Delivering Employment Services to Vulnerable Customers: A Case Study of the UK's Employment Service

This article explores the impact of a more individualised public employment service on vulnerable people. It analyses a system Jobcentre Plus implemented in 2008, Accessing Jobcentre Plus Customer Services (AJCS), to improve customer services by minimising ‘footfall’ in local offices, encouraging th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social policy and society : a journal of the Social Policy Association 2012-10, Vol.11 (4), p.495-506
Main Authors: Stafford, Bruce, Roberts, Simon, Duffy, Deirdre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basic needs
Consumers
Customer service
Delivery Systems
Disabled persons
Employment
Needs
Physically Handicapped
Public assistance programs
Public Services
Social policy
Social services
United Kingdom
Vulnerability
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Summary:This article explores the impact of a more individualised public employment service on vulnerable people. It analyses a system Jobcentre Plus implemented in 2008, Accessing Jobcentre Plus Customer Services (AJCS), to improve customer services by minimising ‘footfall’ in local offices, encouraging the use of self-service facilities and targeting service delivery to the requirements of customers. The article shows that certain vulnerable groups, notably people with disabilities, are not necessarily well served by the new system. The article highlights tensions between managing a large and complex service and addressing the individual needs of vulnerable members of society adequately.
ISSN:1474-7464
1475-3073
DOI:10.1017/S1474746412000206