Research into the employment support offer

What is this project about?

■    This research will help us understand people’s experiences of the support they have received from Jobcentre and partner organisations to help them find work. The aim of the research is to improve these services for all jobseekers.

■    We would like to hear your views on the support you have been offered, whether it has helped you in your search for employment and how it can be improved. 

■    Our team at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) is completing this research for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). We are speaking to a range of people across Great Britain to gather their views.

■    A summary of our research findings will be shared with DWP. The findings will be anonymised, so you will not be identified. What you say will not be shared with anyone at the Jobcentre and will not affect your benefits in any way.

What happens if I decide to take part?

We will arrange a private conversation by phone between you and one of the people in our research team. It will take around 45 minutes.

The conversation will cover:

■    What support you have been offered by Jobcentre and partner organisations to help you find work

■    Your views on this support and whether you felt it could benefit you

■    How well the support worked for you in practice

■    What you got out of it and whether the support can be improved in anyway

If you do choose to participate, we offer a thank you gift for your time - a £30 voucher.

What are my rights if I take part?

■    It is up to you whether you take part. Whether you take part or not will not affect your dealings with the DWP, Jobcentre, or any other government agencies, and the benefits you may be claiming will not be affected in any way.

■    You have the right to privacy. We don’t share anything that would identify you (like name or address) with anyone outside the research team. When we write our report, we might use quotes from you, but never with your name.

■    You have the right to decide how much you share, and how fast things go. You can choose not to answer questions that feel like too much - or take breaks - or stop if that feels right for you.

■    You have the right for your data to be held safely. We make sure there is no way you can be identified by taking part, and that your privacy is not compromised.

■    You have a right to change your mind if you no longer wish to take part. This can be before, during, or after the conversation. If afterwards you decide you do not want us to use what you shared, email rosie.gloster@employment-studies.co.uk and ask us to delete your data. This can be done up to 2 weeks after the interview date.

■    You have the right to ask questions, or get in touch if you have a complaint, any time. Just contact: rosie.gloster@employment-studies.co.uk

What happens to the information I share, or ‘my data’?

■    If you take part, and with your permission, we’ll record our conversation (audio) and take notes.

■    We only keep 1 file with your name and other identifying information (like your phone number) so we can reach you. This is held securely on our server and not shared with anyone outside the research team. Anything else you share is labelled anonymously (for example, as ‘Participant 1’).

■    We will write a summary of the findings from your area and share this with DWP. They will not know who we have spoken to in each area, and we do not include anything that identifies you (like your name or where you live).

■    To protect your privacy, we delete the audio recording of our conversation, the file with your name and other identifying details as well as the other information you provide 6 months after the project is completed (currently estimated to be September 2023)

■    Further information on how your data will be used is available on our privacy notice for the project

Who can I talk to about the research?

If you have questions about the study, or would like to remove the information you have provided, please contact: