Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK

This paper reports findings from the first study based on recordings of advisory interviews with benefits claimants in the United Kingdom. Previous econometric analysis found that programmes for unemployed people delivered through private sector Employment Zones (EZs) were more effective than their...

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Main Authors: Merran Toerien, Roy Sainsbury, Paul Drew, Annie Irvine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Social Work & Society 2015-04-01
Series:Social Work and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1481
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author Merran Toerien
Roy Sainsbury
Paul Drew
Annie Irvine
author_facet Merran Toerien
Roy Sainsbury
Paul Drew
Annie Irvine
author_sort Merran Toerien
collection DOAJ
description This paper reports findings from the first study based on recordings of advisory interviews with benefits claimants in the United Kingdom. Previous econometric analysis found that programmes for unemployed people delivered through private sector Employment Zones (EZs) were more effective than their public sector equivalents, delivered through Jobcentre Plus (JCP). However, little was known about what occurred on the frontline. In this paper, we describe a conversation analytic comparison of 40 EZ and 48 JCP interviews, showing that EZ and JCP advisers typically adopted different 'interactional styles'. We illustrate the five features that characterised the EZ 'style', arguing that they offer an important part of the explanation for the EZs' outperformance of some JCP programmes. Given their systematic patterning, we also argue that these differences are not best explained at the individual level. Nevertheless, we conclude that there is no principled reason for the practices identified in the EZ to be considered to 'belong' in the private, but not the public, sector.
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spelling doaj-art-01b95f6ac7eb4c5e8b8e715a43fb9adc2025-07-31T00:02:10ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532015-04-01131Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UKMerran ToerienRoy SainsburyPaul DrewAnnie IrvineThis paper reports findings from the first study based on recordings of advisory interviews with benefits claimants in the United Kingdom. Previous econometric analysis found that programmes for unemployed people delivered through private sector Employment Zones (EZs) were more effective than their public sector equivalents, delivered through Jobcentre Plus (JCP). However, little was known about what occurred on the frontline. In this paper, we describe a conversation analytic comparison of 40 EZ and 48 JCP interviews, showing that EZ and JCP advisers typically adopted different 'interactional styles'. We illustrate the five features that characterised the EZ 'style', arguing that they offer an important part of the explanation for the EZs' outperformance of some JCP programmes. Given their systematic patterning, we also argue that these differences are not best explained at the individual level. Nevertheless, we conclude that there is no principled reason for the practices identified in the EZ to be considered to 'belong' in the private, but not the public, sector. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1481Social securitystreet level bureaucracyconversation analysisEmployment ZonesJobcentre Plus
spellingShingle Merran Toerien
Roy Sainsbury
Paul Drew
Annie Irvine
Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
Social Work and Society
Social security
street level bureaucracy
conversation analysis
Employment Zones
Jobcentre Plus
title Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
title_full Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
title_fullStr Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
title_full_unstemmed Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
title_short Understanding Interactions between Social Security Claimants and Frontline Employment Advisers - Public and Private Provision in the UK
title_sort understanding interactions between social security claimants and frontline employment advisers public and private provision in the uk
topic Social security
street level bureaucracy
conversation analysis
Employment Zones
Jobcentre Plus
url http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1481
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AT pauldrew understandinginteractionsbetweensocialsecurityclaimantsandfrontlineemploymentadviserspublicandprivateprovisionintheuk
AT annieirvine understandinginteractionsbetweensocialsecurityclaimantsandfrontlineemploymentadviserspublicandprivateprovisionintheuk