Research Report No. 401
by Dr Gerwyn Jones and Rita Griffiths
This report presents the findings from research into the Over 50s Outreach Pilot commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and undertaken by Insite Research and Consulting.
The Over 50s Outreach Pilot ran between April 2004 and March 2006. Its primary objective was to use external organisations to raise awareness and encourage the use of Jobcentre Plus services among people over the age of 50. The main target groups were economically inactive individuals and people in receipt of inactive benefits who had no contact with Jobcentre Plus. However, the scope of the Pilot was also to include any individuals who were interested in paid or voluntary employment and would benefit from Jobcentre Plus services, regardless of whether or not they were in receipt of benefits or above State Pension age.
The research was carried-out across five Jobcentre Plus districts. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were undertaken with Jobcentre Plus advisers, District Programme Quality Monitoring Team (DPQMT) personnel, external organisation staff and customers who had been engaged and referred to Jobcentre Plus via the pilot.
The study was not intended to evaluate the outcomes or impact of the Pilot but rather to describe how the Pilot projects were implemented and delivered, to explore the methods used by external organisations to promote contact with Jobcentre Plus and to assess the effectiveness of the pilots in raising awareness and encouraging the use of back-to-work help among older people. The overall aim was to identify best practice and lessons learned in the delivery of the pilot.
November 2006
ISBN 1 84712 116 0
