AIBU to want a different Universal Credit work coach?

Hi,

Yes feel free to PM.

I wouldn’t be concerned about age hiring in my team (and would actually prefer the diversity, and think that would be mostly true across my firm as it’s big on DEI).

It is weird your getting to interview and then being told there is no role though - but happy to take into PMs if you want to be more specific and I’m happy to share my thoughts!

In the eyes of the job centre, she's female, has kids, is numerate, can communicate in English and needs a job. That's enough it itself before you take into account she's had management experience, so would have had experience in training and explaining things to new staff.

Surprised she hasn't been asked if she's considered becoming a Maths teacher, tbh.

I know this isnt what you are asking, but id recommend looking at management or governance and compliance jobs in the charity sector.
So many seem to want people to be qualified accountants, not because they'll be being accountants but so they've got the necessary financial understanding!

Also, with why aren't you getting redundancy pay? Not because it will affect you claiming UC whilst searching but you said there is no exit package but you should legally entitled to statutory redundancy pay.

But they werent suggested a TA roll by the job coach were they - it was a Teacher role!!!

This IS the job coach. A rose by any other name and all that. There might be other linked govt bodies in your area who are more useful. (Still free.)
www.skillsconnect.org.uk/

We got a change of advisor as I couldn't understand her and not cold she understands me
I made it clear they were professional but when it came to financial matters we should be able to converse

Why are roles being advertised or you being interviewed if they don't have budget or headcount approved? That seems odd.

I don’t know why you think that? Read the OP again, she clearly says, ‘She kept suggesting applications to things far outside my remit and that I am not qualified for eg SEN teaching assistants, delivery driving (I don't have access to a car) etc.’

A teaching assistant role is a TA role, not a teacher role. TA is an abbreviation for Teaching Assistant!

Why are roles being advertised or you being interviewed if they don't have budget or headcount approved? That seems odd.
There could be lots of reasons for this, all of which are nothing to do with the OP.

Internal politics #1: Manager X complains to Senior Manager Y that their team has too much workload. Y allows X to start a recruitment process but with no real intention of approving a new hire. This gets as far as the OP coming in for interview and is then cancelled.
Internal politics #2 (which happened to me recently): Director X is frustrated with Director Y and the feeling is mutual. Director X wants Director Y's team to do more work on a certain theme, Y is for some reason resisting this. Director X goes out for CVs, interviews the OP, then shows the CV to Y and says "if you don't do what I want I will hire the OP to do it in my team". Y, who is less politically cunning than X rolls over. Says "I will recruit a new person to my team. But I will do it myself and choose my own person." OP is not invited to apply as they are associated with X.
Budget changes: There's a recruitment process which budget has tentatively been approved for. OP gets interviewed and is in the running. Then the Director of IT tells the CEO the whole company is in danger of going down if he doesn't buy the latest cybersecurity patches for the computer system. CEO approves this but takes budget from Finance Directors team to pay for it. OP's possible job opening is then cancelled.
Sexism/ageism: this is also a possibility. OP gets to interview and "looks wrong" because she is too female and too old.
Also, a mix of some or all of the above.
There is almost nothing the candidate can do about any of the above because the internal politics are unknown, the budget pressures are external and 45 is 45.

OP, you are getting interviews. That is great news. You are further ahead than many of us. You sound like an excellent candidate and it sounds like there is life yet in your industry.

Thing is, school SEN work is minimum wage pay (effectively) and not full time hours. It is always going to get grouped with other similar work

The Tories implemented a new system where work coaches were only there to get the job seeker to do their own work search rather then offer support, that has now been changed.
She was right that OP did have the qualifications and experience needed to be a SEN TA as there are not really any needed according to people posting here.
The caseload is not OP's problem, I was just explaining why the coach would suggest driving jobs to someone who can drive.
Work coaches are EOs, that is considered a jr. management level, admins are AA or AO. I was more pointing that out to the person who has worked in the civil service so should be aware!
Obviously there are shit work coaches and good work coaches.

You could also try councils, they often need people with skills such as yours and would not shy away from hiring you if you are over qualified in the same way a business would. Once in these types of roles the opportunities to move up can be very good.
And charities and housing associations

Just wondering how you are doing @QuestioningEverythingNowI'm fellow accountant/tax person who had to take a lower finance job last year

A further post by the OP after the initial one said

"Thanks. Understood re: apply for any job - I am of the same mindset - I am really desperate. But I can't be a SEN teacher?!"

If you read OP’s response to my question about that, both were suggested.

She wasn’t right. No anybody can not be a TA. You have no idea what the job entails now. TAs are running interventions which they often plan themselves from EHCPs and IEPs on anything from mental health to speech therapy and many many academic interventions based around the national curriculum. They do all first aid which can often be quite a responsibility and can have to manage quite challenging behaviour on a daily basis alongside supporting teachers in lessons.That and being prepared to jump in and hold classes when needed.

Children deserve to have the right people supporting their education in the same way the elderly and disabled need the right people for their care-not anybody the job centre sends their way.

I agree. It’s appalling!

Yes, but based on her initial post saying that the job was for a teaching assistant role one could surmise that the OP didn’t really understand the different between a SEND teacher and SEND teaching assistant (understandable for someone not in education), nothing suggested she had actually been pushed towards teacher roles which obviously would need teaching qualifications and experience. This was why I then explained that you don’t need teaching experience/ qualifications to be a teaching assistant as it’s not the same role and that she would be working under the direction of a qualified teacher, not having to devise the education methods or plans herself.

If you read the whole thread in context it is clear OP was suggested TA roles, not teacher roles. Obviously if all you read was that single post without any context then yes, it did say teacher, but to me it was clear this was a misunderstanding around the different types of roles in a school rather than the job coach pushing qualified teacher roles. This is why it’s usually important to read the full thread before commenting!

If you read the whole thread in context it is clear OP was suggested TA roles, not teacher roles.

Actually if you RTFT, OP clarified that it was 2 different jobs mentioned to her. One a TA and one a teacher.

There are unqualified teachers who do not have QTS.

I did not say that anybody can be a TA, I said there were no particular qualifications or experience needed.