members’ meeting 10 th september 2014. agenda 10.00am welcome and introductions followed by a...

Members’Meeting

10th September 2014

Agenda

10.00am Welcome and introductions followed by a Fincan Update 10.20 am The Key – Abbie Foster 11.00am Comfort Break 11.10am DWP Update – Eileen Burditt 11.40am Financial Inclusion Project Planning Workshop 12.20pm Plan B Partnership – Lucy Haughey 1.00pm Close and lunch

Fincan Update

Alison Baxterand

Paul Hillier

The Key – Unlock Your Potential

Hannah Underwoodand

Abbie Foster

Key Messages

• Connecting personal development to financial wellbeing

• Building skills and confidence in youth practitioners

• Provide practical real life learning opportunities

The Key Programme

Our Stories…

Way Up North

Tec Crew

Working Together: Fincan

Coming up…

Future Plans

Department for Work and Pension

Eileen Billett

Child maintenance and Help and Support for Separated Families

May 2014

24Department for Work & Pensions

Welcome

• You work with all sorts of separated families and lone parents

• They turn to you as a trusted source of information and advice on a range of issues

• Many could benefit from information about child maintenance and the support available

• We would like to:– Update you on the key changes to child maintenance and what to do if

a client approaches you about their CSA case closing or they have received notification of charging

– Highlight the new Help and Support for Separated Families initiative – Explain how Child Maintenance Options can help your clients– help you to promote the benefits of effective child maintenance

arrangements to separated families


Child maintenance reform and the statutory child maintenance system


New Child Maintenance Service

• The new Child Maintenance Service (CMS)

– Improved supporting IT

– Quicker processing of applications

– Income data from HMRC

– Better client service

– ‘Charging’ nudge so parents collaborate and avoid CMS if possible

– ‘Gateway’ conversation to ensure parents are aware of available support

• CMS is now open to all new clients

• Charging is due to be introduced Summer 2014

• Closure of all CSA cases over three year period – from 2014


Key features

Gateway

• Parents wishing to apply to the Child Maintenance Service will first have to discuss their maintenance choices before accessing the new 2012 scheme

• Child Maintenance Options will provide the ‘gateway’ conversation – victims of DV will be fast-tracked if required

Charging

• A £20 application fee (non refundable)

• Parents 18 and under and victims of DV will be exempt from application fee

• Ongoing collection fees for using the Collect and Pay service. 20% fee for paying parents and 4% fee for receiving parents

• A range of enforcement charges

• Also applies to existing 2012 clients


Key features Direct Pay• Either parent will be able to request Direct Pay service type – avoiding

collection fees except paying parents where there is reason to believe they may be unlikely to pay

• Safeguards and guidance for parents who are victims of domestic violence

Enforcement • Introduction of charges to influence the behaviour of paying parents and

provide an incentive for them to pay maintenance in full and on time

Case closure• Once the Child Maintenance Service is opened to all new applicants, the

process of closing all existing Child Support Agency cases will begin • This process will take around three years

Flat rate child maintenance• The maintenance rate for paying parents (£7) will also be subject to

collection fees where direct pay is not used

Charging


Fees and charges – a recap

• £20 application fee payable by the parent who applies (with some exceptions)

• Collection fees (20% and 4%) for parents using the Collect & Pay service

• A range of enforcement charges proportional to the action being taken

• Parents can avoid collection fees by choosing the Direct Pay service (or, where possible, a family-based arrangement)– Receiving parents can always choose Direct Pay– Paying parents cannot choose Direct Pay where there is

evidence that suggests they may be ‘unlikely to pay’ and the receiving parent would prefer Collect & Pay

– All paying parents will have an opportunity to prove over time that they are not ‘unlikely to pay’


Introducing fees and charges to Child Maintenance Service clients – our objectives

Provide consistent, accurate information

wherever clients turn for information

Promote working together

Re-establish compliance

Minimise service impact


Introducing fees and charges to Child Maintenance Service clients – key messages for clients

Paying parents• Choose Direct Pay to avoid collection fees• If you don’t pay on time and in full:

– you won’t be able to choose Direct Pay– the receiving parent is unlikely to choose Direct Pay, and– you may face enforcement charges.

Receiving parents• You can choose Direct Pay safely to avoid collection fees• There are safeguards in place to enforce payments• If you want Collect & Pay and the paying parent is considered ‘unlikely

to pay’:– you will pay a small contribution to the running costs of managing

your payments– this includes enforcing any missed payments.


Introducing fees and charges – customer journey for existing Child Maintenance Service clients

“Notice of charging”

New Payment

Plan

Annual review?

Move to Direct Pay – no collection fees

Minimum 6 months full payment history to prove compliance

Safeguards

• “Unlikely to Pay” check• Ability to move cases immediately to Collect & Pay and enforce payment• Guidance on staying safe for victims of domestic violence and abuse

Pay any arrears in full to prove compliance

Move to Direct Pay – some collection fees

Collection fees startEnforcement charges start

5-6 weeks


Introducing fees and charges – communications summary

• ‘Warm-up’ mailings promoting Direct Pay and/or the need for compliance for parents in cases where:– The paying parent is paying in full, or– They have missed payments but not yet reached enforcement

• ‘Notice of charging’ letters for all parents with 2012 scheme cases– Explaining all fees and charges– Offering parents with arrears a chance to pay all the child maintenance they

owe and choose Direct Pay before collection fees start– Including a reply form for those most likely to want or be able to choose

Direct Pay• Revised payment plans to all parents 5-6 weeks after Notice of Charging• Outbound calling to parents who may get two conflicting payment schedules

following on from each other• SMS reminder to parents most likely to want or be able to choose Direct Pay• Updates to gov.uk and cmoptions.org


Introducing fees and charges – supplementary communications timeline

Letters

- 2 months Go Live

Paying in Full Letter

(1st Notification)

Formal Notice of Charging letter

Outbound Calls

+ 1 month + 6 weeks + 3 months- 1 month

Formal Notice of Charging letter

Paying in Arrears Letter

(1st Notification)

Beginning of Outbound Calls(Annual Review)

End of Outbound Calls

(Annual Review)

End of Outbound Calls

(Annual Review)

Beginning of Outbound Calls(Annual Review)

Direct Pay Clients

Collect & Pay Clients

Collect & Pay Clients

Direct Pay Clients

SMS (Collect & Pay)SMS

(+ 1 month)

Collect & Pay Calls (+1 month) – non enforced

New Payment Plans (+ 6 weeks)

New Payment Plans (+ 6 weeks)

Provisional Letter(+ 2 months))

Provisional Letter(+2 months)

+ 2 months

Online / Digital Online Update 1 Online Update 2

Case Closure


Changes affecting Child Support Agency (CSA)• During 2014, the CSA will begin the process of ending all CSA child

maintenance arrangements.

• At some time between then and 2017, clients will be contacted and given 6 months’ notice to put a new child maintenance arrangement in place before liability ends.

• Clients will be offered information and support about their options from Child Maintenance Options, a free information and guidance service.

• Clients will be strongly encouraged to put a new child maintenance arrangement in place.

• When clients are selected to go into the case closure journey they will receive a series of letters over a 6 month period.

• Letters will make clear that clients must continue to pay until their CSA liability has ended.

• First segment will be ‘nil assessed’


The client experience - awareness

• Clients may become aware that their CSA arrangements will end before they receive any letters about it from the CSA. They may become aware through:

– seeing awareness-raising adverts placed by DWP in the press or online – there will be a regional trial in June followed by a national campaign in Autumn.

– hearing adverts placed by DWP on commercial radio

– seeing press coverage of the changes

– information provided by partner and stakeholder organisations

– word of mouth from other affected clients

– gov.uk or cmoptions.org websites.

• DWP communications aim to ensure that clients receive consistent and accurate information about how they will be affected by the changes.


Media creatives


The client experience - letters

• Clients will be sent the first letter letting them know that their arrangement will end 200 days before the arrangement ends.

• This letter will be sent to both parents.

• The letter will explain to clients that:

– their current CSA arrangement will end and the date that this will happen

– their arrangement will continue to be managed as usual until then and non-resident parents must continue to pay

– any arrears will continue to be owed.

• Clients will be strongly encouraged to make a new child maintenance arrangement and directed to the Child Maintenance Options service for help and support in doing this.



• Both parents will receive a second letter 30 days before their CSA arrangement ends.

• This letter will:– confirm the date on which their arrangement will end– remind non-resident parents that they must continue to pay until this

date– encourage parents to contact Child Maintenance Options for help in

putting a new arrangement in place.

• Both parents will receive 2 further letters on the day that their CSA arrangement ends.– one will confirm that their arrangement has ended, meaning that the

non-resident parent will no longer owe ongoing child maintenance on CSA schemes

– the other will confirm how much the non-resident parent will need to pay towards the arrears as these will remain payable to the CSA at this stage.



• After the CSA arrangement has ended the CSA will calculate the final arrears balance.

• Parents with care with arrears owed to them will be sent a letter confirming the final arrears balance and offering them the chance to write off these arrears if they no longer want them.

• Arrears will only be written off if parents with care actively request that they are.

• Any arrears remaining will be moved to the Child Maintenance Service.


The client experience – making a new arrangement

• After clients receive their first letter they may seek support from Child Maintenance Options for help putting a new arrangement in place.

• Child Maintenance Options will explain the types of arrangements that clients can make. Clients can:– make an arrangement between each other – a family based arrangement– make an application to the Child Maintenance Service. For most clients

there will be a £20 fee to make an application.• If clients apply to the Child Maintenance Service:

– they will not have to pay further fees if they can make payments between each other – this is known as Direct Pay

– if parents cannot make payments on their own the Child Maintenance Service can do this. The fee for this service is a 20% charge for paying parents (non-resident parents) on top of maintenance payment and a 4% charge for receiving parents (parents with care) deducted from payments collected. This is known as the Collect and Pay service.

Help and Support For Separated Families


Help and Support for Separated Families

Using existing expert services …

• For families & couples facing relationship breakdown

• Designed to encourage more parents to collaborate and access the help and support available to work out what’s best for the children

• Includes:– Web app (sortingoutseparation.org.uk)– HSSF mark– Telephone support– Innovation Fund


Digital Innovation Fund Projects

• What Next? (Relate Ltd: England, Scotland and Wales)

– free online guide for separating and separated parents.

– full of advice and practical exercises written by counsellors at Relate to help parents work together in the best interests of their children.

– Includes tools that create a personal list of next steps and content can be saved to come back to as you need it.

– Counselling support through live chat is also available.

Further Information

Visit whatnext.relate.org.uk

Email Via website


Digital Innovation Fund Projects

• Splitting Up? Put Kids First (One Plus One)

– free online support tool that helps separating parents to create a Parenting Plan online

– Helps parents learn the skills they need to make the parenting plan it work for you both parents.

– Service is interactive with virtual coaching through video based tutorials

– ‘Homestart’ provide face to face support for using the online tool in Kent, Lincolnshire, Angus, Stirlingshire, Wrexham, Conwy

Further Information

Visit http://www.splittingup-putkidsfirst.org.uk

Email Via website


Local Innovation Fund Projects

• Mediation Now (Portsmouth and South Hampshire)

– initiative provides separating/separated parents with specific support in communication and conflict management skills

– delivered through a series of four sessions

– aim is to teach parents strategies to manage all issues relating to the children without recourse to the court or the Child Maintenance Service

Further Information

Visit http://www.mediation-now.co.uk

Email [email protected]

Call 02392 481183



• Families Together (Pinnacle People: Bristol)

– 12 week programme of activities and interventions engaging both parents and their children

– Co-located with Windmill City Farm where some activities take place

– Includes a participate in a programme of ‘family familiar’ activities which will involve practical and ‘non legal’ approaches to encourage parents to communication and collaborate.

– Includes practical cookery classes and homework club

Further Information

Visit http://www.pinnaclepeople.co.uk


Call 0800 088 4000



• Separated Parents’ Support Project (Resolve Cymru: Powys, Wales).

– aimed at parents that cannot or are fearful of engaging with their ex-partner.

– mentoring and counselling are provided to parents to encourage parents to work together

– also includes parenting apart classes for those who require it

Further Information

Visit www.resolvecymru.org.uk


Call 01597 825123



• Shuttle Mediation (National Family Mediation: Berkshire, Herefordshire and West Yorkshire)

– court based project

– aimed at long-term separated parents who have remained in dispute through the family courts

– offerings shuttle mediation

Further Information

Visit www.nfm.org.uk

Email Via website

Call 0300 4000 636



• Moving Forward Lincolnshire (Sills and Butterage LLP: Lincolnshire and Gainsborough)

– a behavioural change programme that assists the parents in the transition from parenting together to parenting apart.

– helps parents to address practical, legal, economic and community issues such as the parties making robust arrangements for contact (inc grandparental contact), child maintenance, accommodation, debt and relations with schools and other third parties

– includes group workshops, one to one session and mediation

Further Information

Visit www.movingforwardlincs.co.uk


Call 01522 304 567



• Changing Futures NE (Tees Valley (Hartlepool, Redcar, Stockton & Billingham, Darlington).

– Aimed at long-term separated parents

– service that aims to help parents deal with the impact of separation and help parents ensure that children aren't badly affected by the separation over the longer term.

– Work takes place over an average of 12 weeks.

– Help is available to address practical issues and to implement any plans that parents agree on.

Further Information

Visit http://www.changingfuturesne.co.uk

Email See website

Call 01429 891444



• Family Decision Making Service (CHILDREN 1st: All Scotland)

– service combines three organisations expertise (Children 1st, One Parent Families Scotland, Scottish Child Law Centre Scotland)

– aim is to offer a seamless Scotland-wide online, phone and face to face service for separated and separating parents which places the interests of the children at the heart of the decisions about contact, maintenance and on-going decision-making.

– CHILDREN 1ST’s national help-line (Parentline Scotland) is the main point of access for the service

– Capacity has been developed to support seamless Inter-agency referrals for the parent(s) or family between the partners.

Further Information

Visit http://www.children1st.org.uk


Call 08000 28 22 33



• Listening to Children Matters (Family Matters Mediate: Doncaster, Wakefield, Retford, Worksop, Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Gainsborough)

– aimed at long-term separated parents who continue to have problems agreeing about their children.

– intervention is based on a child consultation meeting

– aim is to help parents reach agreements through listening to their children views and understanding their perspective

Further Information

Visit www.l2cmatters.co.uk


Call 03300 881640



• Parents in Dispute (Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships: London)– offers free therapeutic based counselling and group work for long-

term separated parents who are currently or have previously been in the court process and are unable to resolve differences about their children.

– Offers 6 to 12 sessions with a therapist– Aim is to help parents reduce family conflict so that children can thrive

now and in the future

Further Information

Visit www.tccr.org.uk


Call 0207 380 1950



• National Association of Child Contact Centres (Clusters in S.W. London & Home Counties, South, West, East Midlands, North)

– Aimed at parents whose conflict is so entrenched that the non-resident parent is required to see his/her child on neutral ground at a supported child contact centre.

– Includes an new online screening process that enables parents to self-refer.

Further Information

Visit http://www.naccc.org.uk/

Email Via website

Call 0845 4500 280



• Volunteer-led based Befriending Service (Family Lives: Gloucester, Leicester, Waltham Forest).

– volunteer-led based befriending service aimed Separated and separating parents.

– In Waltham Forest and Leicester, Family Lives are working with an Islamic relationship support organisation (Barefoot Institute) to target the Muslim community.

Further Information

Visit www.familylives.org.uk

Email Gloucester - [email protected]

Call Gloucester - 01453 768 160Leicester - tbcWaltham Forest - 01707 630100.



• Specialist Family Support Project (Malachi: Birmingham and West Midlands).

– project targets separated and separating parents of children attending schools in Birmingham where Malachi provide family intervention services.

– The project will involve working therapeutically on a one to one basis with the non-resident parent.

Further Information

Visit www.malachi.org.uk

Email http://www.malachi.org.uk/familysupport

Call 0121 441 4556



• Working Together for Children (Howells LLP: Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster)

– face-to-face project targeting separating and separated parents

– targeted at people with a gross income of less than £45k

– works with both parents (initially through a lead parent)

– aims to provide a ‘one stop shop’ across the full range of issues that separating parents face to encourage collaboration and avoid court

– Offers single/joint mediation and counseling sessions.

Further Information

Visit www.howellsllp.com




• Supporting Separated Teenage Parents (Spurgeons: West Midlands and Warwickshire).

– a face-to-face project targeting teenage parents and their families (including the child’s grandparents).

– offers a bespoke service including help establishing parenting agreements and provision of guidance on good parenting

– Aim is to improve future outcomes for both parents and children and reduce reliance on state services in the long term.

– Signposting to additional support services is provided in relation to housing, health etc. The project has an objective

Further Information

Visit www.spurgoens.org


Call 01902877559



• Family Matters (Resolution: Oxford, Crewe and East Cheshire and Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

– face-to-face project providing separating/separated parents with the help and guidance they need to make their own arrangements.

– target audience is primarily those on a low income who no longer quality for legal aid.

– trained Mentors work with parents/families to identify the practical and emotional issues faced during separation and possible solutions, or sources of support required to resolve them.

– aim is to agree either an informal or formal parenting agreement

Further Information

Visit www.resolution.org.uk/familymatters

Email [email protected]@[email protected]

Call Crewe: 01270 259730; Newcastle: 0191 2302138Oxford: 01865 406030


Child Maintenance Options

• Provides free impartial information, guidance and support to parentsas well as family, friends and trusted professionals to make the most effective arrangements for them and their children

• Available over the phone, via a website or face-to-face together with Live Chat facility for real-time online support

• Helps parents overcome barriers to working together (such as housing, employment, legal issues and money)

• Signposts customers to other support services

• Is the ‘gateway’ to the Child Maintenance Service

What can you do?


How can you help?

• Spot people who may need information on child maintenance and wider separation issues or who may be effected by charging or case closure

• Engage with parents on the benefits of child maintenance and tell parents how important it can be for their children

• Signpost clients with wider separation issues to the sorting out separation web app and/or innovation fund project (where relevant)

• Refer parents to Child Maintenance Options – it is the first port of call for anyone with an enquiry about child maintenance

Workshop

Project Planning

Lucy Haughey- The Plan B Partnership Financial Inclusion Social Enterprise

The Plan B whistle-stop tour….

• Who we are• How we are constituted & structured• What projects & services we offer• Some of our clients & referrers• Questions & comments

Who are The Plan B partnership?

A Financial Inclusion Social enterprisedelivering:

• Information, Guidance & Advice• Solutions mapping & plans • Training & workshops• Speakers & media work• Research & project design

Our shape• Audited & accredited Social Enterprise• Est July 2010• 80% of profit in social good- 20% reserves• £50,000.00 turnover p/y- no core funding. • 2 Coordinators: 1 Director & 1 in triage • 9 regulated freelance experts, 2 sessional

workers. • Mainly third & public sector as well as private

individual clients ( sample list to follow)

How do we trade?• Income comes in via charging for 70% of our• Training & workshops • Research & consultancy• Financial advice & planning ( discounted)• Pensions services ( workplace auto-enrolment)• Debt case prep & advocacy• Info services: E.g Media work, fact sheets & web

content• We also get commission on plans e.g insurances

& do PPI claims for people no win no fee.

Services Plan B’s general money advice:

Focused on basic financial services

& debts

The Tea Service- Financial Inclusion

for people 50+, carers & adults with disabilities The Help2Buy

Service: Mortgage & re-mortgage info, advice & planning

for home ownership for vulnerable

people

MoneyMoon Service & The Newly Single

Money Mediation

Service

Plan B Training, Learning &

Project Design Consultancy:

Bespoke financial education & research for

education based projects

Future Proofing Service: Business financial advice

& planning for trading entities of all sizes and

status Media work

Some past & present client

organisations

• Capability Scotland- D&G base• Carers week for Carers UK• Housing Options Scotland• Housing & Support Alliance• ANCHO Housing Association• Fife Council & FHN• Fairfield Housing Association• EVH-Employers in Voluntary

Housing• East Ayrshire North Community Fed• Glasgow City Council- Housing

Options • Govanhill Housing Association• Fife DPHS• Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living• East Dunbartonshire Voluntary

Action• Glasgow Council on Alcohol• Glasgow Council for Voluntary Orgs• Lennox Partnership & Remploy

Questions?

www.theplanbpartnership.co.uk

@Plans4Charities & @PlanBPartners

[email protected] 0141 237

3895 & 07887551466

members’ meeting 10 th september 2014. agenda 10.00am welcome and introductions followed by a...

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