On friday the two week employability course run by Skill Wales ended at the YMCA in Cardiff. We were put on this course by Working Links and so we had to transfer from jobseekers allowance to a training allowance. On friday we were given appointments to attend Working Links this week but not given an appointment to attend the jobcentre to sign back on for jobseekers allowance. My appointment was for wednesday this week and as I don't have any confidence in the Working Links staff after the repeated incompetence I have been on the receiving end of I decided to phone them this morning to confirm the appointment. I was told the appointment was to attend Working Links so I then asked if I had to attend the jobcentre. I was asked what jobcentre I usually go to and told them that it was Caradog House. I was then told that if I attended anytime today before 5pm then my claim would be dealt with. If I had not phoned then I would still be unaware that I had to attend the jobcentre today. Of course I went to Caradog House jobcentre in Cardiff and was given a number to phone using their phones and the lady on the other end of the phone gave me an appointment for tuesday. When I got home I discovered a message on my 1571 phone service left by the jobcentre and when I contacted them I was told that I don't have to attend tomorrow as I am on the work programme and if I attend at my usual signing time next week my claim will just continue as normal. The lady on the phone from Caradog House at least did her job well as soon as she found out that I would not have to sign she had the decency to leave me a message to contact her. Working Links don't seem to bother making any effort whatsoever. I sometimes feel that the incompetence of the staff at Working Links is deliberate. Maybe they are trying to stress people out so much that they will look for any job just to get off the work programme. Otherwise the management would have to accept that they are not up to the job of management. It's hard to keep blaming the staff for their incompetence but maybe the management is of such a poor standard at Working Links in Cardiff that they need low quality staff to at least make themselves shine. I have not worked for quite a long time now and I know that if I was given a month in charge of the staff in the Working Links Cardiff office I would improve standards enormously. It's important to be fair but also a bit distant when you are managing staff, being too close to the staff makes it difficult and can lead to some staff receiving many more chances because the manager feels sorry for them. Working Links staff are dealing with people who are mainly in financial hardship and therefore anything that involves a persons benefit entitlements has to be dealt with in a professional manner. The staff are quite happy to say sorry but that at the end of the day is just a five letter word and means nothing if you are left starving or default on a direct debit because your benefit payments have been delayed through no fault of your own. I have to say this to everyone who attends Working Links in Cardiff. Always insist on being given your next appointment before you leave their premises and if you have any doubts or concerns make sure you contact them. Better to be safe than sorry and after my experiences at Working Links I find that some of the staff are totally unreliable although a few do come across as fair. I feel like naming and shaming and maybe one day I will.