Job Center Plus center details

Submitted by jipjip on Thu, 27/08/2015 - 14:21 | Updated on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 11:32
Society
Government
Status: 
Escalated to data holder
Publisher: 
Department for Work and Pensions
Data request description: 
I m looking for contact details for DWP JCP centres in the UK, I have emailed them and they have told me they do not have this information at all, BUT if I want to go to there website I can search for it by post code, so they either have it or they don't, if they don't have it, why is it in a database on there website in a searchable format by post code, because I don't know every postcode where a JCP is located I cant search, if I knew that I could get the information myself, restricting it this way and hiding it like this is unfair, they also said in a different email it would take over 2 days to put together and cost over £500, so again another lie to hide this information, if its on there website in a searchable format all you have to do is take that database and make a spread sheet, if its not already in a spread sheet I need the following job centre plus address job centre plus email address for each centre job centre plus fax number for each centre and any other misc contact details for individual JCP centres I am setting up a website that will help people find jobs, training in the future, and need to contact job centre plus centres, I know there are just over 700 in the UK, and cant understand why the DPW is hiding this information
Reason: 
Other
Cant find this information
Suggested use: 
Business Use
Personal Use
Research
Benefits overview: 
I need to contact the job centers to help people find work and make my websites
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Comments

I support this request

Posted by Owen Boswarva on Thu, 27/08/2015 - 18:48

Mike is quite correct. There is clearly an address dataset behind DWP's Jobcentre Plus local office search, and it should be simple to make it available as a data extract. DCLG has already done this with datasets that sit behind other lookups on the Directgov platform.

Here's what DWP says when you try to get this data under FOI. DWP claims the availability of the lookup means the data is already "readily accessible" and therefore exempt from release. But the bulk dataset is obviously not readily accessible, for the reasons Mike has articulated.

-- Owen Boswarva, 27/08/2015

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how long?

Posted by jipjip on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 15:27

how long dos the dwp have to reply, 28 days?

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Hello

Posted by jipjip on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 15:17

There excuses have ranged from, it will take over 3 days and cost over £500, to we dont have the information, to you can use the search toind the information, and its in public domain, ive tryed forover two year to get the inormation, the data is hidden behind a website search, where you will need to know every postcode to get some og the main jobcenters, even if i put in a leicester potcode it wont show every jobcenter for leicester, i even called them as was told they would give me details for leicester, but  would have to call nd ask for regions sepretly.

here

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for Work and Pensions.

If you have received this transmission in error, please use the reply function to tell us

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Please note: Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance

with our policy on the use of electronic communications.

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Reply
Forward

mike goodman <mikewoodman14@googlemail.com>

12/03/2014

to Operations

and the website needs me to input a post codeso I would need to know the post cose to begin with which I was asking you foe to begin with

On 12 March 2014 13:45, mike goodman <mikewoodman14@googlemail.com> wrote:

so you are saying less then 4 days work would cost £150 per day utter bullshit, and each job center still has its own local rate phone number, FACT, I need to contact individual jobcenters by telephone and email and you are refusing that information, which you already hold on file and in a database, you have no right to refuse that information

On 12 March 2014 13:29, Operations FOI Requests <OPD.COOFOIREQUESTS@dwp.gsi.gov.uk> wrote:

Mr Goodman
 
Please see copy of your FoI request attached
 
 
 
 
DWP Freedom of Information Request Team
 
 
 
 

**********************************************************************

This document is strictly confidential and is intended only for use by the addressee.

If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or other

action taken in reliance of the information contained in this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Any views expressed by the sender of this message are not necessarily those of the Department

for Work and Pensions.

If you have received this transmission in error, please use the reply function to tell us

and then permanently delete what you have received.

This email was scanned for viruses by the Department for Work and Pensions' anti-virus services and on leaving the Department was found to be virus free.

Please note: Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance

with our policy on the use of electronic communications.

**********************************************************************

Some of the information you have requested regarding a list of Jobcentre offices can be found on the Gov.uk website. Gov.uk already operates a searchable database for Jobcentre Plus offices which can be found at: http://los.direct.gov.uk/default.aspx?type=1&lang=en&AspxAutoDetectCooki... 1 Offices no longer have individual switchboards - our Jobcentre’s are contactable by a single number 0845 604 3719. Offices will have several fax machines for use of different teams within the offices and details of these are held locally. We estimate that collating this information relating to your request would take considerable time and would exceed the appropriate limit of £600. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for central Government it is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working Printed on 100% recycled paper days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Department is not obliged to comply with your request. If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above. We are not obliged to provide you with the names of staff below that of Senior Civil Servant therefore cannot provide you with the names of staff dealing with employers.

Page 1 of 2

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Mike Goodman Operations FOI Team

mikewoodman14@googlemail.com Caxton House

Tothill Street

LONDON

SW1H 9NA

12 March 2014 www.gov.uk

Freedom of Information request reference: VTR 1025

Dear Mike Goodman,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received on 26 February 2014.

You asked for:-

I need the contact details of every job center/job center plus in the UK, email, phone

number, fax, name of the person that deals with employers.

So I can contact them and get local details I am after, training, education companys for

the unemployed.

Under freedom of information, I can and am asking for this to be sent to be in email

form in a spreed sheet format

We no longer keep updated the information you have requested as most of the

information is now held on our intranet directory site.

Some of the information you have requested regarding a list of Jobcentre offices can be

found on the Gov.uk website. Gov.uk already operates a searchable database for

Jobcentre Plus offices which can be found at:

http://los.direct.gov.uk/default.aspx?type=1&lang=en&AspxAutoDetectCooki...

1

Offices no longer have individual switchboards - our Jobcentre’s are contactable by a

single number 0845 604 3719. Offices will have several fax machines for use of

different teams within the offices and details of these are held locally. We estimate that

collating this information relating to your request would take considerable time and

would exceed the appropriate limit of £600.

The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for central Government it is

set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working

Page 2 of 2

2

days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating,

retrieving and extracting the information. Under section 12 of the Freedom of

Information Act the Department is not obliged to comply with your request.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference

number above.

We are not obliged to provide you with the names of staff below that of Senior Civil

Servant therefore cannot provide you with the names of staff dealing with employers.

Yours sincerely

DWP | Operations

Freedom of Information Team

e-mail: freedom-of-information-request@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing freedom-of-

information-request@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothill

Street, London, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this

letter.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information

Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you

have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

www.ico.gov.uk

2 of 2
response 1025.doc
response 1025.doc

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email address

Posted by jipjip on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 15:25

they say they no longer collect the information, BUT its on there internet site, cant be both, one they dont have it yet on there internet site, email address or fax numbers would be good, email better though

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Getting a DWP response

Posted by Owen Boswarva on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 21:25

Hi Mike,

Normally government departments have 20 working days to respond to a FOI request, and if you don't agree with the response the next step is to ask for an internal review. If you disagree with the outcome of the internal review you then have the option of making a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

It looks as if DWP has refused your FOI request for the data held in the searchable database on the basis that it is already "reasonably accessible". (In my view they are wrong.) Your request also asks for some additional information (such as fax numbers and contact names) which DWP says would take too long to collate; that's a separate exemption under FOI. DWP's response is a bit muddled though; for example it's not clear why it should make a difference that some of the data is held on an intranet.

The Data.gov.uk (DGU) request process is separate from the Freedom of Information process. There is normally no particular period of time within which departments have to respond to DGU requests, and sometimes requests never produce a response. It really depends on whether the Cabinet Office team that runs DGU puts pressure on the department to release the data.

-- Owen Boswarva, 01/09/2015

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never asked for names

Posted by jipjip on Wed, 02/09/2015 - 13:21

i never asked for nams, i asked for fax numbers to the department that deals with people lookingfor work, or a general fax number for each jobcenter, or email address

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bizare

Posted by jipjip on Wed, 02/09/2015 - 13:24

they have maled me in the past saying if i ask for smaller amounts ie diffrent countys and not eng, ire, scoc and wales they will prob give me the infor mation

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Availability of Job Centre locations in the UK

Posted by grumblyfrown on Fri, 04/09/2015 - 15:16

This data appears to be available to google:

https://www.google.com/search?q=job+centre+locations+in+milton+keynes&ie...

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and your page is blank

Posted by jipjip on Tue, 08/09/2015 - 14:49

and your page is blank

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thats not really open data if

Posted by jipjip on Tue, 08/09/2015 - 14:48

thats not really open data if you have to know where they are already,i have just called the DWP on 2 diffrent numbers, only to be shouted at and be told they wont give me this information

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Availabilty of communication with job centres and response

Posted by tomlin9 on Fri, 21/10/2016 - 00:05

I am employed by Cambridgeshire County Council Early Years Workforce Development, and as part of my remit we are trying to increase the recruitment of early years practitioners. To this end, I have tried to contact local Job Centres. After a great deal of searching I did find a 'non-urgent' e-mail address for one local (Ely) job centre. As it took so long to find this information, I contacted just them in the hope that once we made contact I could find an easier way to contact others in Cambridgeshire. My message ran along the lines of suggesting a meeting to our mutual beneficial outcomes i.e. the central information about early years careers was both limited in the number of options offered and outdated in the qualification requirements - in addition I could also offer local advice on apprenticeships and vacancies offered in this area. I have not received an answer to this e-mail despite there supposedly being a time limit to responses. I find this situation not only frustrating but also extremely short-sighted on the part of an organisation that is trying to reduce unemployment. Surely ties into Local Authority initiatives would be welcomed?

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