The Operational Improvement Plan
- Isn't the Child Support Agency (CSA) being scrapped? What are the plans for the new organisation?
- What is the Operational Improvement Plan?
- Isn't this money down the drain when the Agency has been axed?
- What are you actually doing to improve things?
Q. Isn't the Child Support Agency (CSA) being scrapped? What are the plans for the new organisation?
A. The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has taken over the responsibility for the Child Support Agency. The Child Support Agency will continue to operate the statutory maintenace scheme until the new 'gross income' scheme is introduced by the Commission in 2011 and it is expected to be fully operational by 2014.
The Commission will deliver the final year of the Operational Improvement Plan, continuing with the significant improvements already made to the current schemes (operated by the CSA).
After the Operational Improvement Plan is complete, the Commission will continue to improve the two statutory schemes for the duration of their existence.
Q. What is the Operational Improvement Plan?
A. The Operational Improvement Plan was launched in February 2006. An additional £120m was invested in the CSA over three years, in order to radically improve the service we provide our clients.
The plan was designed to help us fundamentally change the way we work, making us focus on the things that matter most to our clients. It was set out under four headings:
- Getting it right - gathering information and assessing applications
- Keeping it right - active case management
- Putting it right - enforcing responsibilities; and
- Getting the best from the organisation.
Q. Isn't this money down the drain when the CSA has been axed?
A. No - The CSA will continue to operate the stautory maintenance schemes until the new 'gross income' scheme is introduced by the Commission in 2011 and it is expected to be fully operational by 2014.
Since the introduction of the Operational Improvement Plan our performance has significantly improved, providing us with a solid foundation to build on when introducing future changes to child maintenance.
Q. What are you actually doing to improve things?
A. In 2008/09 we will be delivering the third year of the Operational Improvement Plan. We will continue to embed the changes to the way our organisation is structured. These include:
Getting it right
- improved client communications through better inbound and outbound telephony systems and simplified leaflets, forms and letters.
Keeping it right
- improving our complaints handling process
Putting it right
- the collection of historic debt, both by our own people and through working with specialist debt-collection agencies
- improvements to our computer system which will boost productivity, aid our debt and legal enforcement activities and increase levels of case compliance.
Getting the best from the organisation
- a revised management information service to support managers in delivering on-going service improvements
- stronger planning and prioritisation, through more effective risk management
- a re-designed operating model, with an upgraded computer system to improve efficiency
- improvements to our computer system which will help us to:
- become more productive
- sort out problems with cases which cannot currently be progressed
- reduce the number of cases being dealt with clerically
- improve financial accounting
- manage payments more effectively for clients.
