Information on available services and opportunities appears to have made an impact where it was perceived as relevant and timely according to individuals’ circumstances; where it helped people to think differently about their situation by offering new ideas; where people perceived the option offered negatively; or because of the way in which the Personal Adviser introduced the options.
Relevance and timing of information
People were pleased when they felt they had been given information that was relevant to their circumstances and aspirations. Information about the Return to Work Credit and funds for clothing, equipment or starting a business was welcomed when people were already looking for work, considering establishing their own business or thinking about returning, or increasing their working hours in the near future. Extra money through the Return to Work Credit also made an impact on those who had debts and those who wanted to be able to return to work on a gradual basis. Advice about benefits entitlement and coping with financial burdens, such as a mortgage, was also useful at a time when their financial situation was uncertain. People ready to look for work had also been informed about job- searching and vacancies; the help available from Job Brokers; training courses; and, in some cases, work psychologists. Where someone had become interested in becoming self-employed, they had been informed of the availability of meeting with a small business adviser.
The timing of the information to coincide with people’s thoughts about work and other influences on their lives seems to be important. Some people did not show an interest in an option until its relevance became apparent after a change in their circumstances. For example, information about accessing a supplementary computer skills course became salient to one panel member when they had already enrolled on a college computer course and had become more focused on returning to employment. Previously, they had not wanted to return to work and had decided not to visit a Job Broker when access had appeared difficult.
Information and new ways of thinking about work
Information from the Personal Adviser also seems to have made an impact where it helped people to think differently about their situation and prospects. Introductions to the work of Job Brokers made some people feel that there was something there to help them, to find more suitable work, for example, and that they were ‘moving on’. Some intended to use Job Brokers in the future when they would be ready to look for work. Some people who felt they could manage a few hours of work considered new ideas and options regarding staying on incapacity benefit whilst working or going to college, having discussed financial support options such as working within the Permitted Work rules. The option of attending a support group for a specific condition or the Condition Management Programme was something new and felt to be worth a try by a respondent who was keen to be back at work and was open to various suggestions of support and employment opportunities.
Information perceived negatively
Learning about services and opportunities also had an impact where people had strong negative views about the options presented. That the Return to Work Credit was a ‘bribe’ and a way of forcing people into work was the opinion of one respondent who was personally motivated to return to work and had been off work for a relatively short time. That the credit was not an incentive because the amount offered was insignificant, and that it was of no value to those who did not want to work, were views given by people who perceived themselves as unable to work. Information about the Return to Work Credit made an impact on one panel member who said the amount offered was less than expected after hearing what a friend had been told. Another respondent felt it was inappropriate to be encouraged to participate in an exercise programme before a heart operation.
Importance of the Personal Adviser’s delivery of information
The Personal Adviser’s emphasis on particular principles relating to options, such as voluntary participation, or in explaining a single service, helped to make an impression on respondents. For some people who were unsure about what participation in a service might entail, such as the Condition Management Programme, it seemed particularly relevant that participation was voluntary. Information about an option repeated several times over the course of an interview was remembered as unwelcome pressure by a respondent who did not feel ready to accept the offer. The way some information was presented appeared to put some people off. For example, some respondents remembered that their Personal Adviser had talked about a £2,000 back-to-work credit (i.e. £40 a week for 52 weeks). In these terms it was felt to be too large a bonus especially where they had been off sick for only a short time. On the other hand, £2,000 was thought to be an insignificant sum by another.