• Client
    Department for Work & Pensions
  • Project
    Nationwide Rollout Programme for Jobcentre Plus
  • Sector
    Public Sector / Mass Market Retail
  • Value
    £ 700m+
Background
In 2001 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) embarked on a groundbreaking journey by launching the Jobcentre Plus roll out. Regrouping ex-job centres and ex-Social Security branches, these revamped offices would embrace a new business process supported by a new environment. With a concept situated between Retail and Civic, the design for Jobcentre Plus aims to provide a safe and comfortable environment for staff and customers alike.
The Challenge
The duration of this ambitious Jobcentre Plus programme is approximately 5 years, with a total rollout across more than 1,100 sites. These sit within 90 designated districts, which are controlled by 11 regions. The management of the field team has been resourced on a District-by-District basis, with each district being designated to rollout as a complete unit in a specific year of the programme.
The Solution
Lewis & Hickey were appointed as the Concept Architect for the roll-out of the Jobcentre Plus offices, their remit being to take the leading role in the briefing process and define how the design concept was communicated to the implementation teams (Design & Build). This was achieved with the help of workshops, a detailed design manual, field bulletins and a dedicated support team directed by L&H Solutions.
L&H Safety & Environmental Management played a key role in the development of the concept design and its range of components, providing feedback during the early construction progress meetings and providing assessment and risk identification information. By assisting in the provision of standard tools, which reflect the common risks associated with the project and by encouraging project teams to adhere to the new enhanced Planning Supervisor approach, the award-winning programme has benefited from an incident rate well below the industry average.