StandguideReviews 4

Everything they promise is a lie. "Tailored support" has got to be the biggest joke of them all. The appointments are utterly pointless. My "advisor" said the same thing every time: "I've forgotten what we were going to do today", "Did we do this last week...", "Sorry haven't had the time", "Just sign here" then go home. And would actually make excuses while palming me off (I had an appointment) for somebody who didn't have one and was late for their own advisor who had gone home. I've had no action plan, no help, nothing. Only pushing me into level 1 courses for things that I already know how to do, with no help for the ones I don't.

Just finished a year on Restart with Standguide.
The inside cover of the restart booklet, 3rd line 'Working together, we will make a plan and help you achieve your job goal.' Not true! There wasn't any working together, they wanted me to do it all myself, I didn't get a plan and I didn't get my job goal.
Three weeks before the course was due to end, they asked me to buy some clothes for job interview and they would refund the receipt, I am on universal credit in a cost of living crisis and don't have any spare cash to buy clothes. At my final meeting, my advisor did not ask about clothes and instead lied on my review, saying that I had found some clothes suitable and i had forgotten I had them, so I still have no clothes suitable for a job interview.
Yet another failed system that see's the rich getting richer and the poor getting no help.

After being given a FAT ZERO from ATOS, who are paid to give people low scores, when the government is spending millions on wars and propaganda, they feel they need to get everyone off ''the sick'' and after winning my appeal, because I could prove he lied blatantly, some time later I get told I'm going to be on the ''WRAG'' 0 Work related activity group, and expected to go 4 times a week for four hours a day to learn things I already know, AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS MANDATORY, AND IF I DON'T ATTEND I WOULD HAVE MY BENEFITS CUT COMPLETELY WITH A ''SANCTION''. This country feels worse than a group home or very strict school.

Wonderfully, I noticed that my next appointment is ONE DAY BEFORE I next get paid, and I go a few days without money for anything at all before I next get paid, so, here is what I wrote to them:

No offense to you, since you're not the one making the decicion on the date, but how on earth is it ethical or logical to be able to spend 3 pounds for the bus when statistically even non-alcoholics go a few days without any money before they next get paid? I'm getting paid tomorrow, so my next payment would be on the 20th... - A day AFTER my appointment with you. Can you PLEASE request that the date be change to the day I actually get paid, on thursday, not liking the anxiety and this is kinda freaking me out, given the threat of sanction, thank you and have a good evening.

Dear__(me)___,

Unfortunately, I cannot rebook your appointment from 19/02/2014 to 20/02/2014 as I do not have any available appointments. As you are aware, your attendance on 19/02/2014 was agreed at your last review meeting on 23/01/2014 as was the time of 11:30 which allows time for you to get to the centre as you stated that the time of 9.30am is too early for you.

I look forward to see you on the 19/02/2014 at 11:30am.

Tameside Office
Portland Basin

www.standguide.co.uk

To__(Standguide officer)__
The date that you presented last meeting was the same date, the 19th, which I assumed was the same date I get paid,, I didn't assume the system could be even more outrageous to expect someone to be able to travel on the day before they get paid, especially in my situation. I feel this is grossly outrageous to expect anyone to be able to afford the bus one day before they get paid, AND to threaten with taking ALL their money if they don't. Who can I complain to about this?... (Still awaiting a reply). Who can I complain to about this?

Standguide's website says:
Operating throughout Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, Standguide focus on the recruitment and training needs of employers in addition to supporting unemployed adults into work through a variety of bespoke courses and training. Our mission is "to help ensure individuals and organisations reach their potential through providing an efficient, effective, quality-driven service to all our customers"

Sounds nice doesn't it? What lovely people!

Unfortunately none of this is true. After 18 months unemployment an individual put on "new deal". For the next three months they get signed on by the same person each week and a more in depth look at their employment search is made. Fair enough so far. When the three months are up they are signed off unemployment, reducing the figures for the government, and sent to standguide.

Standguide get paid when they place a candidate at an employer. The employer gets the individual for free. The employee gets jobseekers allowance plus fifteen pounds a week allowance and, may be, some travel expenses depending on circumstances. Definitely not national minimum wage.

The placements are meant to at least have the possibility of leading to a permanent job with the employer. Unfortunately most of the employers are charities with no paid work available. Standguide's Chester branch predominantly place people at: Ellesmere port boat museum, local charity shops and Neston community centre.

If a candidate is placed with a genuine employer they are often not kept on when the three months is up. The employer just asks for a new person for free. Well they would wouldn't they?

If that's not bad enough, some candidates have suffered intimidation at their placement. With other employees blaming them for staff redundancies.

As for the "bespoke courses and training" is concerned. The more IT literate people help the others and that's it!

When the unemployed person has finished new deal they go back to jobseekers as if they were newly unemployed.