Operational Improvement Plan
Foreword from Stephen Geraghty
Thursday 9th February 2006
I am pleased to tell you that John Hutton, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has informed Parliament today of the action the Child Support Agency will be taking to ensure more children receive the child support to which they are entitled.
Alongside the Operational Improvement Plan the Secretary of State has announced that he has asked Sir David Henshaw to develop proposals for the future to provide the best possible arrangements for delivering child support. The terms of reference for this redesign are:
This will be led by Sir David Henshaw and he will deliver his findings to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before summer recess. He will consider the longer term policy and delivery arrangements for child support, including:
- How best to ensure that parents take financial responsibility for their children when they live apart
- The best arrangements for delivering this outcome cost effectively
- The options for moving to new structures and policies recognising the need to protect the level of service offered to the current 1.5 million parents with care
You will find the
terms of reference for the redesign here
.
(PDF: 45Kb)
You will find the
Operational Improvement Plan for the Agency here
(PDF: 188Kb)
If you are unable to print or download the Operational Improvement Plan and you would like a printed copy then please let us know here.
You will find questions and answers about the Improvement Plan here.
Last year I undertook a review of the Agency's operations and
a summary of my findings can be found here
(PDF: 184Kb)
By changing the way the Agency delivers its services we will provide a much stronger focus on more responsibility from non resident parents; more money for children; delivery that is more efficient and effective and less child poverty.
Yours faithfully
Stephen Geraghty
Chief Executive
Child Support Agency
Questions and answers
What is the Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan?
The Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan is our approach to improving our service levels and performance. The Improvement Plan will enable us to ensure more children receive the maintenance to which they are entitled. We will also collect more money and act swiftly and rigorously to enforce payments where necessary.
Why doesn't the Agency move over to HM Revenue and Customs now?
Simply by moving the Agency to another Government department would not solve the Agency's current issues. Our first priority is to improve services to clients, increase the amount of money we collect and achieve greater compliance from non-resident parents. Sir David's redesign may or may not envisage a role for HMRC in the future.
When will my case be converted to the new scheme
Some cases will still be converted because they are linked to new scheme cases. But the remaining cases cannot be done quickly and without disrupting payments to existing clients. In these circumstances we do not believe it is right to commit to migrate and convert all outstanding cases at present. We will keep this under review but Ministers have asked Sir David Henshaw to consider this issue as part of the redesign of child support.
Why are you going to use debt collection agencies
Debt collection is an area where the expertise of private agencies can be particularly effective in helping to get more money to more children both in terms of arrears - reducing debt and in establishing regular payments. This move is designed to assist us with difficult cases. We are also increasing our internal resources at the same time.
How will this work and will my case details still be confidential?
The Agency will decide which cases are appropriate to go to the contracted collection agencies and we will keep clients informed about what is happening on their case. There will be mechanisms in place to ensure that all cases are dealt with correctly. The work of the collection agencies will be monitored to ensure that these contractual obligations are met. Contractors will be bound to operate under Child Support Agency rules and to agreed service standards. Appropriate safeguards will be in place to protect client confidentiality.
I have debt outstanding on my case. Will a debt-collecting agency be used to recover money due to me / secure regular maintenance?
The agency will decide which cases are appropriate go to the contracted collection agencies and we will keep clients informed about what is happening on their case. There will be mechanisms in place to ensure that all cases are dealt with correctly. The work of the collection agencies will be monitored to ensure that these contractual obligations are met. Contractors will be bound to operate under Child Support Agency rules and to agreed service standards. Appropriate safeguards will be in place to protect client confidentiality.
Where can I find out more about the child support redesign?
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton, announced on the 9 February 2006 that Sir David Henshaw would lead a redesign of the child support system. You can read more about the redesign on the DWP site. The information includes an introduction by Sir David Henshaw and an invitation to send your views to him by post or e-mail. Follow this link to read the child support redesign section on the DWP site.
