Guidance for Peer Review authors
General
Your role is to review the case taking into account the whole claimant journey
– looking at both any variances from Customer Journey national standards at
the local level and any improvements required to the Customer Journeys.
Peer Reviews are a continuous improvement tool and are not to be used to
seek out or apportion blame.
The Peer Review process complies with the Ombudsman’s Principles of
complaint handling:
Getting it right
Being customer focused
Being open and accountable
Acting fairly and proportionally
Putting things right
Seeking continuous improvement
You need to consider all the available evidence and if required you can ask
for additional documents. The part of DWP that commissioned the Peer
Review will supply a detailed chronology. You need to consider all guidance
appropriate to the individual case that was in force at the time. The PR Focal
Point can help you to gain legal advice, should you need it to enable you to
complete the review. However, all reviews that may prove to be contentious
will be cleared by Legal Services before they are finalised. The PR Focal
Point will ensure this is done once you have submitted you’re signed off draft
to it. Should you receive any communications from external organisations
about a Peer Review you have worked on, or are working on, you must refer
them to the PR Focal Point for a response.
For ESA, DLA and PIP cases
It is not your role to review the decision(s). If you feel that the medical
assessment should be reviewed then the PR Focal Point can liaise with
Health and Wellbeing Division to request a formal review.
Suicide/alleged suicide reviews
You need to take into account actions that happened up until the customer’s
death, actions after that date can be considered but are usually outside of the
scope of the investigation. The PR Focal Point can arrange for Legal
Services’ advice can be sought if required.
Local and National recommendations
Any local recommendations you identify in the review will be taken forward by
the part of DWP that commissioned the review.
Recommendations that impact on national Customer Journeys will be handled
by Operational Excellence Directorate.
Peer Review sign off
The Peer Review report must be signed off by the OSN Chair, please ensure
that this approval has been gained before returning the report to the PR Focal
Point.