jobseekers wishing to participate.  

ABC Note: More details about the event are available at: https://www.europeanjobdays.eu/en/bilingual-jobs

EURES (European Employment Service) is a European-wide initiative that has been in place since 1993 and assists jobseekers to take up employment in the EU.  It is a network of all the public employment services in the European Union and the European Economic Area.  Through EURES, public employment services share their employment vacancies and services with each other.  

The EU labour market is a single market and all vacancies in every Member State are available to all citizens in every Member State. There is a legal obligation on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to make every European vacancy available to Irish citizens.  In the same way, every Irish vacancy is available on an equal basis to every European citizen.
Any such employment opportunities brought to the attention of jobseekers by the Department of

Employment Affairs and Social Protection outside of Ireland are completely voluntary and people who do not avail of any such opportunities will not lose their social welfare entitlements here.  It is an opportunity for jobseekers in Ireland to seek work in other EU countries in the wider European market and equally, it provides jobseekers abroad with an opportunity to find work with companies based here in Ireland where such vacancies cannot be filled by jobseekers in Ireland.

The role of EURES is to provide information and advice on job opportunities in the EU/EEA.   By providing information and advice to clients prior to departure, we ensure that all those interested in taking employment outside of Ireland have appropriate information on job opportunities abroad before they leave.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, in collaboration with Efficient Consumer Approach Ireland (ECR), is delighted to announce the launch of the fifth annual Feeding Ireland’s Future Initiative (FIF), which will run from 21st May until 1st June. Some 20 leading companies are participating in FIF 2018, which will provide young jobseekers with practical help and advice on developing their key skills and give them hands-on experience of careers in a range of sectors.

Since FIF first launched in 2014, feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive: 98 percent have said they felt more confident applying for a job after taking part in FIF and that the opportunity provided very useful advice on skills such as improving their CV. This year, around 300 young people under the age of 24 will take part in the Initiative.

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., met recently with representatives of the companies participating in FIF 2018, which include: Kellogg Ireland, Coca Cola Hellenic Ireland, ARYZTA Europe, Market Lane, Maxol, Primeline Group, Nielsen Ireland and Mars Ireland (full list below).

Image: Regina Doherty, T.D.

Minister Doherty welcomed the support of the companies, many of whom have taken part in FIF since it first launched. “Feeding Ireland’s Future provides a unique opportunity for young people to learn directly from employers how to stand out when applying for jobs, while identifying and highlighting their individual strengths and talents.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the companies and their employees who participate in Feeding Ireland’s Future. It is proving to be a very successful and meaningful event for the young people involved and I urge you to continue to build on the relationship with the Department’s Intreo service to connect with and support jobseekers of all ages in finding work.”

The companies involved have prepared a diverse range of tailored events this year. Wallace Myers International will focus on “great ways to get a great job”, while Kellogg Ireland will provide opportunities for hands-on experiences and learning. Those who take part in the Keelings event, as well as receiving career advice, will be trained and will receive a certificate in manual handling.

ABC Note

Feeding Ireland’s Future is led by ECR Ireland and is supported by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and Youthreach.

•  ARYZTA Europe
• Baptec Training and Education Centre
• Britvic Ireland
• Coca Cola Hellenic Ireland
• Dunnhumby
• Excel Recruitment
• Gala
• Goosebump
• Irish Distillers
• Keelings
• Kellogg Ireland
• Maxol
• Market Lane
• Mars Ireland
• Nestle Ireland Ltd
• Nielsen Ireland
• Primeline Group
• Shelfstock
• Wallace Myers Internationals
• 1Plus Security

About ECR Ireland
Efficient Consumer Response Ireland (ECR) was established in 1998 to promote and educate the Irish Business Community about Efficient Consumer Response and the benefits it brings. It is the official ECR organisation in Ireland and is a member of ECR Europe. The board is comprised of senior executives from a selection of retailers and suppliers operating in Ireland whose purpose it is to represent the sectors within which they trade.  

ECR Ireland encourages long term co-operation between retail trading partners to drive costs out of the supply chain and benefit the Irish consumer. It does this by developing industry best practices, promoting their adoption and providing education and guidance on key demand side & supply chain issues. It is committed to the implementation of ECR principles by Irish companies and is a not for profit organisation.

About Intreo
Intreo is a service from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection which helps people who are unemployed with their employment and income support service needs. Intreo provides a personalised service, based on individual needs including; advice on education, training and personal development opportunities, job search assistance as well as information on and access to the range of income supports available.

Intreo also provides a dedicated employer support service, connecting employers with potential candidates seeking a new career, providing advice and support on recruiting unemployed people.

About Youthreach
Youthreach is an integral part of the national programme of second-chance education and training in Ireland and is a central part of the Government's contribution to the achievement of a lifelong learning society.

The Youthreach programme provides two years integrated education, training and work experience for unemployed early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age. There are almost 6,000 places available nationwide under the Youthreach umbrella. Almost 3,700 of these places are provided by ETBs in just over 100 Youthreach centres. The majority of the remainder of places are provided in Community Training Centres. The programme usually provides two years integrated education, training and work experience. Basic skills training, practical work training and general education are features of the programme, and the application of new technology is integrated into all aspects of programme content. There is a strong emphasis on personal development, on the core skills or literacy/numeracy, communications and IT, along with a choice of vocational options and a work experience programme.

According to the SNP the minister responsible for closing Remploy factories and then privatising the service is overseeing a new threat to disabled workers – with a scheme supporting more than 600 disabled people in Scotland set to close. 

Esther McVey – who oversaw the closure of Remploy factories while disability minister then sold it off when Employment Minister – is now DWP Secretary of State and planning to means test employment support currently offered under the protected places scheme, which offers subsidies to employers who take on disabled staff.  One source told the Times that “those 660 jobs are in jeopardy.”The Scottish Government last month announced £1 million of new funding to support disabled people into work. 

Image: SNP MSP Gillian Martin

SNP MSP Gillian Martin commented:“After closing Remploy factories in her old post and seeing thousands made redundant, it seems Esther McVey wants to finish the job and put even more disabled people out of work. “It’s a disgrace that once again disabled workers risk being forced out of their jobs by an uncaring Tory government. “And at a time when the Scottish Government are actively trying to support more disabled people into work, we’re once again left with one hand tied behind our backs.”

Increasing numbers of local authorities are defying government guidance and criminalizing people for being homeless, a Guardian investigation says.

Growing numbers of vulnerable homeless people are being fined, given criminal convictions and even imprisoned for begging and rough sleeping, the Guardian can reveal.

ABC Note: Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) aims to prevent particular things that are harming the quality of life of people in the local community.

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) are made under powers set down in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Protection Orders allow us to deal with problems in public spaces in the Borough that have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the local community, by imposing conditions and requirements on the use of that area for everyone using it.

Police or accredited Council Officers can issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 to, or may prosecute, anyone who does something that may cause the harm that an order is intended to prevent.

A Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) is an order which is available on conviction for any criminal offence by any criminal court, introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (ABCPA 2014, s.22) with effect from 20 October 2014. It replaces the former powers of the court to make orders such as an ASBO or a drinking banning order on conviction.

A Criminal Behavior Order (CBO)

A CBO is an order designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court. The anti-social behaviour to be addressed does not need to be connected to the criminal behaviour, or activity which led to the conviction. However, if there is no link the court will need to reflect on the reasons for making the order.

A CBO can deal with a wide range of anti-social behaviours following the offender’s conviction, for example threatening violence against others in the community, or persistently being drunk and aggressive in public. However, the order should not be designed to stop reasonable, trivial or benign behaviours that have not caused, or are not likely to cause anti-social behaviour.

Any application will be made by the prosecution (ABCPA 2014, s22(7)). The majority of applications will therefore be made by the CPS, either at their own initiative, or at the request of the police. However, it may also be applied for by local councils, providing they are the prosecuting authority in the case. The court cannot make a CBO of its own volition.

A CBO may only be made against an offender when they have been sentenced to at least a conditional discharge for the substantive offence (ABCPA 2014, s22(6)). A CBO cannot be made where the offender has been given an absolute discharge. The court may only make a CBO if it is satisfied that two conditions are met (ABCPA 2014, s22(2)):

ISMA’s Annual Conference Growth 2018 Will be Held on

Friday 9th November

at

The Royal Over-Seas League, 5 Park Place, St James's,

London SW1A 1LR

Our conference this year will be the concluding highlight of the first-ever week devoted to stress awareness, with International Stress Awareness Day on Wednesday 7th and many other events and activities during the week, including a Stress Fair, On-line Global Stress Summit, and Stress Helpline.

We are also delighted to let you know that due to last year’s conference sell out, we have booked a larger room at the Royal Over-Seas League.

The Conference Theme Will be -

Does Hi-Tech Cause Hi-Stress?

Technology impacts on all our lives, so it’s appropriate that ISMA becomes involved in a debate about its far-reaching consequences, for better or for worse. We will explore –

The stressful effects of the 24/7 lifestyle that technology has brought

The positive contribution that technology can make, helping us manage our lives better

Opening Address, Keynote Speakers & Workshop Leaders

OPENING ADDRESS: 

Our conference will be opened by Dany Cotton - the first female Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade.  She was the first woman to be awarded The Queen's Fire Service medal and was previously named Outstanding Public Servant of the Year.  Within months of taking up her post as Commissioner, she led the emergency response to two attacks in Westminster and London Bridge, as well as the Grenfell disaster which has been described as the worst humanitarian disaster in recent history. Dany will talk candidly about managing the traumatising effect the tragedy and its aftermath has had on her worforce and herself. 

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOP LEADERS:

Dany Cotton - London Fire Commissioner

Rohit Talwar - Global Futurist

Elizabeth Wright - Australian Paralympic Silver and Bronze medalist

Dr. Lynda Shaw - Cognitive Neuroscientist

Professor Lennart Levi - Emeritus Professor of Psychosocial Medicine

Professor Andrew Sharman - Professor of Leadership & Safety culture

Hari Kalymnios - Mindset, Resilence & Wellbeing Consultant

Rob Stevenson -  Founder, Inside Out

Geoff McDonald - Mental Health Campaigner

Celynn Erasmus - Dietician, Author

Tom Meyers - Osteopath, Author

Laura Willis - Founder, Shine Offline

MC: Penny Haslam - Journalist and Broadcaster

Book Your Place Now says ISMA!

ABC Note: The Conference promises to be a landmark event, with appearances by fascinating speakers talking about subjects related to the theme of technology and stress. We’re hoping that as many of you as possible will be attending.

Why not take advantage of the Earlybird Rate say ISMA and book your place now?  This rate will increase, so put Friday 9th November in your diary and book your place here now.

Young people in East Hampshire are to be offered skilled jobs on Whitehill & Bordon’s construction projects in a unique deal with developers.

Apprentices will be given the construction skills they need to help build their home town’s ambitious future. 

There is a general and immediate ‘skills gap’ within the Construction sector. That applies to the operatives (carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers) but also to professionals (project planners, site managers, surveys etc).

In order to meet the governments ambitious house building and infrastructure developments, the Construction Trade & Industry Board (CITB) estimates that annual recruitment requirement between 2017-21 of nearly 36,000 nationally and approx. 4,000 in the South East alone.

Image: Taylor Wimpey

One of the UK's largest residential developers, Taylor Wimpey, say they will work with the town’s new Future Skills Centre to find apprentices, who will be trained and then potentially given full employment once their three year training programme is completed.

As a first step, Taylor Wimpey has committed to employing 10 bricklaying apprentices to work within the Dukes Quarter section of the redevelopment. 

An additional property developer, Zero C, has also committed to taking a number of carpentry apprentices within their housing development.

Image: EHDC councillor Ferris Cowper,

EHDC councillor Ferris Cowper, portfolio holder for Whitehill & Bordon, said: “The dream of ‘The Town That Builds Itself’, is becoming a reality!

"We are delighted to be able to work with these developers, who have a national reputation in collaboration and with the exceptional Future Skills Centre.

"I'd like to acknowledge the effort put into this by Charles Waggett, a Director of Taylor Wimpey, who adopted my suggestion with enthusiasm and turned it into this very exciting project.

"The regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon is all about hope for the future. Through this project our young people can have new hope of employment and prosperity in this amazing project that is setting national standards across the board."

Image: Future Skills Centre

Fancy a job in gold mining? The Canadian mining company Dalradian is aiming to create hundreds of jobs at a gold mine near Gortin in Co Tyrone.

It's a billion-dollar project, but first it has to get planning permission.

However if it does get the green light then the mine would be operational for at least 20 years.

ABC Note: This 3D video is very informative. A huge project, it could provide much needed local prosperity.