Everything about child maintenance

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was working as part of a team to develop a brand new electronic solution for separated parents to apply for assistance preparing Kid Upkeep. We 'd released a personal beta of the electronic solution in December 2019, and also were functioning in the direction of introducing more users on a steady basis.

Previous to this, the only way to get aid arranging Kid Upkeep had actually been an entirely telephone-based solution. Nonetheless, as a division we understood that we needed to give an electronic alternative as part of our dedication to broaden our solutions as well as produce digital designs based on our users' demands.

The press to go online
All was going as intended till the pandemic hit. Virtually instantly, our colleagues in the call centres can no more respond to the phones and procedure applications. The division was working to get individuals established to work from home, but a great deal of associates were redeployed to deal with other solutions. So, our supervisors made the decision to make our digital solution the primary method of application from that factor onwards, as well as for the foreseeable future.

The group needed to move fast to safeguard the solution and make it readily available to all candidates. The plan had actually been to ramp up to around 100 applications a day going through the system within a couple of months, now we needed to reach this stage in an issue of days. The team strove to stabilise the solution so it might cope with the rise in individuals, all while adjusting to functioning from house themselves.

Developing a 24/7 service
At the private beta stage we were using comments from users to advance the solution-- as we opened it up additionally this feedback ended up being even more crucial. There was a clear need for a couple of adjustments such as 24/7 accessibility. The solution was initially created to only be offered when the heritage backend system was available, in between 8am to 8pm throughout the week, and out weekend breaks.

We had a lot of comments asking why it was not readily available after 8pm, so we built our very own backend to save the application data briefly, till the legacy system became available. Around 20% of customers currently complete their applications in that 'offline' amount of time, which reveals the benefits of reacting truly quickly and also taking individual feedback aboard.

One more item of feedback we got from customers family law solicitors associated with them wanting to confirm receipt of their application. So, as part of our normal models, we supplied a feature that allows customers to register for an e-mail confirmation that their application has actually been gotten making use of the Gov.Notify system. Around 99% of online individuals have picked to use this center, which just shows how valuable it has been as confidence for individuals getting Child Maintenance.

The effort settles
Throughout the summer as well as into fall, the group functioned regularly to introduce brand-new functions, with modifications released on an almost once a week basis. It was a relentless pace and was challenging at times-- for instance for those of us home schooling our youngsters. Having a shared objective of helping to get money to households that require it was a truly inspiring factor throughout these times.

That effort meant that we had the ability to take the item via a Government Digital Solution (GDS) public beta evaluation in winter. It passed with flying colours, which was an actually honored moment for everyone involved in the task. We were additionally just recently identified with a group award at an inner awards event, which was a good means to commemorate the method we have actually collaborated.

Until now, over 59,000 individuals have actually used the digital solution to make an application for Youngster Maintenance, which is around 80% of all candidates. The telephone systems service is still there for those that need it, however the variety of online applications continues to grow.

This isn't the end of the electronic journey for this solution either. We're now progressing a brand-new roadmap for more improvement of the end-to-end service, and also we'll continue to pay attention to individual needs, and also make modifications as well as enhancements to make it as easy as possible for individuals to look for and manage their Child Maintenance setups.

It's definitely been a tough year for everyone, but I rejoice that I'll have the ability to look back at when our team rose to the obstacle and also provided for individuals when they needed us most.