Tuesday 13 December 2011

Wok Psychologist

Next Monday, at 9am (and hopefully not too cold or wet since the only place to wait after getting of the bus is Morrisons), I have an appointment iwth a Work Psychologist at the Jobcentre. I'm not entirely sure what this involves or what such a person actually does. I suspect it's either, or somewhere between, careers advisor or occupational therapist - which wouldn't be terribly appropriate. Perhaps they are there to bludgeon people with the idea that arbeit macht frei (I'm sure it does if it's a good job that pays real well, something the JC don't really help with).
I've seen careers advisers before with the DWP; they are useless. I had an aptitude test with one that produced results as bizarre (at least to me) and diverse as: forensic photographer (something I'm not interested in), Plasterer and Motorcycle Courier. All from the same results. Of course actually helping me realise any such career was another matter entirely. It just enabled them to hand out some pamphlets on what each job involved with no actual help to achieve. The JC doesn't help with that - at all. I'd like to be a writer, but even that, the first thing I told the JC when I started signing in March when asked, was poo pooed. I said that I'm interested in writing and they said 'we don't do that', as if i'd walked into a cake shop asking for aspirin. Frankly it seems like an easy job (Careers Advisor, that is) with no real outcome. It's easy to sit there and say yay or nay to me as I reel out some of the thigns I'm interested in. It's what Working Links did (though never yay, only nay).
I'm also concerned just how impartial this individual is, if at all. I'm not sure whether they work for the DWP or are contracted by them to come in and see people such as I. I'm told she comes in semi regularly so I'm guessing more the latter. This is important to me because I have no desire to confide in someone that's a fully paid up to the JC ideology. I'm not interested in being persuaded or cajoled into believing meaningless casual work is the goal. Nor do I believe that rejecting such a belief makes on inherently lazy or feckless.
To be honest, I only agreed to see this person as it was made clear that the JC were getting antsy in dealing with me. Quite why that should be I don't know, but they are always motivated by the idea that a) unemployment is a cancer on the soul that grows as time passes and b) one must find work as soon as possible regardless. I don't' share this approach, but it underpins the entire ethos of the DWP which makes signing on unpleasant. My feeling is that individual claimants should be treated as such with help toward getting them into proper sustained careers properly compensated. Not just a few weeks stacking shelves or shuffling papers. So it was either that or go to the Work Programme early. Though I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

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