Statutory guidance

NEA phase 2 memo 14: Temporary amendments to the provider guidance: Self-referral

Updated 13 January 2023

To	New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) Providers
From	Gordon Ross, Specialist Employment Provision Lead, Design, Change and Business Support, Contracted Health and Employment Services, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Action	For PRIME provider information and action
Timing	Immediate

Background

1. Providers will be aware that the NEA programme design has been adapted to take into account a number of temporary measures necessitated by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

2. You have received Letters of Change or Contract Variations and will have taken note of the responses which DWP has published in the COVID-19 Provider Question and Answer Log, to be found on Jaggaer.

3. An updated version of NEA Provider Guidance was recently shared, on Jaggaer, which places all these various measures in the context of each chapter of NEA Provider Guidance, in specific COVID-19 text boxes.

4. The guidance is being amended, and will once again be shared on Jaggaer, to include information on provider self-referrals. This process is only available to providers who have agreed and fully signed variation CV04.

Action

5. Guidance has been updated, at the beginning of “Section 2: Claimant Referrals”, of the COVID-19 NEA provider guidance, to include provider self-referral process flowchart, referral form and instructions.

6. Providers are asked to familiarise themselves with this and ensure the process is followed when making any self-referrals.

Amendment to provider guidance for provider self-referral

7. The COVID-19 NEA provider guidance has been temporarily amended as follows, and will be included at the beginning of Section 2: Claimant Referrals in version 2.0 of the COVID-19 NEA provider guidance, which will be shared on Jaggaer.

Temporary amendment

COVID-19

During COVID-19, Jobcentre Plus resource is being directed towards critical activity aimed at ensuring urgent benefit claims and payments are processed; for a period, Jobcentres will be closed to all but the most urgent transactions.

As a result, Work Coaches may not always be available, therefore, providers, who have signed the CV04 contract variation, are permitted to recruit a limited number of eligible and suitable participants and gain their agreement to attend this voluntary provision. We term this “Provider Self-Referral”.

Provider Self-Referrals are designed to ensure that eligible and suitable individuals who wish to avail themselves of NEA support at this time can do so even if Jobcentres do not have the resource to make referrals to the programme.

This flexibility has been introduced at pace and is naturally under scrutiny. For an initial period, providers may refer a limited number of self-referred candidates each month, per NEA contract package area. Please consult your latest Contract Variation for further information.

Self-Referrals will only be accepted from the Prime Provider. Primes must set up internal systems to channel Self-Referrals from your supply chain, via yourself and into DWP. You must monitor the quality and number of self-referrals as in-month referrals in excess of the numbers agreed will not be accepted. You will be informed by DWP of the number of referrals you are able to make, by CPA, on a monthly basis.

COVID-19 is a rapidly changing landscape and we will keep this process and referral limit under review.

Further information and contact details

8. If you have any queries about the NEA programme or this Live Running Memo, please consult your Performance Manager in the first instance.

9. If your enquiry is of a commercial nature, or if you have any queries or concerns regarding Contract Variations or Letters of Change, please direct them to the Commercial Directorate inbox: employmentcategory.covid19@dwp.gov.uk

10. If you have agreed and signed CV04 variation, then please ensure your supply chain is notified of this change and ensure all staff adheres to this updated guidance.