A LITeralcrisisThere are many taxing issues to be discussed at this year’s Scottish Annual Conference

Web efficiency // Empty property rates // Council meetings round-up

The journal for members of the Institute of

Revenues, Rating and ValuationSeptember 2008ISSN 1361-1305

£5.50

IRRV ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2008

The IRRV would like to thank the following companies for their sponsorship at theIRRV Annual Conference & Exhibition 2008

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Aspect Media – winners2006 APA Effectiveness Awards2007 and 2008 PPA/IPAC Independent Publisher Awards2008 Communicators in Business Award for Excellence

Advertising – Tregartha Dinnie Vicki Parry or Sam Rowe-GreenT 01908 306 500E vicki@tregartha-dinnie.co.uk sam@tregartha-dinnie.co.uk

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IRRV Insight is produced by Aspect Mediaon behalf of the IRRV. Unless otherwise indicated, copyright in this publication belongs to the IRRV.

September 2008 ISSN 1361-1305

© IRRV 2008. Reproduction in whole or in part of any article is prohibited without prior written consent. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute. Whilst all due care is taken regarding the accuracy of information, no responsibility can be accepted for errors. Any advice given does not constitute a legal opinion.

IRRV President Bob Trahern IRRV; Senior Vice President Julie Holden IRRV MCMI CMgr; Junior Vice President Geoff Fisher FRICS (Dip Rating) IRRV; Alan Bronte FRICS IRRV; David Chapman IRRV; Julie Childs IRRV; Barbara Culverhouse IRRV CPFA; Carol Cutler IRRV; Tom Dixon RD BSc (Est Man) FRICS IRRV; Pat Doherty CPFA IRRV; Richard Guy FRICS (Dip Rating) IRRV MCIArb; Richard Harbord MPhil CPFA FCCA IRRV FIDP FBIM FRSA; Mary Hardman IRRV FRICS MCMI; Caroline Hopkins IRRV; Bill Lovell IRRV; Kerry Macdermott IRRV; Roger Messenger BSc (Est Man) FRICS IRRV MCIArb; Maureen Neave MBA Tech IRRV; John Roberts IRRV; Eric Rose FRICS IRRV; Kevin Stewart IRRV MAAT MCMI; Angela Storey Tech IRRV MCMI; Alan Titheridge CPFA IRRV; Allan Traynor FCCA IRRV.

IRRV InsightManaging Editor John RobertsProduction Editor Celia MatherEditorial Assistant Annie JenningsArt Director Joel O’ConnorDesigner Anja LinkePublisher Tim LloydPublishing Assistant Indira Shiely

Aspect Media Managing Director Roger WilsherBakehouse J108 100 Clements Road London SE16 4DGT 020 7064 8400

IRRVChief Executive David Magor, OBE41 Doughty StreetLondon WC1N 2LFT 020 7831 3505E enquiries@irrv.org.uk

Enquiries Chief Executive’s office 020 7691 8972 Membership 020 7691 8980 Conferences 020 7831 0881

FEATURES

COVER STORY

David Scott highlights the topics of interest that will be making an appearance in the forthcoming Scottish Annual Conference

A LITeral crisisA local income tax

will be expensive to administer, and intrusive to people’s lives

inSidE ThE inSTiTUTE

l The Institute’s latest news and eventsl Tracy Crowe takes fivel John Roberts reviews the recent round

of Institute Council and Committee meetings

l Education, news, information and up-do-date member lists

l A new education bursary is featured l Insight presents the new IRRV East

Anglian Association certificate course

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Going for gold Jo Stanton from King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council’s revenues and customer service division details the council’s progress

An effective renewal South Lakeland District Council has greatly increased efficiency since investing in new print software from Gandlake. Insight reports

REGULARS

Editorial The quality of customer facing services is discussed by David Magor

iT/E-governmentWeb efficiency is improving but there is still much work to be done, says Simon Bailey

doherty’s despatchVarious issues are disturbing the world of local government. Pat Doherty reports

ViewpointRichard Harbord takes a satirical view of local government finance

Legal cornerCan ratepayers challenge the new empty rating provisions? Paul Russell reports

LGA focusDavid Maddison takes us through the past few months at the Local Government Association

ManagementThe efficiency of any system is largely down to those who operate it, says Chris Croft

This month’s six faculty pages offer an insider’s perspective on the key issues impacting on the revenues, valuation and benefit faculties

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03Contentsinsight 03

David Magor, OBE IRRV, is Institute Chief Executive

The recent report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Delivering benefits, tax credits and employment services. A problem for disadvantaged users and potential solutions, paints a worrying picture of the quality of customer facing services in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Agencies and HMRC.

The front-line delivery of benefits, tax credits and employment services has changed dramatically in the last ten years. While many claimants have found new services less complicated, significant problems have emerged for disadvantaged users.

The key issues identified in the report focused on the failure to meet agreed service standards that agencies set themselves for payments, appointments and telephone responses. The report stated there were still barriers due to the design of the delivery system, which included the complexity of forms, quality of written communications, lack of privacy, and the need to repeat identical information. There was also the recurrent problem of having to contact multiple agencies when a change of circumstances occurred.

These issues will be challenged in the sessions on the government’s proposed delivery model,

Delivering good serviceThe quality of customer facing services is an important issue which local government must embrace, says David Magor

Tell Us Once, which recognises the weakness in the current approach to delivering sensitive public service, at the Institute’s forthcoming Annual Conference in Manchester.

But what role is local government to play in this “new approach”? From the evidence, it appears that local authorities have adopted strategies that have overcome the issues raised in the Rowntree report. At a time when the needs of the customer have never been more demanding, surely the DWP and HMRC should look to local government and its private sector partners for the resolution of the problems.

Local authority customer facing staff are fully equipped to

deliver the Tell Us Once vision. If we want to achieve strategic coherence between the public and government in service delivery, the cross-system interactions and rules must be delivered at one point

of contact. We must create clear and accessible opportunities for face-to-face, electronic, voice and written contact for all.

If we minimise costs, improve efficiency and eliminate duplication, there should only be one point of contact. That point of contact should be through truly accountable services delivered by local government. n

“The front-line delivery of benefits, tax credits and employment services has changed dramatically in the last ten years”

inside the institute 05

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We want to know what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with Insight’s contributors, whether you like or dislike the magazine or whether there’s something you just want to get off your chest, we want to hear from you! Our favourite published letter each month will win a Lamy 2000 fountain pen worth £100.* Please send comments to the Editor, John Roberts at: jcroberts54@hotmail.com

*writing its way into design history since 1966. www.lamy.com

1. Who do you admire and why? A friend who is a top orthopaedic consultant. His idea of a good day at work is in a world of its own. He is also proof that dedication and hard work pays off.

2. If you had a £50,000 windfall how would you spend it and why? I would buy a camper van and go touring, and would definitely get a good spot on Alpe D’Huez to see that Tour de France stage.

3. What has been your best career decision? I took what was supposed to be a year out from university and got a job in the Poll Tax. A few years later Caroline Hopkins took me to a Yorkshire and District IRRV meeting, even though I was like a scared little mouse (yes, honestly!!), what struck me was how friendly everyone was and how the IRRV was like a ‘family’. I knew then that I had made the right decision to study for the IRRV exams – a view I stand by now.

4. What is your favourite book, film or TV programme and why? My favourite TV shows are Match of the Day – it’s a weekend tradition, and Soccer Saturday – the commentators really crack me up. My favourite book is Lance Armstrong’s autobiography, it portrays every human emotion going, amazing.

5. What do you look forward to most when you’re not at work and why?Going to a football match with my kids, then popping into my local village pub for a few glasses of wine (the atmosphere is spot on), before chilling out on the sofa with a DVD and takeaway (even better in winter with a log fire too).

CV in brief Tracy is both IRRV and CIPFA qualified.

She spent 12 years in local government before becoming a business manager with IRRV Solutions for four and a half years, doing finance, consultancy and training work.

Tracy has been teaching and lecturing, professionally and operationally, since 1998 and is also a regular conference speaker.

She now runs her own training and consultancy company.

TAKE FIVETracy Crowe

NEWs AND EVENTs

South EaStErn aSSociationThe South Eastern Association once again held its annual dinner in July, in the sumptuous surroundings of Broome Park, near Canterbury. President Bob Trahern is pictured presenting long-standing member and former Association President, Jim Coules, with the Institute’s coveted Certificate of Service.

ScottiSh aSSociationIRRV Scotland ran a very successful and well-attended Miscellaneous Income Conference in June, sponsored by Rossendales.

Dave Chapman from Rossendales, is pictured with the Conference Chair, Les Robertson, from the IRRV Scottish Association.

06 09/08

SCOTTISH CONFERENCE 2008

The IRRV would like to thank the following companies for their

sponsorship at theScottish Conference 2008

Scottish_Thankyou_2008 16/7/08 4:42 pm Page 1

We’re working with the IRRV to increase the mileage of your

Recruitment Advertising

We go further

Reaching Revenue and Benefits

departments in 326 different councils every single week

Digital edition availableSearch for temporary

and freelance staff Up to date news

and features online

Opportunitiespublic sector recruitment weeklyly

01491 635348www.opportunities.co.uk

35,000 copies every week

confErEncE photo SpEcialReports from the recent Wales and Northern Ireland Conferences were featured in August’s issue of Insight. As promised, this month sees the photographic evidence.

Northern Ireland Conference sponsor and Gandlake Managing Director, John Gandley and Permanent Secretary with the Department of Finance, Leo O’Reilly, are pictured with

Institute President Bob Trahern and Senior Vice President Julie Holden Keynote speakers and Association officials gather for the team photo at the Wales Conference

inside the institute 07

IRRV Annual Conference 200830 September – 3 OctoberManchester CentralSee www.irrv.net for details

RuNNINg ThE INsTITuTE

Central London once again provided the venue for the July round of Institute Council and Committee meetings. An early start saw the inaugural meeting of the Communications Sub-Committee, chaired by Kevin Stewart, combine the previously fragmented strands of publications, magazines and website. The new Sub-Committee will ensure that these three communication tools are better integrated, as part of the Institute’s modernisation agenda.

Among Kerry Macdermott’s Law, Research and Education Committee brief for the day was the review of a number of ‘hardy annuals’, including fees and membership subscriptions. The Committee was charged with reviewing progress on the emerging enforcement industry qualification (planned for an Annual Conference launch) and the Recognised European Valuer (REV) qualification, together with a report on the wider future of the Institute’s qualification and education processes.

Responses to government consultation issues also figured heavily on the agenda, and the Committee concluded that future agendas needed to ensure that this key aspect of the IRRV’s portfolio receives appropriate attention, particularly given the significant amount of activity currently under way in the revenues, benefits and valuation fields.

Caroline Hopkins steered the Commercial Services Committee though the traditionally full agenda. Members noted buoyant sales and sponsorship opportunitites in spite of the economic downturn, and finalised preparations for the forthcoming Annual Conference in Manchester, including the popular Performance Awards gala dinner. Potential venues and plans were formulated for corresponding events in 2009 through to 2013, together with the arrangements for the 2009 benefits, benefit fraud, collection and enforcement, and international conferences. Further details of these important dates in the Institute calendar will be available on the website and through the magazines in the near future.

The Policy and Resources Committee carried out its duties of reviewing the Institute’s finances, noting the latest accountants’ management reports, and agreeing a fundamental review of several key budget heads in preparation for 2009. The Committee also agreed to take a harder line on non-payment of subscriptions, streamlining the process for ‘striking off’ recalcitrant members.

Meeting with the Institute July saw another successful round of Institute Council and Committee meetings. John Roberts reports

08 09/08

Meeting with the Institute

John Roberts is a Past President of the Institute and managing editor of the IRRV magazines

RuNNINg ThE INsTITuTE

The second day saw a smooth Council meeting presided over by President Bob Trahern and, in addition to hearing verbal reports from the three Faculty Board chairs on the last three months’ activity, Institute Chief Executive David Magor presented his own summary of a what has been a period of intense activity.

Following the Council meeting, the annual Past Presidents’ lunch was held at Lords, and as the photograph (far left) testifies, the current President was quick to spot a photo opportunity as the England cricket team assembled for the First test against South Africa. Sorry, Bob, but your words of encouragement to Monty seems to have fallen on deaf ears!

annual rEcEptionThey say ‘every picture tells a story’, and the photographs accompanying this short summary of yet another highly successful IRRV Annual Reception do just that. I suppose the British summer would not be complete without the prospect of ‘rain stopped play’, and that was the immediate concern of the organisers and hosts, as a torrential downpour threatened to dampen the first Institute event held at Lords cricket ground. Later, as the clouds parted, the sun again shone for some 250 assembled guests, who enjoyed good company, fine food and wine, and even a tour of the ground for the cricket buffs.

Widely recognised as one of the most prestigious ‘be there’ events in the calendar, the reception once again provided guests with a memorable occasion. Will we ever run out of choices as the key venues in London are ticked off one by one?

thE aSSociationSThe Annual Reception also provides an opportunity for the Institute to say thank you to Association representatives, who traditionally gather on several occasions during the year to meet with headquarters staff and the President of the day. Reports of these meetings will feature in future issues of Insight, giving members up-to-date news of the key issues raised by your association officials. n

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inside the institute 09

IRRV Annual Conference 2008

30 September – 3 October

Manchester Central

See www.irrv.net for details

The gandlake BursariesGandlake, the overall sponsor of the 2008 Performance Awards, is in partnership with the IRRV to launch three bursaries to finance students and potential students studying for the Institute’s examinations. Each bursary is valued at £1,500 and is to be used for a course of study within the Level 3 Certificate.

The bursaries, valid for one year, will be awarded to student members on a competitive basis. Candidates are asked to write a 2,000 word thesis on a revenues or benefits-related issue.

Applications should be submitted electronically via the Institute’s website: www.irrv.org and the closing date for applications is 10 September 2008. Successful students will be invited to a formal Award Ceremony, which will take place at the Institute’s Annual Conference.

The East Anglian Association will once again be running its popular Level 3 Certificate Course from September 2008 at Thetford, in Norfolk (just off the A11). Pass rates on the course over the past two years have been among the highest in the country.

The day-release course will run from September 2008, and will follow the new IRRV (Level 3) Certificate syllabus, leading to examinations in Local Taxation and Benefits, in June 2009.

For more information of for a booking form please contact:simon Quilter IRRVEducation Liaison OfficerEmail: simon.quilter@broadland.gov.ukTel: 01603 430439

The closing date for bookings on the course is 10 september 2008

Further information will be available on the association website: www.irrv.org

Course fees (subsidised by the Association)

The course fee is £795.00 for the first 20 students who enrol, and £895.00 per student thereafter. All students will also qualify for a FREE place on a one-day Association training course of their choice (worth £90.00)

Administration of the course

The course will be managed by Gary Watson IRRV, and Tracy Crowe CPFA IRRV will be the lead tutor for most subjects. Both have a wealth of knowledge in delivering IRRV courses.

NAME ORgANIsATION JOB TITLE TyPE Alfred Olum Kampala CC Valuation Assistant STUDENT Kelvin Jones Conwy County BC Recovery Manager AFFILIATE Jean Hope Berwick Upon Tweed BC Revenues Officer STUDENT Zoe Anderson A2B : Access To Benefits Income Officer AFFILIATE Stephanie Jackson Shropshire CC Head of Finance CORPORATE MEMBERNaseem Rasul Capita Business Services Ltd Assessment Officer STUDENT Tracy Mason Blaenau Gwent County BC Benefit Quality Monitoring Officer STUDENT Julie Whittall Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Vicki Roderick Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Geoff Lee Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Jennie Jones Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Enaher Jones Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Fiona McGarry Edinburgh CC Revenues Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Julie Hosang Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE David Knox Edinburgh CC Revenues and Benefits Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Warren Hewat Edinburgh CC Revenues and Benefits Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Leah Barrett Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Gavin Howells Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Leigh Dowie Perth & Kinross Council Revenues Assistant STUDENT Greg Pullar Perth & Kinross Council Clerical Assistant STUDENT Paul Malby Town & Country Surveyors Consultant STUDENT Rachel Hills Arun DC Senior Revenues Advisor STUDENT Juliet Batchelor Arun DC Revenues Assistant STUDENT Gemma Carr Scottish Borders Council Clerical Assistant SVQ CANDIDATE Rachel Hatfield Amber Valley BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Mark Korneluk Amber Valley BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Huw Morgan Rhondda Cynon Taff County BC Finance Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Jane Jones North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Francis Birks North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Julie Worker North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Amanda Craft North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Carol Lyons Conwy County BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Chris Tanner Conwy County BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE David White VOA Assessment Centre Rating Caseworker NVQ CANDIDATE Richard Walmsley VOA Assessment Centre Rating Caseworker NVQ CANDIDATE Adam Stauder VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Colin Skinner VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Saul Scarry VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Ellis Kirsten VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Andrew Cannon VOA Assessment Centre Valuation Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Jolle Begum VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Dawn Bassett VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Martin Barker VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Neil Parfitt Rhondda Cynon Taff County BC Finance Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Kay Nankivell North Cornwall DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Michelle Gethings Stockport Metropolitan BC Revenues Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Samantha Craven Stockport Metropolitan BC Benefit Assessor NVQ CANDIDATE

EDuCATION AND MEMBERshIP

IRRV EAsT ANgLIAN AssOCIATION (LEVEL 3) CERTIFICATE COuRsE IN LOCAL TAxATION AND BENEFITs

09/08

NEW MEMBERs

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NAME ORgANIsATION JOB TITLE TyPE Alfred Olum Kampala CC Valuation Assistant STUDENT Kelvin Jones Conwy County BC Recovery Manager AFFILIATE Jean Hope Berwick Upon Tweed BC Revenues Officer STUDENT Zoe Anderson A2B : Access To Benefits Income Officer AFFILIATE Stephanie Jackson Shropshire CC Head of Finance CORPORATE MEMBERNaseem Rasul Capita Business Services Ltd Assessment Officer STUDENT Tracy Mason Blaenau Gwent County BC Benefit Quality Monitoring Officer STUDENT Julie Whittall Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Vicki Roderick Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Geoff Lee Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Jennie Jones Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Enaher Jones Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Fiona McGarry Edinburgh CC Revenues Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Julie Hosang Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE David Knox Edinburgh CC Revenues and Benefits Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Warren Hewat Edinburgh CC Revenues and Benefits Officer SVQ CANDIDATE Leah Barrett Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Gavin Howells Cardiff CC Benefit Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Leigh Dowie Perth & Kinross Council Revenues Assistant STUDENT Greg Pullar Perth & Kinross Council Clerical Assistant STUDENT Paul Malby Town & Country Surveyors Consultant STUDENT Rachel Hills Arun DC Senior Revenues Advisor STUDENT Juliet Batchelor Arun DC Revenues Assistant STUDENT Gemma Carr Scottish Borders Council Clerical Assistant SVQ CANDIDATE Rachel Hatfield Amber Valley BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Mark Korneluk Amber Valley BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Huw Morgan Rhondda Cynon Taff County BC Finance Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Jane Jones North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Francis Birks North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Julie Worker North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Amanda Craft North Kesteven DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Carol Lyons Conwy County BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Chris Tanner Conwy County BC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE David White VOA Assessment Centre Rating Caseworker NVQ CANDIDATE Richard Walmsley VOA Assessment Centre Rating Caseworker NVQ CANDIDATE Adam Stauder VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Colin Skinner VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Saul Scarry VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Ellis Kirsten VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Andrew Cannon VOA Assessment Centre Valuation Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Jolle Begum VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Dawn Bassett VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Martin Barker VOA Assessment Centre Rating Collector Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Neil Parfitt Rhondda Cynon Taff County BC Finance Assistant NVQ CANDIDATE Kay Nankivell North Cornwall DC Benefits Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Michelle Gethings Stockport Metropolitan BC Revenues Officer NVQ CANDIDATE Samantha Craven Stockport Metropolitan BC Benefit Assessor NVQ CANDIDATE

The Vocational Qualification Day (VQ Day) is a major country-wide event which is supported by the IRRV, below is some further information about the event and how to get involved with it.

Why?Millions of people gain a vocational qualification every year as a stepping-stone to further study or university, better jobs and to enhance skills. VQ Day has been launched to raise the profile of vocational qualifications and celebrate vocational success.

When?The first ever VQ Day was held on 23 July 2008 – a celebration of the people who gain vocational qualifications every year, and those who help them achieve this success.

how? The IRRV is trying to make VQ Day a success across the country and we want you to join in the celebrations.

To find out more, visit www.vqday.org.uk, where the current IRRV NSVQ candidates’ details have already been posted.

Whether you are interested in a local taxation or housing and council tax benefit qualification, or you just want to know more about vocational qualifications in general, Lindsay Frankland has the answers

Lindsay Frankland is N/SVQ Development Officer with the IRRV

In previous Insight articles, you will have read about how to achieve an NSVQ in local taxation and/or housing and council tax benefits. There are currently around 40 IRRV approved NSVQ centres, operating in about 200 local authorities, all of which will be invited to attend a “best practice day” at Keele University in October 2008, at which all centre personnel will be present.

We are also planning for an NSVQ candidate day on 24 October 2008, with an objective to further understand: l the National Standards – in particular an understanding of the structure of Standards and N/SVQs; l holistic assessment/evidence gathering; l training needs for the underpinning theory of the standards (knowledge and understanding); and l the law relating to housing and council tax benefits and local taxation – its structure and content.

If you would like to attend, firstly speak to your centre co-ordinator (if the centre is IRRV approved).

To find out more about the vocational qualifications in housing and council tax benefits and/or local taxation, please contact me on 020 7691 8981 or at: lindsay.frankland@irrv.org.uk, and I will direct you to your nearest NSVQ centre, or advise you on how to become an IRRV approved NSVQ assessment centre.

NsVQ QuALIFICATION

VQ DAy

EDuCATION AND MEMBERshIP

inside the institute

NEW MEMBERs

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consultation paper ended on July 8 2008. The IRRV’s response warned of a funding shortfall of £281m in the first year alone for the new tax, if ministers go ahead with a centrally-set tax of 3p in every pound, and demonstrates that there could be a further shortfall of £400m if the UK government does not agree to the Scottish government’s demand for the retention of monies currently paid to Scotland in CT benefit.

On the problems of collection, the response emphasises that new procedures would be required to establish where a person actually resides, and states: “It is likely that a registration system would be required, similar to that used during the community charge, but experience suggests that it would be ineffective, expensive to administer and deeply unpopular.”

One of the Institute’s primary concerns is the

here is seldom a shortage of major issues facing the revenues, rating and valuation profession, and on the eve of the IRRV Scottish Association’s annual conference, to be held on 3-4 September in

Crieff, this year is certainly no exception.Local income tax (LIT) is just one of the

issues currently concerning the profession, including the effects of this year’s council tax (CT) freeze, welfare reform, changes in the general enforcement powers for bankruptcy and diligence and shared services.

LIT will continue to be a controversial issue in the coming months. The Institute recently published its response to the Scottish Government’s consultation paper, A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland. The response underlines the IRRV’s opposition to the proposals, warning

of a “gaping hole” in the funding arrangements for the tax, the increased costs of collecting and enforcing it, and the greater opportunities for legal avoidance.

The minister with the overall responsibility for implementing LIT, John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, is due to deliver a keynote address to the Conference. He may feel like he is stepping into the lion’s den when he arrives at the Crieff Hydro Hotel – once again host to the Conference. Mr Swinney, who is well respected as a competent minister with an impressive command of his brief, is unlikely to face a hostile audience but undoubtedly will be asked some challenging questions, which will need to be answered convincingly if members are to be persuaded that LIT can ever be a viable scheme.

The period for responses to the LIT

The prospect of LIT will domin

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IRRV Scottish Annual Conferen

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and Pensions (DWP) housing and CT benefit administration grant.

The changes brought about by the Bankruptcy and Diligence Act could have implications for the collection of CT and business rates. These significant changes mainly affect the process for summary warrants. If a council wants to proceed to arrest earnings or bank accounts, a “service of charge” must be served on the debtor by a sheriff officer or officer of the court. The aim of the charge is to encourage debtors to voluntarily make arrangements for the payment of their debts. Traynor has doubts about whether the objective will be achieved, and is concerned about the potential costs of the service of charge which may need to be met by the councils and then passed on to the debtor, who might already be struggling to pay. If the debtor defaults, it could become an extra cost of CT collection for the council, and have implications for maintaining progress in collection rates. “It’s something we need to keep an eye on, we need to be mindful about the impact this might have on the collection process,” Traynor said.

Another issue in Scotland is the progress being made with shared services. Traynor views shared services as being “part of the efficiency agenda”. Among the shared services projects already under way, is one involving a number of Scottish councils, including Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland and Argyll and Bute, Western Isles and Orkney, which are examining the feasibility of sharing services for benefits and revenues.

And, of course, there is the complex and wide-ranging issue of welfare reform, which will also be considered at the Scottish Benefits Conference later this year. The issue is particularly topical in view of the radical reforms of the welfare state announced in July. Is welfare reform working? IRRV members will debate the question at the Crieff Conference. Jim McCafferty, a member of the IRRV Scottish Executive, comments: “The issue for practitioners is one of asking what the DWP is up to. On one hand, it means to simplify the system, but when you look at how it has handled local housing allowance it is not simplifying that at all.” He believes the proposal to change benefit backdating provisions from 12 to three months will inevitably cause hardship in communities where people are less able to deal with the complexities of benefits.

While there are many varied issues that will continue to challenge the revenues, rating and valuation professions in the coming months, it is inevitable that LIT will continue to dominate the agenda. Sir Peter Burt, who chaired a local government finance review committee, which reported in November 2006, told last year’s IRRV conference that its members were probably “the only people who carry the clout and credibility to make [the Scottish government] think it through”. Only time will tell whether this proves to be the case. n

David Scott is a freelance journalist specialising in Scottish governance issues

impact that the funding shortfall and a centrally set LIT, will have on local democracy. “We are very concerned that the potential shortfall in the funding will adversely impact on local authorities’ ability to maintain service provision,” says Scotland Association President Hillary Kelly. “The public needs to be aware that a local income tax will be more expensive to administer, will be more intrusive into people’s lives than a property-based tax and will place further burdens on business. If, as is proposed, the tax is collected by central government in London and then simply distributed to authorities by the Scottish Parliament, local accountability and decision making in Scotland will suffer.”

The IRRV takes the view that Scottish government now has the perfect opportunity to be “bold and innovative” in tailoring a property-based tax to suit the needs of the Scottish

people, without sacrificing the financial stability of local authority services.

As IRRV National Council member and immediate past President Allan Traynor points out, the CT freeze has put tremendous pressure on council budgets. The freeze was implemented by all of Scotland’s councils (apart from Stirling Council which reduced its CT) in line with an agreement in the Concordat, drawn up by local authority (LA) leaders and the Scottish Government. The freeze was made possible as a result of a £70m grant incentive and has put pressure on LA budgets, resulting in some councils having to find extra savings. Further pressure on costs has been caused by a 5% real terms cut in the Department for Work

“Experience suggests that [a LIT] would

be ineffective, expensive to

administer and deeply unpopular”

insight Cover story 13

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ContentsFaculty board updateThe latest happenings in the revenues faculty board are discussed by Dave Chapman

Around the uKKerry MacDermott puts Welsh council tax collection rates under the spotlight

Valuation cornerAs the 2009 IRRV International Conference is planned for Warsaw, Geoff Fisher takes a look at Poland

Benefits bulletinJulie Holden demonstrates the importance of providing clear and concise information when aiming to achieve good customer service

IRRV Forum serviceFaculty Review discovers some interesting answers when highlighting the technical enquiry section of the Institute’s website

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The IRRV Forum service’s technical enquiry ‘question and answer’ facility is highlighted in this month’s Faculty Review

IRRV Annual Conference 200830 September – 3 OctoberManchester CentralSee www.irrv.net for details

Reporting on revenues

The Local Taxation and Revenues (LTR) Faculty kicked off its July meeting by considering the IRRV’s role in leading the local taxation agenda. The Institute provides valuable input to consultation processes within the local taxation and benefits policy framework, as set by government. It is important that its role in leading the strategic agenda is also maintained.

The IRRV is well placed to comment on issues that impact the long-term health of local tax systems in the UK – regardless of whether or not there is a political appetite to invoke the necessary changes. The IRRV’s two Committee of Enquiry reports relating to benefits administration and local government finance are recent examples of well-received papers that aim to lead the local tax and benefits debate. Several topics arise from the Lyons and Burt reviews alone, such as discounts and exemptions and rebate eligibility criteria. The Board has ranked research on both the need for regular domestic property revaluations and the merits of green rebates, as first priorities. These two issues will be put to the Law Research and Education (LRE) standing committee for consideration as research topics. If you have a different view on the areas that should be considered as research subjects of primary importance then let me know, I value your views.

The Board has commended the Scottish Association for its robust response in July to recent Scottish Government proposals to replace council tax with a local income tax (LIT). The full response can be found on the IRRV website.

The Board also discussed various consultation papers from the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel. These papers cover the introduction of 100% rating on empty homes, green rate rebates for both households undertaking approved home insulation work and for first residents of homes meeting new ‘zero-carbon’ standards,

and a rates deferment scheme for home-owning pensioners. The Board will respond to all of these papers which contain some innovative proposals that other administrations might like to watch closely.

Also under scrutiny were Welsh Assembly proposals to alter the small business rate relief scheme, to extend the provision of rates relief to certain shops including those selling prepared food ready for consumption, petrol filling stations, public houses, restaurants and cafes, registered child carers and credit unions. The Institute’s response broadly welcomes the proposals and focuses on problems relating to compliance where more than one relevant property is owned by an individual.

The Business Rates Supplement is due to begin its primary legislative proceedings without further consultation being undertaken until the secondary legislation stages. The Board will feed its views to the IRRV stakeholder discussions on this topic and the level of the supplement, the impact on economic regeneration and its administration at the county level, will undoubtedly feature in the topics raised.

Finally, we wait for further outcomes from the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Ministry of Justice has started the ball rolling on the licensing of enforcement agents provided for in the Act, by contacting the Security Industry Authority (the SIA) to put forward a licensing business case and plan.

If you have any comments relating to the article, please direct them to: ltr.faculty@irrv.org.uk. n

Dave Chapman of Rossendales Training is a member of the IRRV Council and Chairman of the Institute’s Local Taxation and Revenues Faculty Board

“The Institute provides valuable input to consultation processes within the local taxation and benefits policy framework”

16 09/08Faculty board update

scheme are to be welcomed, they cause concern. We are advised that properties affected by the relief may be influenced by the state aid thresholds, and consequently will be required to obtain an assurance from the ratepayer that this is not the case, or the relief does not contravene the threshold. Annual applications, excluding childcare facilities, will be required from other ratepayers, together with an assurance from them that they do not receive similar relief for another property, or in cases where the ratepayer has a number of eligible properties, that this is their preferred hereditament.

The costs of implementation, including software amendments, are likely to be borne by the local authority. Some authorities are concerned at the level of the cost they will incur and may seek assurances from the Assembly that all reasonable costs will be fully reimbursed. In respect of the latter consultation, I understand that a similar matter has been debated in England and Scotland.

I have attempted to précis these proposals while retaining their integrity, but further clarification and details are available on the National Assembly for Wales website: www.assemblywales.org. n

any unbundled local loops, which it lets or licenses to any person.

The consulation documents are currently with local authorities for consideration. In the case of the former, it proposes the following:l 25% for certain shops, including those selling prepared food ready for consumption, public houses, restaurants, cafes and petrol filling stations with a rateable value between £5,001 and £6,000 (this raises the upper rateable value threshold for 25% relief for these businesses from £5,000 to £6,000); l 50% for child-care minders and providers of day-care whose premises have a rateable value up to £12,000 (this raises the upper rateable value threshold for 50% relief for these businesses from £2,000 to £12,000); andl 50% for credit unions whose premises have a rateable value of up to £9,000 (which raises the upper rateable value threshold for 50% relief for these businesses from £2,000 to £9,000).

While enhancements to Wales’ rate relief

Council tax collection rates in Wales are showing continual improvement, says Kerry MacDermott Reporting on

revenues The Welsh Assembly Government has recently published the council tax collection rates for Welsh authorities during the last financial year. Councils collected a total 96.6% of the revenue raised for the financial year 2007/8, the same percentage as the previous year, although notably nearly 50% managed an increase. For the second year, Powys County Council recorded the highest in-year collection rate, this year at 98.8%, so congratulations to them for an excellent achievement.

Disappointingly, collection rates in Wales remain 0.5% behind England for 2007/8. Perhaps it is inevitable that the “credit crunch” will impact on our ability to maintain collection rates, and the early predictions are that it may be affecting our historical debt. During 2007/8, some £22.7m of arrears was collected in respect of previous years, leaving a balance of £71.3m outstanding. This represents an increase of 1.4% compared to the previous financial year.

There has been a degree of speculation regarding the structure of Welsh local government, emanating from the proposed restructuring of the National Health Service in Wales. The restructure virtually recreates the former county councils that existed prior to the 1996 reorganisation. Rhodri Morgan, Welsh Assembly First Minister, acknowledged the anxiety that viewed the NHS changes as a potential prelude to further local government reorganisation, but made it clear that the government has no plans for a review.

He did, however, deliver a veiled threat, adding that this did not rule out future structural change. Furthermore, the Assembly has the power to act if a council does not have the capacity or capability to deliver for its citizens. The message was emphatic – a collaboration of public services is essential in delivering the outcome that the government desires for Wales. He concluded that the agenda is right, but the pace needs to increase. There are many barriers to working together, but we are not translating the energy that is there into change on the ground quickly enough.

At present, the Assembly has issued proposals to amend the small business rate relief scheme in Wales, and to amend the Central Rating List regulations, to make British Telecom liable for non-domestic rates in respect of all local loops, including

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Collective improvement

Kerry MacDermott is Head of Revenue Services at Pembrokeshire County Council and a member of the IRRV Council

The European Group of Valuers’ Associations (TEGoVA) held its 2008 General Assembly in Warsaw, in May. The event was hosted by the Polish Federation of Valuers Associations, and IRRV was represented by President Bob Trahern and CEO David Magor. Roger Messenger was also re-elected TEGoVA Chairman.

Outcomes of the conferencel Finalising of the European Valuation Standards (EVS), due to be published in January 2009, which will replace the widely used EVS 2003 Blue Book which has been translated into several European languages, was approved; and l the introduction of the new Recognised European Valuer (REV) developed by Tony Prior and TEGoVA members was launched. The first to receive diplomas were 23 Polish qualified valuers, following a pilot project by the Polish Federation. The scheme will now be rolled out across Europe.

Europe has diverse qualifications and valuation standards, and the EVS 2009 will build on the success of the Blue Book in establishing common European Valuation Standards across the continent. REV will provide banks, other funders, cross border investors, and other users of valuation services across Europe, with a qualification that requires, among other things, extensive knowledge and experience. Visit the TEGoVA website

transactions in 2007 were significantly down on 2006, perhaps even by 50%), this has not fed as yet into a significant rise in yields on prime investments in Poland.

“What we are observing is a market which has stabilised, albeit investors are more reticent to rush in and buy prime investment property at yields of below 6%, which was commonplace in 2006/7. On the other hand, good investment grade property in Poland is still in short supply, and new property-hungry ‘Polish’ funds continue to be established. The Polish economy is still performing well, albeit there are now signs of a slowdown in growth because of the high value of the zloty and pressure on exports. GDP growth by year-end is still likely to be at just below 5%. At least for the Polish real estate market, there is still room for cautious optimism.”

The IRRV in PolandWarsaw is a vibrant and fascinating city and an ideal venue for the Institute’s 2009 International Conference. Most of the central area was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, but the Old Town has been meticulously been rebuilt, and the Royal Route through the treasures of the city provides a marvellous traffic-free walk. The business and shopping centres lie to the west, and the landmark “gift to Poland from Stalin” palace stands out as a 1950’s tower among the modern office blocks of the commercial district. There is a range of high quality hotels, including the Radisson, which hosted the compulsory purchase conference, and the Sheraton, which hosted the TEGoVA event.

Further details will be available in the IRRV magazines and on the website, as they emerge. n

This month’s Valuation Corner is compiled by Geoff Fisher FRICS IRRV, Institute Junior Vice President and consultant at Strettons chartered surveyors, London

Putting the spotlight on Poland

(www.tegova.org) or the IRRV website (www.irrv.net) for more information.

Property in PolandAfter more than a decade, the booming real estate market in Poland is maturing in terms of the opportunities available to investors seeking cash flow from leased-up buildings and capital appreciation, following Poland’s 2004 membership of the European Union.

Many British communities have seen an influx of Polish workers, but with a reduction in the value of the pound, the British working experience may become less attractive – just as well for Poland as it prepares to host the Euro 2012 UEFA Football Championship. Many infrastructure and development projects have been planned, including new and upgraded stadia in Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, and Wroclaw, but there is some concern about the progress of transport infrastructure schemes and construction work. For more details, see the official website: www2.e2012.org/en/7_1110.html.

People in PolandUK-born chartered surveyor Chris Grzesik FRICS manages Polish Properties Sp. Chris explains: “The current Polish property market is in surprisingly good condition. While the credit crunch and difficult economic conditions in certain western European countries and the USA have led to expectations that the market in Poland will be affected (indeed the number of investment

see this month’s Valuer magazine for details of a key compulsory purchase event in Poland, organised by Polish Properties. A report of the event is also available at: www.polishproperties.com.pl

IRRV Annual Conference 200830 September – 3 OctoberManchester CentralSee www.irrv.net for details

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Julie Holden IRRV CMgr MCMI is Head of Revenues and Benefits at Tandridge District Council and IRRV Senior Vice President

system for those in poverty. A coherent digital inclusion strategy for reducing the access and cost barriers facing people on benefits, especially in poor households and among older people.

The research found that telephone contact was an issue as the cost could fall to claimants – even for free phone numbers mobile calls can be charged.

We must welcome this research. In many ways it is a warning that electronic and new efficient ways of claiming do not always meet the needs of the customer. Trends for creating centralised benefit services may well reduce costs, but can also ensure that harder to reach customers remain off benefit and unknown. We need to balance greater efficiency with direct telephone facilities where someone can answer the query, the home visit and the local contact in the town centres, to make sure that customers have opportunities to access benefit at no cost to them and, excuse the pun, for their benefit! nFurther findings from the research are available from Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s website at: www.jfr.org.uk. Source: Delivering benefits, tax credits and employment services: Problems for disadvantaged users and potential solutions by Dan Finn, Danielle Mason, Nilufer Rahim and Jo Casebourne, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation June 2008.

A senior staff member at the Adelphi recently visited Tandridge District Council. One of the questions asked of an assessor was the one thing they would like to see improved in the delivery of benefits. The reply was that information given to customers when they claim about other benefits needed to be improved, and she was correct. Improving self-help for customers, empowering them to take control of the claiming process and giving them full information would improve the customer experience and cut down on customer error, or even worse, losing out on benefits.

I was interested to see that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s team from the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion has just issued a report, Delivering benefits, tax credits and employment services: Problems for disadvantaged users and potential solutions, which tackled this area head on. The Adelphi also advised that this was an area the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was aware of and was looking to address, so this was a prophetic comment from my assessor.

Below are some of the key points from the research that were focussed on:l service targets were not always met, there were often lengthy waits for payments, appointments and telephone responses; l there were barriers to the systems (complexity of forms, quality of written correspondence, lack of privacy, repeating information and evidence, having to contact multiple agencies for changes);

l there were too many administration errors, such as payment delays and information getting lost in the post; l users wanted shorter forms and less jargon;l users wanted staff to be better trained in knowledge of the benefits systems and interaction with the customers;l users wanted staff to own the claims because, where they are handled by more than one person, conflicting information and advice can occur; andl some users thought that cheques had been lost or stolen and were a target due to the distinctive envelopes used.

As well as comments, the research also included solutions and suggestions about the current efficiency agenda, concluding that unless there are changes, the new look services, for example growth of contact centres and front/back office splits, could actually prolong problems rather than find solutions. The research suggested that the solutions lie in:l greater strategic coherence between DWP and HMRC in service delivery and managing cross-system interactions and rules;l clear and accessible opportunities for face-to-face contact and written applications, especially for vulnerable users and intermediaries acting on their behalf; and l minimising the costs of accessing the

At your service

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The ability for customers to receive clear and concise information quickly is crucial to provide good service, says Julie holden

IRRV Annual Conferen

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Q1: If a billing authority sets up an attachment from income support/job seekers allowance, is it entitled to take action under a liability order granted in a subsequent year? A: While the attachment from income support/job seekers allowance is in place, the billing authority is prevented from taking recovery action under a subsequent liability order. This restriction is unique to attachments from income support/job seekers allowance.

The relevant legislation that supports this finding is set out below:

Regulation 52(2) Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement Regulations) 1992 (S.I.1992/613) provides that steps under this part by way of attachment of allowances, attachment of earnings, distress, commitment, bankruptcy, winding up or charging may not be taken in relation to a person against whom a liability order has been made while:a) steps by way of another of those methods are being taken against him under it; b) deductions are being made under S.I.1993/494 from any amount payable to him by way of income support or jobseeker’s allowance; or c) an application under Regulation 2 (S.I.1993/494) has been made in respect of him to the Secretary of State and remains undetermined.

Q2: What is the position when an employer fails to comply with an attachment of earnings?A: An employer is under a duty to comply

with an attachment of earnings order issued by a billing authority.

The relevant legislation that supports this finding is set out below:

Regulation 56(2) Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 (S.I.1992/613) provides that subject to Regulation 56(3), a person shall be guilty of an offence if, following the service on him of a copy of an attachment of allowances order or an attachment of earnings order, he is under a duty to comply with the order by virtue of Regulation 37(3) (including that provision as applied for the purposes of attachment of allowances orders by Regulation 44(7)) and he fails to do so.

It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under Regulation 56(2) to prove that he took all reasonable steps to comply with the order (Regulation 56(3) S.I.1992/613).

A person shall be guilty of an offence if he is under a duty to notify another person under Regulation 39(2 and 3 or 4 and 5), including those provisions as applied for the purposes of attachment of allowances orders by Regulations 44(7), 39(6 and 7) or 40; and (Regulation 56(4) S.I.1992/613):a) he fails without reasonable excuse to notify the other person in accordance with the provision concerned; or

b) in notifying the other person in purported compliance with the provision concerned he makes a statement which he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular.

A person guilty of an offence under Regulation 56(1)(a) or (4)(a) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale (Regulation 56(5) S.I.1992/613).

A person guilty of an offence under (Regulation 56(1)(b), (2) or (4)(b) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (Regulation 56(6) S.I.1992/613). n

The IRRV’s technical enquiry ‘question and answer’ facility is part of the Forum service. Insight regularly reproduces selected highlights, giving practitioners a snapshot of this valuable part of the Institute’s work. If yours is not one of the 200 plus organisations already using the Forum service, why not check out what’s on offer. Log on to www.irrv.net/forums

“This move marks a step change in approach and ensures that services are tailored to the needs of the sector”

Assorted answers

20 09/08iRRV Forum service

IRRV Annual Conference 2008

30 September – 3 October

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See www.irrv.net for details

@

A recent review of revenues and benefits websites highlighted that while work is constantly underway to enhance web efficiency, there is still a lot to be done. simon Bailey reports

striving for improvement

n my last article I reported that the Society of Information Technology Management (SOCITM) had released its yearly report, Better Connected. The report contained the findings of reviewers who visited local authority (LA) websites

with pre-set questionnaires. That gave me an idea. Why not do a similar review

of revenues and benefits websites and report on these findings? As part of a day’s training course on website design and protocol to revenues and benefits professionals, I included a workshop session. At this session, attendees split into groups and were given access to the internet. The groups were also given a set of questions, relating to what should be looked at on a revenues and benefits website, including:l council tax (CT);l business rates;l benefits;l fraud; and l the general look and feel of the site.

The attendees (now reviewers) were asked to rate their findings on a one to five basis, one being poor or not present information, and five being excellent.

What made it interesting and informative is that they were not allowed to review their own websites, but were given the website of another authority represented on the course. The groups were also asked to report back, by way of a five-minute presentation, their findings and overall views. This review proved informative and fun and highlighted several areas of good practice, but more importantly flagged up areas where the sites could be improved. It is often very difficult to review your own website with true candour.

The reviewers were given 16 questions to complete regarding the CT area of the websites, using the scoring methodology mentioned above, the maximum possible score was 80. No site scored the maximum and in percentage terms, sites scored 51% on average. The worst site scored just 20%, with the best site achieving 70%.

Some examples of CT questions were:

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l can I find information on exemptions?l are there downloadable forms that I can print and use? and l can I set up a direct debit online?

Most authorities offered online payment facilities, this being the highest scoring question with a score of 75%. Authorities were marked down if the navigation from the CT pages was not obvious or the information not easy to read.

The lowest score was for electronic billing, or the lack of it. No authorities within the survey provided e-billing as an option for CT payers. This is not surprising, as many authorities that have offered the service have reported low take-up. The cost of e-billing may also not appear to be justified due to the low demand, however, it is difficult to improve take-up if the service is unavailable. It is my view that this area will grow, albeit slowly.

Worryingly, the following questions also attracted low scores:l can I complete a direct debit online? Which scored 31%; and l can I report a change of address/circumstances online? Which scored 33%.

These are probably the two main reasons a person would contact a revenues section, and the lack of these facilities evidenced by the low scores will only increase avoidable contact. Authorities should provide a web-based access channel for those unable or unwilling to contact by alternative methods.

Reviewers were also asked to make general comments about their CT sites, which included:

l small fonts which were hard to read;l bands displayed with the incorrect year;l poor explanations;l very slow running;l online revenues which weren’t up-to-date;l bad appearance;l cluttered headings with poor colours;l slow and poor searches;l fast and easy navigation;l easily available PDFs; and l good first-time searches.

The reviewers then had 16 questions about benefits, using the same scoring system. No website scored the maximum, and in percentage terms sites scored on average 55%. There was no particularly poor site, with the lowest score being 41%, the best site achieved 86%. Does this mean that benefits staff update and maintain their sites on a more regular basis? My thoughts on the higher scores are that as the information relating to benefits is ever changing, there is a more enforced opportunity to revisit and maintain correct content.

When analysing the results it became clear that no website offered the facility to notify a change of circumstances online, with the question, “can I report

Simon Bailey is a Director at ISCAS. Contact him at: simon@iscas.co.uk (www.iscas.co.uk)

a change of circumstances online?” attracting a score of one for each LA. Similarly, no website offered the opportunity to complete an online claim form.

Not surprisingly, the highest scores went to information on Local Housing Allowance (LHA). This item was topical at the time of the course and the following questions attracted the highest scores:l can I find information on LHA? Which got 76%; andl can I find the latest LHA rates? Which scored 83% on average.

I believe this is good news. Dissemination of information via websites must be growing, and authorities placing current LHA rates on their sites is an excellent idea, with increased use of this very important access channel.

One of the areas of concern was the current benefit calculator, with 50% of sites being reported as having it out-of-date or not present at all.

Overall the quality and content for benefit sites appeared to be better than those for CT. Is this because these sites are being maintained by different web-masters to those for revenues?

Moving on to benefit fraud, the reviewers were given just two questions. l I want to report a suspected fraud. Is there information on what benefit fraud is? andl can you report a suspected benefit fraud online?

The scores provided the greatest range of all reviewed topics. One site scored 100% but unfortunately another only scored 20%. The average score for all authorities was 70%, highlighting that this area has clearly been given

attention by those administering fraud.

Business rates also provided a wide range in quality of information available. The reviewers were posed three questions:

l can I find information on empty property rates, which is up-to-date?l can I find information on how business rates are calculated? Is the multiplier correct or present? and l can I find a link to the Valuation Office or Scottish Assessors with adequate explanation?

The survey found that sites either had very poor information, or had no information at all. Is this because business rates are the most stable area of revenues and benefits? In my own personal experience, I have found the business rate area of a website to be the most visited. Should it not therefore receive the most attention and contain up-to-date information?

In conclusion, as with the SOCITM survey, I found that there is a wide range in the quality of websites. I would suggest that every authority reviews its website either by self-assessment, or preferably by a third party. This peer review can provide the catalyst for improving websites as they continue to be an essential access channel for gaining and providing information.

Many thanks to the participants on the course and, in particular, their enthusiasm when undertaking the review and reporting back. n

“This review highlighted several areas of good practice”

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his time last year, the Revenues and Customer Services Division at King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council was a mass of anticipation and nerves as, for the second year running,

we were finalists in the IRRV Performance Award for Excellence in Education, Training and Development. Speculation was rife – did making the final only to lose out on the prize last year provide us with a good omen? Had we acted on the judges’ feedback enough to meet the required standard? Were we ‘excellent’ enough?

Three years ago we attended a session by Mark Davis from the Holistic Company at the IRRV Annual Conference in Manchester. Mark’s presentation on holistically managing the health, wellbeing and work/life balance sparked our interests. In the current climate to continually improve performance, create efficiencies and make ongoing savings, staff development is key to maintaining performance and efficiency within our resource restraints, and we are always keen to try new ways to motivate and develop our teams.

In conjunction with Mark, the service decided to develop an innovative supervisory management programme to meet the real issues facing local government today. Our aim was to merge business training requirements with addressing health, well-being and a work/life balance. The programme runs alongside our more traditional training and development tools and complements the corporate training programme. The course proved so successful, it has now been rolled out corporately across the whole council.

The programme has contributed to significant efficiencies and service improvements, for example:l coaching self-awareness – staff now have one-to-one coaching sessions with Mark to encourage personal and professional development;l helping staff develop a strong work ethic – staff now undertake supervisory management training programmes, attend specific project management training, and are allocated a work-related project to demonstrate their skills and transfer them to practical applications in the workplace;l increasing productivity – ‘Race Days’ were introduced where a day is dedicated to clearing outstanding work with an emphasis on fun and staff involvement; l introducing extensive staff consultation and engagement – using Mark as an impartial third party allows honest and open consultation and feedback. Managers ensure feedback is acted on, ideas are developed and staff feel valued and able to influence their working lives;

The continually successful revenues and customer service division at King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council has certainly come a long way since its 2007 IRRV Performance Award win. Jo stanton reports

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2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 Actual Actual TargetDays to process new claims 27 19 16Days to process changes of circumstances 5 7.6 5Council tax collection rate (%) 98.0 98.2 98.5NDR collection rate (%) 99.3 99.8 99.5Calls answered within 30 seconds (%) 79 82.5 85Average waiting time for calls to be answered 17 15 15

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l supporting professional development – staff are encouraged to sit IRRV qualifications and other management and development courses; and l introducing comprehensive progression schemes – each of the three sections within the service has its own progression scheme, allowing staff to move through the payscales as they develop professionally.

Winning the award has given us the drive and enthusiasm to continue with the supervisory management programme, rolling it out to a second group of participants and teaching them key skills and attitudes to improve self and team management.

The health and wellbeing message is now fully embedded into the revenue division’s culture and service plan and is included as one of our core values. And the course itself has a zero drop-out rate.

Performance has improved again in 2007/8, as the table (left) demonstrates:

Staff from the team undertaking development activities have been successful in their individual achievements too, across the service, for example:l 24 staff members have completed the progression scheme and moved through the pay grades; l nine are working through the scheme; l five have completed their IRRV Level 3

Certificate via the NVQ route, and a further five have used the exam route to gain their qualifications; andl three members of staff are now progressing through the IRRV full profession qualification (some admit they would never have had the confidence to try if they hadn’t attended the supervisory management course).

In 2008 the council successfully underwent the Investors in People reassessment, and our staff satisfaction survey for 2007, again, showed excellent and improving year-on-year results, including 92% of staff members saying they enjoyed their job and 94% agreeing they are proud of the organisation.

Our service plan for 2008/9 includes ambitious targets, which we aim to achieve with the support of our staff. Some key areas include:l a new project around ‘green travel’;l further development of the Council Information Centre;l a full rollout of homeworking;l introducing an accredited Customer Services Training scheme;l a year-long charity project; andl rolling out our IT to include electronic change of circumstances notifications, including a bid for voice risk analysis software.

Fifteen members of staff began The Charity Project in March, aiming to raise £6,000 in 12 months for mental health awareness charity, West Norfolk MIND. At the end of July the team had already raised an impressive £3,111.

Some other successes include the creation of opportunities within the service for those undertaking supervisory management training. These include appointing two new senior benefits assistants, and two new corporate project officers posts. The service as a whole created four revenues trainee posts to recruit and develop new staff across all areas of work.

We now face the uncertainty of a local government review across Norfolk, but hope the work we do around training and development will equip our staff for the process and any future changes.

Would we do it all again? Definitely! Our success has encouraged us to go forward and enter into more awards. This year the Council Information Centre has been shortlisted for the Excellence in Customer Service award, and preparation is already underway for a Benefits Team of the Year 2009 entry.

As always, the best people to ask about any success are those directly affected, and the final words should go to the staff involved in the process (see right). n

Jo Stanton is Revenues and Benefits Manager at King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council

WhAT ThE TEAM sAID:“Winning the award on the night was fantastic, particularly as it was our second year of entering”

“I have achieved a fantastic promotion, some of which has to be attributed to the revenues supervisory management course. I am also attempting Level 1 of the Full Professional Qualification, which I may not have had the confidence to try without the training and development I have received”

“Being involved and winning this award, has given me the confidence to put myself forward to join other projects, as before I might have held back. It was a great thrill to be invited to the award evening and for us to actually win made me very proud”

“My personal highlight was gaining my degree, which has freed me up to participate in this year’s courses and manage the project group, an experience I am enjoying very much. I really like mentoring some of the younger team members and watching them develop confidence and new skills”

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IRRV Annual Conference 2008

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See www.irrv.net for details

wide-ranging clampdown on the sources of junk mail, cold-calling and spam email has been proposed following a review commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon

Brown last year, with a recommendation to make it easier for the public to keep track of who holds personal information about them.

The review’s final report concludes that:l there is a lack of transparency and accountability in the way organisations deal with personal information;l there is confusion surrounding the Data Protection Act, particularly the way it interacts with other strands of law;l greater use could be made of the ability to share personal data safely, particularly in the field of research and statistical analysis; andl the Information Commissioner needs more effective powers, and the resources to allow him to use them properly.

The report makes a series of recommendations, aimed at transforming the personal and organisational culture of those who collect, manage and share information, in order to:l improve leadership, accountability and training within organisations;l ensure all organisations are as transparent and open as possible about how and with whom data is shared – with which authority, for what purposes and with what protections and safeguards;l clarify and simplify the legal framework governing data sharing, including provisions to guarantee better and more authoritative guidance for practitioners;l introduce a new statutory procedure to remove unnecessary legal barriers, while maintaining robust privacy protections;l enhance the role of the Information Commissioner, providing more robust and properly-resourced powers;l develop mechanisms that will enable population-based research and statistical analysis for public benefit, while safeguarding the privacy of individuals; andl help to safeguard and protect personal information held in publicly available sources.

The review also recommends banning local authorities (LAs) from selling edited versions of the electoral roll. Mr Thomas, the Information Commissioner, said this proposal amounted to a return to the pre-internet age, with copies of the electoral roll only available in public libraries.

The report also says that the Information Commissioner should have the power to impose fines against companies or government bodies deliberately breaching privacy rules.

The 75-page report called for fines similar to those which can be imposed by the Financial Services Authority which can run into millions.

DWp’S improving pErformancEThe Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is in good shape and delivering a better service to its customers, according to an independent review published in mid-July.

The Capability Review for the DWP shows that, as well as improving customer service, it has also increased productivity by 11% since 2004 and hit its efficiency targets of saving over £1bn in costs, while reducing 30,000 posts.

The review says that the department has responded well to the findings of the 2006 Capability Review, and that it has continued to deliver its core business successfully while implementing a major change programme and playing a leading role in the cross-government shared services agenda. The DWP’s leadership is commended for leading change across the organisation. The overall ratings show improvements in every key area measured since 2006.

In response to the report the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, said: “This report shows that we have a really well run department delivering its services increasingly effectively to the millions of people it serves every day. The report is a great tribute to the leadership and staff of the DWP – and I want to congratulate everyone’s hard work and commitment to ensure that we are delivering results.”

ni WatEr orDErED to clEan up itS actThe proposals for water charges in Northern Ireland have come into the spotlight. A water company was set up with the specific aim of levying charges on domestic households, but since the inception of the new Assembly this has been put on hold. There is charging for non-domestic consumers, but this has run into a few problems with the Northern Ireland’s government-owned water company, NI Water, being ordered

A

Following a recent review of the data sharing policy, Pat Doherty reports on the latest findings, and others of interest

Piling upthe issues

26 09/08doherty’s despatch

Pat Doherty IRRV CPFA is an independent consultant and a Past President of the IRRV. If you wish to comment on anything in the article please email him at: pkd@pkdconsultancy.co.uk

by the utility regulator to improve its business planning and corporate governance, following errors predicted to cause an annual £20m shortfall in income.

An investigation by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation followed disclosure of the mistake in calculating the amount business customers would pay for their water supplies. Domestic customers might have to pay more to fill the gap.

The utility regulator concluded that there had been “serious shortfalls in areas of management” that amounted to a breach of the water company’s licence. NI Water has promised it will put the failings right.

Regional development minister Conor Murphy says: “The company deserves credit for identifying the incorrect data, but its handling of the issue after the discovery did not reflect best practice.”

Charging domestic consumers is a hugely political issue in Northern Ireland, and it will be interesting to follow what happens over the next

couple of years. NI Water chair and interim chief executive, Chris Mellor says: “Customers will hopefully be reassured by the fact that the regulator has found no dishonesty by NI Water in this matter.”

loSSES DuE to lit In a joint response to the Scottish Government’s consultation paper on local income tax (LIT), CIPFA, the CIPFA Directors of Finance Section and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives have warned that the Scottish Government’s plans for a LIT would create a funding gap of £742m, partially remove fiscal autonomy from local government and breach a European treaty.

The submission said the proposals would result in a £308.6m loss in tax yield – the difference between the present income from council tax (CT) and that estimated from LIT. There would be a further loss of £433.5m currently paid by the UK government in CT benefit.

The officers estimated that a LIT of 4.5p would be required to maintain funding and services at 2008/9 levels.

The IRRV in its response to the proposal for a LIT tax to replace CT made similar points and argued that the potential shortfall could hit other local government and public services.

nEW EnforcEmEnt mEthoDS?Local government minister, John Healey, told the Local Government Association’s annual conference, in July, that councils may soon have the option of seizing funds from defaulting taxpayers’ bank accounts by pursuing them through the county court system.

He said that councils are currently only able to prosecute non-payers through magistrates’ courts where prison is the strongest sanction available, but a consultation with councils and

courts was about to be launched by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justice looking at ways this might be changed. Officials will report back to

Mr Healey by the end of the summer. He explains: “Most civil debts like rent arrears or unpaid credit card bills are effectively enforced through county courts, with tough sanctions available,” and that: “A county court judgment can also affect someone’s credit rating. So we will therefore look at allowing councils to transfer council tax debts from magistrates to county courts.”

This will be an important consultation, launched at a time when many people will be on holiday, but nevertheless all local authorities should take the opportunity to respond. n

“We will look at allowing councils to transfer council tax debts from magistrates to county courts”

the

27insight doherty’s despatch

IRRV Annual Conference 2008 Manchester 30 september - 3 October

Be there! For details, check out: www.irrv.org.uk

Brighton2007, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1995,

1989, 1985, 1975

Bournemouth2003, 2001, 1999, 1991, 1982, 1978, 1974

Torquay2000, 1997, 1993, 1988, 1981

Eastbourne1996, 1992, 1987, 1977

scarborough1990, 1986, 1976Blackpool

1998, 1994, 1984

southport1983

Llandudno1980

harrogate1979

2005

as the whole world gone mad? A rhetorical question, of course, as it evidently has. Unitary counties – whatever next! Assiduous readers will know that I am disenchanted with the current “stop me

and buy one” approach to re-organisation, but the latest announcements indicate just what a strange process this has become.

For those who have missed action to date, it runs like this. Authority ‘A’ decides it would rather like to be a unitary authority, and makes a submission backed by a financial forecast. It is the only authority in the county to take this bold step. The government feel that authority ‘A’ might be more viable if it becomes Authority ‘A+’. The Boundary Commission is invited to opine and its resolution is to replace six or seven authorities with one – a decision that nobody actually wanted.

This makes the proposed authority more like a region than a unitary authority and must signal the death knell of the proponents of localism. All-in-all, a strange situation, but there are some interesting sides to this. While the Number 10 website groans with petitions on this, that and the other, the Boundary Commission says don’t send petitions because they are not evidence. Well, to an extent I see that, but they are evidence that the punters like or dislike a particular proposal, and may loosely have something to do with democracy.

Meanwhile, local authority (LA) accountants are also beset by interesting new proposals. The recent white paper speaks of participatory budgeting. Many authorities already hand out lump sums to councillors, to spend in their ward, and these proposals widen that significantly. In social services, individual budgets are causing a revolution in paying for social care. In this system you cost up a care package and then pay the sum to the customer so he or she can spend it on care for him or herself. My last visit to Russia was to explain this innovation to social care professionals there, but they were concerned that sales of vodka might rocket. I explained that this might be accept-able if it achieved the care package objectives, but they clearly thought it was not the model for them.

There is more, because there is a great interest in sustainable accounts, and the pioneer in this is the Prince of Wales, and sustainability is very much part of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment system. Then LAs will have to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These are coming in imminently and have a great impact on the chart of accounts and some procedures such as the standar-disation of the leave year, etc.

IFRS has been agreed by the European Union, although various member states have their own timelines for introduction – ours is 2009/10. These initiatives are sufficient to turn accounting and

hPlaying the money game

budgeting upside down, and with which many authorities will find it difficult to cope.

This is a non-drama year for the grant settle-ment, but the difficulty will come in meeting the costs of inflation etc, which was never envisaged at the time of the settlement. Not many authorities will have made proper provision for the large increases in fuel, heat and light, and this is likely to be providing real difficulties for some authorities this year, let alone next. The incidence is not even because of long-term contractual arrangements, but I see some LAs are considering bulk buying of oil on the world’s financial markets. Buying forwards is always a risky business and is a skill best left to experts, or those to whom money is of little importance. Those who remember interest rate swaps or the foreign cur-rency loans negotiated by the GLC will know that if things turn against you, it can be very expensive.

People are surprised when I tell them that there is nothing so exciting as local government finance, but this month’s column is convincing evidence that it is so. n

“Local authority accountants are beset by interesting new proposals”

insight

Richard Harbord IRRV is a member of the CIPFA Councils and a Past President of the IRRV

As the world of local government appears to be descending into madness, Richard harbord takes a satirical view at the exciting world of finance

29Viewpoint

he imaginations of ratepayers are being stretched to ascertain how the law can be used to alleviate the burden of empty property rates (EPRs). With industrial and storage properties in particular being hit for

the first time in April this year and the incidence of EPR charge being raised to 100%, ratepayers will be raising many issues as to why they should not be liable to pay.

There will undoubtedly be situations where properties were exempt for reasons other than simply being industrial or storage, but could also be exempt form EPRs under another category.

One such category currently attracting a good deal of interest is whether or not a property is exempt from EPRs under regulation 4(c) to the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/386, which says:

“…are any hereditament:(c) whose owner is prohibited by law from

occupying it or allowing it to be occupied.”Planning restrictions or the absence of

planning consent has often been raised under this category of exemption from EPR.

As far as planning breaches are concerned, in Westminster City Council v Regent Lion Properties Limited 1990 in the Court of Appeal Glidewell LJ, in giving the leading judgement of the Court, said:

“Since there was no such planning permission at the relevant time, was the occupation of the hereditament prohibited by law? In my judgment, it was not. In my vi