Supplementary Note submitted by the Chief
Executive of the Child Support Agency (CS 53)
CSA FACE TO FACE INTERVIEWING SERVICE
"Face to Face" will produce significant
service and performance improvements. The number of staff available
for providing an interviewing service for our customers will increase
from approximately 120 to 600.
Following the success of a trial in 17 of our
Field offices in 1998, roll out of the initiative began this year
and will be available nation wide by March 2000. During the trial
88 per cent of customers who responded to a questionnaire thought
the service they received was either good or very good. Although
most interviews were held in local DSS premises, convenient for
the customer, 20 per cent of the interviews were conducted at
the customer's home and other interviews were conducted in Citizen
's Advice Bureau offices, customers' places of employment and
at their accountant or solicitor's office.
As a result of adopting this initiative nation
wide we will be able to interview more customers at times of the
day and at locations convenient to them.
To deliver these improvements we have set ourselves
challenging targets based on what we believe our customers have
a right to expect. We aim to ensure that interviews are conducted
within 10 working days of notification to Face to Face staff that
an interview is required. Interviews will be arranged at times
convenient for our customers, and we will make sure the appointments
give them the time they need to gather any information they wish
to bring and make any arrangements to attend. Full details of
the targets are included in Annex 1.
Our intention is that Face to Face staff will
be available to see customers where and when they want to be seen,
at locations convenient to them. These could include the customer's
home, BA local offices, CAB offices, or at their place of employment.
Staff will be based at 88 Local Service Bases to allow them to
operate in geographical areas and travel to visit our customers.
We will be making use of arrangements already in place in Benefits
Agency to ensure interpreters and officers proficient in sign
language will be available where required during interviews.
To help our staff provide an efficient modern
service we are equipping them with the latest Information Technology.
Staff will use mobile telephones, laptop computers with printers,
scanners and remote access fax and e-mail facilities.
This represents a significant step forward in
customer service and will enable us to:
— contact customers early in the maintenance
application process;
— keep them informed at all subsequent
stages;
— make maximum use of the telephone
in initiating and maintaining this contact;
— build effective relationships with
our customers leading to increased natural compliance.
Annex 1 is a list of our current Face to Face
targets.
Annex 2 to this paper lists those LSBs that
are already providing a Face to Face service along with their
phone numbers. It includes details of when the remainder are expected
to open for business. These locations and roll out dates are to
some extent fluid and changes may occur as organisational and
accommodation issues are addressed.
Annex 3 is a map of Great Britain showing the
locations of the LSBs [not printed].
Annex 1
The targets for the Face to Face service will
be:
— Officers receiving request for interview
to have made a referral to Face to Face staff within two working
days of a request being received.
— Local Co-ordinators to have arranged
the interview within two working days of receipt of the referral.
— Interviews to be conducted within
10 working days of the referral being received.
— Interview Report form to be sent
back to the Instigating Officer within two working days.
— CSA Centre to impact the findings
of the interview on the case within 10 working days of receipt.
Annex 2
FACE TO FACE SERVICE AVAILABILITY AND
CURRENT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
WALES AND
NORTH WEST
BUSINESS UNIT
Wales
| Local Service Base
| Service Available from | Telephone
|
| Aberystwyth | Open for business
| 01970 653871 |
| Newton | Open for business |
01686 863071 |
| Swansea | 4 October 1999 |
01792 450373 |
| Pontypridd | 4 October 1999
| 01443 484788 |
| Newport | 4 October 1999 |
01633 241756 |
| Wrexham | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Caernarfon | 1 November 1999
| |
| Rhyl | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Haverfordwest | 3 April 2000
| |
North West
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Wirral | Open for business |
0151 649 1038 |
| Bury | 4 October 1999 | 0161 762 2035
|
| Huyton | 4 October 1999 |
0151 443 6565 |
| Salford | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Skelmersdale | 6 December 1999
| |
| Carlisle | 10 January 2000 |
|
| Blackpool | 3 April 2000 |
|
| Lancaster | 10 April 2000 |
|
| Kendal | 10 April 2000 |
|
| Barrow | 10 April 2000 |
|
South Western Business Unit
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Truro | 1 October 1999 |
01872 355150 |
| Plymouth | 1 October 1999 |
01752 761659 |
| Barnstaple | 1 October 1999
| 01872 355150 |
| Exeter | 1 October 1999 |
01752 761659 |
| Taunton | 1 October 1999 |
01823 349130 |
| Bristol | 1 October 1999 |
0117 958857 |
| Gloucester | 1 October 1999
| 01823 349130 |
| Weymouth | 1 October 1999 |
01202 712638 |
| Southampton | 1 October 1999
| 01703 713860 |
| Poole | 1 October 1999 |
01202 712638 |
| Isle of Wight | 1 October 1999
| 01703 713860 |
| Portsmouth | 1 October 1999
| 01705 308203 |
| Worthing | 1 October 1999 |
01705 308203 |
| Guildford | 1 October 1999 |
01483 442517 |
| Redhill | 1 October 1999 |
01737 775885 |
| Hounslow | 1 October 1999 |
0181 607 1684 |
| Basingstoke | 1 October 1999
| 01256 726941 |
| Swindon | 1 October 1999 |
01793 489616 |
South Eastern Business Unit
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Canterbury | Open for business
| 01227 596892 |
| Highgate | Open for business
| 013990 43358 |
| Gravesend | 1 October 1999 |
01474 592720 |
| Acton | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Basildon | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Colchester | 1 November 1999
| |
| Croydon | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Brixton | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Hastings | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Ilford | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Lewisham | 1 November 1999 |
|
Eastern Business Unit
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Bradford | Open for business
| 01274 336584 |
| Peterborough | Open for business
| 01733 296533 |
| Northampton | Open for business
| 01604 446109 |
| St Albans | Open for business
| 01727 773429 |
| Leicester | Open for business
| 0116 252931 |
| Hull | 1 October 1999 | 0142 584609
|
| Doncaster | 1 October 1999 |
01302 503651 |
| Lincoln | 1 November 1999 |
|
| Nottingham | 1 November 1999
| |
| Sutton in Ashfield | 1 November 1999
| |
| Ipswich | 1 December 1999 |
|
| Cambridge | 1 December 1999
| |
| Norwich | 1 December 1999 |
|
| Scarborough | 1 December 1999
| |
| Pontefract | 1 December 1999
| |
Midlands Business Unit
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Lichfield | Open for business
| 01543 513835 |
| Dudley | Open for business |
01384 482885 |
| Birmingham | 27 September 1999
| 0121 253 8881 |
| Hanley | 11 October 1999 |
01782 224562 |
| Telford | 30 November 1999 |
|
| Chester | 7 February 2000 |
|
| Milton Keynes | 7 February 2000
| |
| Banbury | 14 February 2000 |
|
| Stockport | 6 March 2000 |
|
Scotland and North East Business Unit
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Edinburgh | Open for business
| 0131 222 6416 |
| Galashiels | Open for business
| 01896 612468 |
| Wick | Open for business |
01955 673142 |
| Irvine | Open for business |
01294 314508 |
| Glasgow | Open for business
| 01294 314508 |
| Cambeltown | Open for business
| 01294 314508 |
| Oban | Open for business |
01294 314508 |
| Aberdeen | Not yet decided |
|
| Dundee | Not yet decided |
|
| Inverness | Not yet decided
| |
North East
| Local Service Base | Service Available from
| Telephone |
| Middlesbrough | Open for business
| 01642 398562 |
| North Shields | Open for business
| 0191 293 0098 |
| Darlington | Open for business
| 01325 385086 |
| Sunderland | Open for business
| 0191 554 6318 |
| Gateshead | Open for business
| 0191 220 4192 |
| Leeds East | Open for business
| 0113 285 0105 |
| 
