1 / 29

Inspections – where we are and where we are going AC benefits stakeholder group

Inspections – where we are and where we are going AC benefits stakeholder group. December 2009 Tim Savill – National Lead, Benefits. Agenda. CAA and the framework for inspection Learning issues Inspection for 2009/10 and 2010/11 What we are planning to do

wylie
Download Presentation

Inspections – where we are and where we are going AC benefits stakeholder group

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Inspections – where we are and where we are goingAC benefits stakeholder group December 2009 Tim Savill – National Lead, Benefits

  2. Agenda • CAA and the framework for inspection • Learning issues • Inspection for 2009/10 and 2010/11 • What we are planning to do • Developments in the Commission’s approach • Some thoughts around future changes and challenges

  3. CAA Framework for inspection

  4. CAA Framework for inspection

  5. Learning issues – 18 months on • 19 inspections completed • 16 reports published • 8 ‘Promising prospects for improvement’ • Risk based approach tended to be based on 2007/08 PIs as starting point

  6. ……and councils response to our inspections • The inspection team gave council comprehensive and regular feedback throughout onsite phase • 100% strongly agreed or tended to agree • The recommendations made in report were accepted • 86% all or most (14% some) • The inspection report was outcome focussed • 73% strongly agreed or tended to agree (14% not) • The inspection was useful to council • 53% strongly agreed or tended to agree (27% disagreed) BUT • Information request • 27% too much • Recommendations in report were useful and practical • 53% tended to agree • 34% tended to disagree

  7. Learning issues (process) • Most councils have adopted a positive approach • Self assessment • Not a test • An opportunity to ‘tell the story’ • Not prescriptive – and even less likely to be in future • But KLOE can be a useful framework • Think about what is right for your area • A useful learning exercise if done in the right way • Action plans • one month following inspection

  8. Learning issues (to improve the service to customers) • Speed and accuracy • Access and customer care • Notifications • Telephone response, abandoned calls • On-line calculators • Customer engagement, satisfaction and take-up • Very limited ‘feel’ of customer satisfaction • Varied approach to take-up (not measured and managed)

  9. Older people and benefits – what are the issues?

  10. Learning issues (to improve the service to customers) • Overpayment recovery • Prevention and education • Equality and Diversity • Understanding communities and making service ‘fit’ • Value for money (VFM) • Performance management • And re-thinking process • Fraud • Concerns about increases in recession, and some councils shifting resources

  11. Impact of recession 15% increase in all problems dealt with by bureaux in Q2 2009/10 compared to same quarter in 2008/9: • Jobseekers allowance up 91% • Redundancy up 94% • fuel debts up 39% • mortgage and secured loan arrears up 42% • rent arrears to private landlords up 25% • HB up 20% (HB claiming enquiries doubled) Audit Commission Tomorrow's people

  12. Main housing benefit enquiries 2008/9 • Eligibility/entitlement/calculations 106,555 • Claiming process 10,794 • Form filling/checking 6,420 • Appeals 8,233 • Overpayment recovery (HB &CTB) 18,358 • Backdating 7,989 • Discretionary housing payments 4,357 • Non dependant deductions 3,122 • LHA rent restrictions 3,050 • LHA payment direct 2,589 Audit Commission Tomorrow's people

  13. Looking behind the figures: bureaux bugbears • Typical HB claim is complex: client has literacy problems, mental health problems, difficulty budgeting, multiple changes in circs, threatened with eviction. Are systems built with this profile in mind? • communications • standard letters • adviser telephone access • with other agencies (DWP/housing) • processing delays: • new claims • changes in circs/suspended claims • gaps in claims/backdating restrictions • overpayment recovery • LHA direct payment - not pro-active in identifying vulnerable claimants Audit Commission Tomorrow's people

  14. Best practice from the CAB perspective • Personalisation – shape the service round the customer, not the system: • tailored letters, • Identifying and tagging “vulnerable” claims • home visits/face to face • pro-active on seeking customer feedback • Pro-activein maximising take up, minimising rent arrears • following up incomplete claims rather than just closing down, • fast track for urgent cases • Triggers to identify payment-to-landlord cases from outset of claim • Promoting DHP - information on all decision letters where 100% of rent not covered • Recognising CABx aspartners: • Implicit consent • Regular liaison arrangements - involving bureaux in policy reviews • Joint work on information provision and take up Audit Commission Tomorrow's people

  15. And what have we learned? • Integrating new staff • Fresh pair of eyes valuable • 8 ‘inspectors’ and 3 transferring from BFI • 3 Policy Team • Feedback through our stakeholder group • How it felt for them…… • First meeting took place in December 2007 and met each 6 months since then (minutes available on AC website); • Group ‘rolling’ membership

  16. The recession survey - what we did ….. Surveyed all heads of benefit in June 2009 – 134 (41 %) responded Asked about the impact of the recession on local benefit services Asked about local responses

  17. Testing Times: Benefits services and the recession So what have councils done to respond?

  18. 47% of councils increased funding for debt counselling or money advice services in 2009 Percentage of Councils who have put additional money into debt counselling or money advice services …rising to 67% of those who reported additional demand

  19. 70% of services are changing strategies or operational plans for 2009 to address increases in demand How benefit services have changed their working practices

  20. Testing Times: Benefits services and the recession Changes in targeting potential customers

  21. 46% of benefit services now explicitly targeting newly unemployed people … • …identifying and visiting employers who may release staff before redundancy • ....working together with others (internally and externally) including job centre staff to offer a range of support • …district councils working togetherand with countycouncils to maximise publicity and simplify boundary issues

  22. Most services were targeting families who should benefit from November, when child benefit stops being counted as ‘income’ “Promoting via schools and children's services” “Revisiting failed claims” “Using existing records like free school meal claimants” …how is your service promoting this change?

  23. Testing Times: Benefits services and the recession Heads of service had a number of concerns about the future…..but some are rising to the challenge

  24. Increasing concerns about fraud…. 28% of services were more concerned about fraud – but only 11% were increasing staff for this area, while 75% were reducing The number of referrals have increased to a point where the fraud team are becoming overwhelmed ….more details on fraud in a recent AC report

  25. …. concerns about capacity to deal with increases in demand “We have put on hold some of the things we planned to do this year” “Finding it difficult to keep up with demand, staff working all hours available” “Resources are severely stretched” “We are reducing non statutory services”

  26. Testing Times: Benefits services and the recession www.audit-commission.gov.uk/testingtimes • Summary of our survey on the impact of the recession on benefit services • Graphs for all survey answers – available by region and authority type • Comparator tool – enter your caseload data to compare increases in demand • Short report to follow

  27. Update on inspection • Challenging – planning work in the absence of up to date performance information • Data quality • LA error • Track record on PIs • Obtaining information direct from councils • Where there are other signs of ‘risk’ • Responses showing some gaps in information • Early days, but some concerns about how performance is being measured and managed How are you finding out about relative performance?

  28. Update on inspection • Lots of activity in the second six months of 09/10 • 22 further inspections planned • Total (for the year) up to 35 by March 2010 • Website will show those planned for the next quarter • Similar level next year • Looking at issues in relation to subsidy and VFM • Reinspections • Short notice inspections? • Responding to issues from CAA • potential for cross-cutting, joined up work • how benefits is supporting wider outcomes

  29. CONTACT Email Tim Savill t-savill@audit-commission.gov.uk Phone 07876 144849 Website Audit Commission benefits information: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/benefits/

More Related