Chapter 12 - Finance & Screened Services
Finance and Screened Services –
Introduction
1. As a Jobcentre Customer Service Manager, you are responsible for:
managing the delivery of finance, post and remote storage services;
ensuring safe and secure handling of money and other valuables received in the
Jobcentre Plus office from the claimant or elsewhere;
provision of safe and secure facilities for staff to interview those who have been
identified as ‘Claimants with Unacceptable Behaviour’;
provision of a safe and secure environment for staff to communicate potentially difficult
decisions;
in relation to Ex-Gratia Consolatory Awards, making all decisions regarding awards for
Gross Inconvenience, Embarrassment and Severe Distress up to the value of £100;
ensuring Service Delivery Support teams operate effectively to contribute to the
achievement of Fraud & Error performance measures;
ensuring delivery of the finance service is carried out in compliance with the SOM;
ensuring all Business Control System (BCS), and other management checks, are
completed on time;
monitoring the volume/flow of new claims through the work coach interviewing
process, providing an on demand finance interview service; and
liaise closely with First Contact Team Leader at the Contact Centre and the Benefits
Team Leader New Claims at the Benefit/Service Centre (BC) to monitor and reduce error.
2. Details on roles and responsibilities of the members of your team carrying out these task
can be found in the following job descriptions:
Cashier (link is external)
Jobcentre Customer Service Manager
Service Delivery Coach
Service Delivery Support
Security of Finance
3. Security within the jobcentre is the Jobcentre Customer Service Manager's responsibility.
High priority must be given to providing an adequately secure environment for finance staff.
4. It is essential that you and your staff follow all finance procedures, no matter how trivial
they may seem. You are protecting yourself should anything go astray.
5. Finance and Screened services include:
receiving of money and other valuables and the issue of receipts; and
relevant benefit services provided to a Potentially Violent (PV) claimant.
Finance responsibilities of the Jobcentre Customer
Service Manager
6. Jobcentre Customer Service Managers have overall responsibility for the security of
valuables and equipment within their office. Jobcentre Customer Service Managers must:
issue security instructions to staff that include measures for ensuring the safe receipt,
custody, movement and disposal of valuables;
review all security instructions on a regular basis to gauge their effectiveness and
update where necessary; and
keep a current Asset Register listing all office equipment.
Simple Payments
7. From 8 October 2012, new or repeat claimants to benefit must not be paid by cheque; they
should be encouraged to use Direct Payment. The Simple Payment Service is a method of
paying benefit, using the Direct Payment functionality, to claimants who are unable to be paid
into a bank, building society or Post Office Card account and should only be used as a last
resort.
8. More information about Simple Payments can be found on the Simple Payments Intranet
site.
Jobcentre Plus Mandatory Checking Regime and the
Business Controls System
9. Jobcentre Customer Service Managers must ensure they and their staff comply with the
requirements of the mandatory checking regime. This includes checks that are not required to
be recorded in the Business Controls System (BCS).
10. For more information on checks and governance guidance click here for information about
Jobcentre Plus Finance, Governance & Procurement.
11. The Business Control Systems (BCS) (link is external) is the current system for recording
the results of mandatory checks in Jobcentre Plus. DWP BCS system guidance (link is
external) is also available.
12. For more information on risk management, see the DWP Risk Management.
13. For more information on checks and governance, see the Corporate Governance.
Customer Management System (CMS)
14. CMS is used to gather information for primary benefits (i.e. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA),
Income Support (IS), Incapacity Benefit (IB)), associated benefits (i.e. Housing Benefit and
Council Tax Benefit) and for potential eligibility for secondary benefits (i.e. Carers Allowance,
Bereavement Benefit). Although Jobcentre Plus prefers claimants to claim benefit by
telephone, the Management System (CMS) also supports face-to-face contact.
15. The Service Delivery Support Officer is responsible for:
completing the gather of information;
verifying the information;
confirming the identity of the claimant , and partner where appropriate; and
preparing the data for transfer to legacy and to Local Authorities in cases where an
immediate Initial Work Search Interview/Work Focussed Interview has been booked.
16. Work coaches and Service Delivery Support staff need to ensure they maximise the use
of CMS for electronic push, and ensure they complete the CMS checking regime, initiating
improvement activities, where appropriate.
17. For further information, see the CMS Guidance for FAs.
Quality Assurance Framework (QAF)
18. The aim of the QAF is to provide a framework to support Managers in developing and
maintaining high quality delivery by Service Delivery Support.
19. The objective of this framework is to provide appropriate guidance and materials to enable
the Service Delivery Coaches, as managers of Service Delivery Support staff to carry out
quality observations. By using this framework:
managers will be assured that any observations that take place in their offices are
effective, of a consistent quality and meeting national standards;
it allows observers to identify whether the Service Delivery Support are delivering to
the quality standards expected; and
it also allows the sharing of examples of good practice, which will help to give our
claimants a ‘good customer experience’.
20. Although this is a tool for Service Delivery Coaches, giving each Service Delivery Support
staff their own individual copy will ensure that they understand the concept of these
observations and how they will be carried out. It is also a useful tool for them to self assess
and identify their own areas of strength and areas for improvement.
21. It is important to remember that the observations form a small, yet integral part of the
appraisal process for Service Delivery Support staff .
22. For further information, see the Quality Assurance Framework for Financial Assessors
guidance.
Useful Links
23. Further information can be found using the following links to additional guidance:
Finance Guidance Intranet site
Government Procurement Card (GPC)
Managers Guide to Finance
Cashiers Guide to Finance