I went to Charles St Jobcentre in Cardiff today for my first appointment after completing two years on the Work Programme. A woman approximately 35yrs old introduced herself as my new personal advisor. Everything was going along smoothly until she asked me how long I had been out of work. I said it was a long time and I am not proud of it. She looked on the computer and told me how many years that was. I asked her to refrain from saying it in the open plan office so she blurted it out again and said it is factual. Imagine if someone had a facial disfigurement, would she state it just because it was factual to humiliate the person and bring their confidence down to ground level. As we all are supposed to have rights I told the woman that I know exactly how long I had been out of work and she has no right to blurt it out so everyone knows. She didn't care so I asked to speak to the manager. After a few minutes the manager appeared and sat down in front of me. A woman probably in her fifties wearing glasses. As I tried to explain to her how humiliating and demoralising it is to have your personal information blurted out she again held the line that it was factual with a kind of smug look on her face. As she was not taking it seriously I asked about how to take my complaint further. She said that I could write in but gave no other details. She then said “do you remember me”? At first I didn't and when I asked for her name she said it was Jenny Harking. The name immediately rang bells in my head. Many years ago she was my client advisor at the Jobcentre and would call me in and just make the statements she is supposed to say to the unemployed. Whenever I asked a question she would look away and when I had finished she would just recite the basic reply and move on. While she was my client advisor I received in the post a form (UB195A) questioning my availability for work because of an application form that I had sent to Companies house regarding a job vacancy and this form had been signed by Jenny Harking. I didn't have any idea why this would happen so I tried to contact Jenny Harking but she was supposedly off sick and then on holiday. I must thank here and now a retired friend of mine who was an expert at making documents look good so I went to the Benefits office and asked for copies of all documents so that I could compile my appeal. A kindly member of staff photocopied the papers and I then went to my friends home and he came up with a good letter that impressed me and I took it straight into the Benefits Office. A letter dated three days after my appeal letter was handed in informed me that the question had been allowed and my benefit entitlement was restored. This still left me concerned about why Jenny Harking would be so nasty. To sign a note questioning my entitlement to benefits and then not be available didn't make sense. The next time I signed on I asked to see my client advisor Jenny Harking and was told that she had been transferred. Amazingly a year later while I was signing I was given a letter stating that I would be attending a Jobplan Workshop and it was signed by Jenny Harking. I immediately asked to speak to Jenny Harking and she came to the terminal. I asked her for an explanation regarding the question over my benefit entitlement but she refused to discuss it and walked back to her desk. I don't give up easily so later that day I phoned the benefits office and asked to speak to her, again she refused so I mentioned that on the form I was handed at the terminal earlier it stated that Jenny Harking would be in a couple of weeks time interviewing me and I would ask her then although it was supposed to be about my experience on the Jobplan Workshop. She cancelled the appointment even though she was supposed to be my client advisor again. This isn't the end of the story though. When the benefits member of staff photocopied all the documents for my appeal they had also given me a copy of a fax. This fax was for a man called Dave Roll(Jobcentre)from the employer who supposedly had complained about my application form who states on this fax "With reference to our telephone conversation earlier today, I agreed to send you (my name) application form.”I contacted the employer and was told that no complaint was made regarding my application form and that a member of staff at the Jobcentre had requested it. Now that is or at least was illegal. Dave Roll had then sent the fax and a copy of my application form onto a person called Jenny. I wonder who that could have been. No prizes offered.I complained about this, originally to the manager of the jobcentre and of course they just defend staff at all costs. The manager stated that Dave Roll had retired on health grounds but I take that with a pinch of salt. Of course Jenny Harking should have been sacked at the very least but she ends up as manager of the department that is dealing with many vulnerable people who are still unemployed after two years on the Work Programme. After Jenny Harking who looked pleased with herself left the chair my new personal advisor sat down. She immediately stated that I would be attending an information session and interview about jobs on wednesday and I have an appointment to see my new advisor this thursday when she will give me details of my next compulsory course. I then asked a few questions to get an idea of what kind of person she is and it was clear that she is happy to mislead people. I asked what would happen if I did not give her access to my Universal Jobmatch page and she said that we would go over to another computer in the office and access it. It doesn't bother me as I am quite happy to give access but I said that she was missing something. She had not told me that I could give her paper copies and then she would not be able to access my Universal Jobmatch account. I was just making the point that she should not be trying to mislead anyone and should inform everyone of their options. She was getting a bit tired of me so I made a swift exit. I will report on here how my information session goes on wednesday.