JOBSEEKERS in Alton have received a welcome boost with the opening of a new one-stop shop offering help and support. Jobcentre Plus offers a range of services including advice on work, training and benefits, access to local and national job vacancies through electronic touch-screen monitors called Jobpoints and help and support for those who have barriers preventing them from working. Based in Butts Road, the centre is an amalgamation of the services offered by the former Jobcentre in High Street and the local social security office. Jacqui Henson - senior business manager for the East Hampshire cluster of Jobcentres Plus, which includes Alton - said: "The opening of Jobcentre Plus really has enhanced the service locally. Here clients can come and receive payments in their local town. They are not having to travel anywhere near as far as Aldershot, which they had to previously. "This is the ethos of Jobcentre Plus - providing a full service to clients locally. It is a one-stop shop whereby once the customer is in everything should be able to be dealt with from their local office." The new centre is a vast improvement on the former Jobcentre office which was small and forced jobseekers to climb two flights of stairs as there were no lift facilities. In contrast, the new premises are spacious, open plan and everything is on one level. People looking for work can now browse local and national vacancies on three touch-screen Jobpoints, instead of reading just locally advertised jobs on job boards. They can then print out details of the vacancy and request further information from advisers. Employers also visit the Jobcentre Plus office to interview candidates for vacancies advertised through the centre. Mrs Henson said: "The Jobpoints are new to the Jobcentre Plus. We had the job cards on boards before, but this makes it much easier for the client to look and search on an IT- based system. If they have any difficulties with that they only have to ask for help." Personal advisers and financial assessors are based at the centre to provide employment, training and benefit advice to jobseekers. The staff work closely together to speed up the time it takes to process benefit claims which should mean that the majority of customers know their benefit entitlement much quicker than previously. Employment support and training support is also provided to everyone on benefits and not just those people claiming Jobseekers allowance, which is a massive change. Four extra staff members have been employed at the new facility, taking the total up to 11. The new centre is part of a £2.2 billion project to roll out Jobcentre Plus across the country. Jonathan Hall, spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions in London and the South East, said: "Between now and the end of 2006, Jobcentre Plus is establishing a new integrated provision across Hampshire which sees the joining together of customer facing services in Jobcentres and social security offices. "Nationally £2.2 billion has been allocated for the rollout of Jobcentre Plus across the country. "This change is not just about joining offices together but more importantly, joining our services together. There will always be potential inefficiencies and weak hand-offs when two independent agencies work together and the joining together of Jobcentres and social security offices has provided the opportunity to review our processes and ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. "The advantage of this complimentary service is that we can offer a method of interaction which best suits an individual. Many customers prefer to search for work or claim benefits by telephone whereas others prefer to attend an office. With Jobcentre Plus they can do both. "We are also looking at alternative ways of providing local support to customers who may not have easy access to our new network of offices and cannot use telephones or the internet." For further information call Jobcentre Plus on 0845 603 2953. l Jobcentre Plus is open between 8-30 am and 12-15 pm and 1-30 pm and 4 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 am to 12-15 pm and 1-30 pm to 4 pm on Wednesdays.
