Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The first step in establishing the proposed national employment and entitlements service involved transferring staff from the community welfare service and FÁS to the Department of Social Protection. As I said earlier, the transfer of more than 1,700 staff from the two bodies was completed on schedule in October 2011 and January 2012. Approximately 7,000 staff are now employed in the Department, some 400 of whom are involved in activation and case management. As most of them have received professional training in guidance, they have the right competencies to deliver the new service. The staff that transferred from FÁS received training in the provision of guidance services to certificate and diploma level from NUI Maynooth. Most of the 1,000 staff who transferred from the community welfare service have significant experience of dealing with clients on a one-to-one basis. Their skills and experience will be key in transforming the way the Department serves its customers.

Together with the existing staff of the Department, the staff from FÁS and the community welfare service provide a core platform of experience and skill from which we can develop the national employment and entitlements service. They will be integral to the roll-out of the service pilots in four local office areas, which is scheduled to take place in May of this year. As the service rolls out past the pilot phase, and as additional staff are deployed on activation-type work, the provision of relevant and timely training will be critical to ensuring clients receive a high level of service. In this regard, the Department's staff development and transformation units are considering options in relation to the technical skills training that is required for staff who will be involved in the day-to-day implementation of the service but who do not have the requisite level of expertise. Case management and employment guidance are just two elements in the delivery of an integrated service. Other skills, for example, relating to the updated information technology system and the training of deciding officers, will also be needed.

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The staff development unit is actively considering all options with regard to the commissioning and delivery of the training that is required to support the business of the Department. All of the community welfare service staff and most of the FÁS staff have already completed induction training to ensure they are successfully integrated into, and quickly familiarised with, the organisation and structures of their new Department. The Department has recently launched a newly designed management development programme for front line and middle management grades. This continuous professional development initiative includes the areas of business process improvement, change management, performance management and planning and will equip our managers to deal with the challenges faced by staff in delivering our new and existing services.

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