A CENTRE for the unemployed has been accused of mismanagement, a chronic shortage of facilities and breaching data laws.

Between 15 and 30 unemployed people use the ATS centre, at 377 North Circular Road, Palmers Green, which provides programmes of training and work experience placements for people on Jobseeker’s Allowance for up to 26 weeks. The Independent spoke to three of the centre's users who listed a category of complaints.

One user complained to the Information Commissioner after allegedly finding other users' personal details including bank details, mobile phone numbers, national insurance numbers and addresses in a non-encrypted file on the desktop of a staff computer. He said he had been told to use the PC because there was a computer shortage.

Other users said the centre has only seven computers available for jobhunting and two of them have been broken for two months.

ATS, which stands for aspire, train, succeed, is contracted by Careers Development Group (CDG) which is in turn under contract with the Jobcentre.

CDG admits to having already investigated “elements” of the issues four times and said it has launched an investigation as a result of the Independent's queries.

A spokesman stressed that personal data was only kept on staff computers.

He said: “All staff computers are password protected at ATS. Only staff computers contain customer data. Computers with customer databases and confidential information are based in separate rooms that customers do not have access to.

Customer log-ons do not give access to any staff computers. The rooms with ATS staff PCs in are kept locked if staff leave the building and no staff computer is left unattended.”

Our source said: "The computers are all in the same room. I have a photograph of a user sitting at the staff computer."

He said the majority of people at the centre, including himself, turn up so they don't have their benefits withdrawn.

He said: "Since the investigation they have clamped down on everything - we have had three teambuilding sessions in three weeks, which means we spent a whole day making a paper bridge and covering an egg in cellophane.

My jobcentre advisor was absolutely furious. The staff here don't care, it is a job for them.

Some people here are ex-students, ex-teachers, ex-webdesigners and there have been some massive arguments here."

Our source also complained that users' NI numbers were printed on the top of customer timesheets which users had to rifle through.

A spokesman for CDG said: "NI numbers are now added at the end of the week enabling customers to keep their number confidential to themselves."

He added: “While there are not currently sufficient PCs for a one to one ratio with customers, at present the PC to customer ratio at ATS is one PC per one and a half customers.

“The maximum ratio ATS allows is one PC per two and a half customers, which is significantly lower than the figures above.”