In April 2017 Policy in Practice releases the new version of our popular Universal Benefit and Budgeting calculator. We call it our UBBC for short.
The software will be faster, more accurate and easier to use. As well as receiving a beautiful makeover to the user interface, the calculator will be super-charged with new features and improved navigation.
These slides, from our launch webinar on Wednesday 15 March, detail some of the changes we have in store. They cover:
Brief introduction to Policy in Practice
The need for a benefit calculator
Evolution of our software
What’s new
Let’s look at 3 cases
Questions and answers
Next steps
Webinar: Profiling your DHP budget to mitigate the impact of welfare reforms Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani and Zoe Charlesworth, Policy in Practice, discuss how local authorities can spend their DHP budgets most effectively, to ensure people who need the support the most receive it.
View these slides to learn:
1. How DHP money is spent nationwide and why underspends occur
2. How to identify individual households most in need and what support they need
3. How to know if your DHP support is reaching the right people
4. Where to target your DHP engagement campaigns
Central government has increased the DHP budget by £35m in 2017-2018 to help with the transition of welfare reforms and it is important that the increased funding is made available to those who need it most.
Whilst some assessments of the impact of reforms have taken place, DWP advise local authorities to carry out more detailed work to identify those most in need of discretionary support.
"You may want to profile your caseload to identify certain groups among those potentially affected by the changes, and establish the level of demand among those groups. Although DWP has already carried out various Equality Impact Assessments in relation to HB reform you may want to carry out a more detailed assessment for your area."
Discretionary Housing Payments Guidance Manual, DWP, Dec 2016
Policy in Practice has helped local authorities identify individual households most at risk from aggregate and cumulative welfare reforms so that support programmes can be targeted where they are most needed.
This webinar was held on Wednesday 1 March 2017 at 10:30
View YouTube recording here https://youtu.be/sjNreOrBMWc
Housing associations and welfare reform - what's the true impact on tenants a...Policy in Practice
Welfare reforms such as Universal Credit and the Benefit Cap create a complex picture for councils and their housing partners.
It’s important to understand the true impact of all the benefit changes on individual households so that the most effective support programmes possible can be put in place, and rental income is protected.
Policy in Practice is helping councils and housing organisations to support their most vulnerable tenants through welfare reforms.
In this practical webinar Adam Knight-Markiegi and Zoe Charlesworth from Policy in Practice share the work we’ve done with Newcastle CC and Your Homes Newcastle.
Listen to learn how we helped Newcastle City Council and YHN to:
1. Understand the cumulative impact of welfare reforms on individual households
2. Support tenants to budget under Universal Credit, and take action to avoid the impact of the Benefit Cap
3. Create efficiencies for staff; who may need training on reforms, and help in having broader conversations with residents
4. Help tenants to self serve, and avoid having to tell their story more than once.
Realising the Value Stakeholder Event -Workshop: How does the system support Nesta
Workshop D - How does the system support communities/individuals and how could it do it better?
The levers and drivers that national bodies put in place and how these are used locally have a significant impact on working in partnership with communities and patients. These levers and drivers include regulation, targets, outcomes measures, financial flows, annual contracting cycles, clinical standards, workforce training and revalidation etc.
This workshop will draw upon your experience and evidence to address two questions:
How these levers and drivers get in the way of working in partnership with patients and communities?
What is the best blend of approaches to support commissioners and providers locally to harness the energy of patients and communities
Realising the Value Stakeholder Event - Workshop:Let's think in terms of beha...Nesta
Workshop B - Let's think in terms of behaviour: What changes do we want to see?
Participants will be shown how the Behavioural Insights Team approach projects in terms of targeting specific behaviours to change. Participants will then work together to do just this for the Realising the Value programme, thinking about what changes they would like to see amongst people, patients and practitioners. This will help form outcome measures for the RtV programme and will give participants a new way of thinking about making tangible change happen in their own organisations.
Demonstrating the impact and value of your vcse organisation CANorfolk
Part of CAN's 2020 Annual VCSE conference. This interactive session is designed to help you understand how you can demonstrate the value of what your organisation does. Led by Jenny Potkins (NCVO) and Paul Webb (MAP & Centre for Youth Impact) this session introduced how you can articulate the difference your organisation makes, and some of the processes and tools you can use to measure that difference.
Webinar slides: Practical ways to help vulnerable households deal with debtPolicy in Practice
Policy in Practice’s analysis estimates that the average hit faced by low income households, on top of existing pressures, will be over £40 per week by 2020. More households are now ‘can’t pay’s rather than ‘won’t pay’s.
Income collection teams have a responsibility to help both their clients and their customers, both of whom are feeling the pinch. As an ethical enforcement agency, Phoenix recognises that they can support people by helping them to better understand their financial position and find ways to increase income and lower expenditure, prior to enforcement action.
Using Policy in Practice’s Benefit and Budgeting Calculator they are bringing welfare support together, around the customer. Early results after 4 months are extremely promising.
For more details visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk.
The transition to Universal Credit and the introduction of a lower benefit cap will become a reality for thousands of people this Autumn.
For the first time, Policy in Practice has modelled how welfare reform is affecting cities, towns and London Boroughs differently to create a national picture.
Using household-level data from different local authorities we’ve modelled the likely impact of continued deployment of welfare reforms on towns and cities that aren’t yet significantly affected.
By analysing the impact of Universal Credit on different types of councils we can predict how similar local authorities are likely to be hit.
Some areas in the UK will see a major impact almost overnight as a result of welfare reforms.
Listen to this webinar to learn:
1. How your local authority peers are impacted by welfare reforms (by council type)
2. What impact the lower benefit cap, Universal Credit and housing reforms will have (by council type)
3. How households in your local area are likely to be affected
Webinar: Profiling your DHP budget to mitigate the impact of welfare reforms Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani and Zoe Charlesworth, Policy in Practice, discuss how local authorities can spend their DHP budgets most effectively, to ensure people who need the support the most receive it.
View these slides to learn:
1. How DHP money is spent nationwide and why underspends occur
2. How to identify individual households most in need and what support they need
3. How to know if your DHP support is reaching the right people
4. Where to target your DHP engagement campaigns
Central government has increased the DHP budget by £35m in 2017-2018 to help with the transition of welfare reforms and it is important that the increased funding is made available to those who need it most.
Whilst some assessments of the impact of reforms have taken place, DWP advise local authorities to carry out more detailed work to identify those most in need of discretionary support.
"You may want to profile your caseload to identify certain groups among those potentially affected by the changes, and establish the level of demand among those groups. Although DWP has already carried out various Equality Impact Assessments in relation to HB reform you may want to carry out a more detailed assessment for your area."
Discretionary Housing Payments Guidance Manual, DWP, Dec 2016
Policy in Practice has helped local authorities identify individual households most at risk from aggregate and cumulative welfare reforms so that support programmes can be targeted where they are most needed.
This webinar was held on Wednesday 1 March 2017 at 10:30
View YouTube recording here https://youtu.be/sjNreOrBMWc
Housing associations and welfare reform - what's the true impact on tenants a...Policy in Practice
Welfare reforms such as Universal Credit and the Benefit Cap create a complex picture for councils and their housing partners.
It’s important to understand the true impact of all the benefit changes on individual households so that the most effective support programmes possible can be put in place, and rental income is protected.
Policy in Practice is helping councils and housing organisations to support their most vulnerable tenants through welfare reforms.
In this practical webinar Adam Knight-Markiegi and Zoe Charlesworth from Policy in Practice share the work we’ve done with Newcastle CC and Your Homes Newcastle.
Listen to learn how we helped Newcastle City Council and YHN to:
1. Understand the cumulative impact of welfare reforms on individual households
2. Support tenants to budget under Universal Credit, and take action to avoid the impact of the Benefit Cap
3. Create efficiencies for staff; who may need training on reforms, and help in having broader conversations with residents
4. Help tenants to self serve, and avoid having to tell their story more than once.
Realising the Value Stakeholder Event -Workshop: How does the system support Nesta
Workshop D - How does the system support communities/individuals and how could it do it better?
The levers and drivers that national bodies put in place and how these are used locally have a significant impact on working in partnership with communities and patients. These levers and drivers include regulation, targets, outcomes measures, financial flows, annual contracting cycles, clinical standards, workforce training and revalidation etc.
This workshop will draw upon your experience and evidence to address two questions:
How these levers and drivers get in the way of working in partnership with patients and communities?
What is the best blend of approaches to support commissioners and providers locally to harness the energy of patients and communities
Realising the Value Stakeholder Event - Workshop:Let's think in terms of beha...Nesta
Workshop B - Let's think in terms of behaviour: What changes do we want to see?
Participants will be shown how the Behavioural Insights Team approach projects in terms of targeting specific behaviours to change. Participants will then work together to do just this for the Realising the Value programme, thinking about what changes they would like to see amongst people, patients and practitioners. This will help form outcome measures for the RtV programme and will give participants a new way of thinking about making tangible change happen in their own organisations.
Demonstrating the impact and value of your vcse organisation CANorfolk
Part of CAN's 2020 Annual VCSE conference. This interactive session is designed to help you understand how you can demonstrate the value of what your organisation does. Led by Jenny Potkins (NCVO) and Paul Webb (MAP & Centre for Youth Impact) this session introduced how you can articulate the difference your organisation makes, and some of the processes and tools you can use to measure that difference.
Webinar slides: Practical ways to help vulnerable households deal with debtPolicy in Practice
Policy in Practice’s analysis estimates that the average hit faced by low income households, on top of existing pressures, will be over £40 per week by 2020. More households are now ‘can’t pay’s rather than ‘won’t pay’s.
Income collection teams have a responsibility to help both their clients and their customers, both of whom are feeling the pinch. As an ethical enforcement agency, Phoenix recognises that they can support people by helping them to better understand their financial position and find ways to increase income and lower expenditure, prior to enforcement action.
Using Policy in Practice’s Benefit and Budgeting Calculator they are bringing welfare support together, around the customer. Early results after 4 months are extremely promising.
For more details visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk.
The transition to Universal Credit and the introduction of a lower benefit cap will become a reality for thousands of people this Autumn.
For the first time, Policy in Practice has modelled how welfare reform is affecting cities, towns and London Boroughs differently to create a national picture.
Using household-level data from different local authorities we’ve modelled the likely impact of continued deployment of welfare reforms on towns and cities that aren’t yet significantly affected.
By analysing the impact of Universal Credit on different types of councils we can predict how similar local authorities are likely to be hit.
Some areas in the UK will see a major impact almost overnight as a result of welfare reforms.
Listen to this webinar to learn:
1. How your local authority peers are impacted by welfare reforms (by council type)
2. What impact the lower benefit cap, Universal Credit and housing reforms will have (by council type)
3. How households in your local area are likely to be affected
Services for Later Life conference: A change in thinking: Redefining servicesAge UK
Age UK's Services for Later Life conference took place on 12 July 2012. This presentation was given by Dan Corry, Chief Executive, New Philanthropy Capital.
Webinar: Revolutionising Government's Relationship with DataPolicy in Practice
Councils are being driven by ever tighter squeezes on budgets and the availability of smarter, cheaper technology.
And senior leaders need high quality, reliable data that can be interrogated to reveal insights that will let them do more with less.
The good news? Revenue and Benefits teams already have the data sets.
In this webinar Deven Ghelani and Daniel Cavanillas from Policy in Practice showed how some Revenues and Benefits teams are using their data to punch above their weight.
We highlighted how local government finance teams have:
- Used standardised government data sets to identify in advance which individual households will be affected by the lower benefit cap and by how much. They can take proactive steps and prioritise support to those most heavily impacted.
- Used standardised government data sets to identify which 18-21 year olds will lose their Housing Benefit as a result of changes in government policy, and which will be required to ‘Earn or Learn’. Some of our clients have commissioned targeted support on the basis of this analysis.
- Used standardised government data sets to identify exactly how much is lost through Pupil Premium funding as a result of households failing to make a claim for means tested free school meals, and exactly which households should be making a claim. This is worth over £1m to most London Boroughs.
A talk given by Dr Simon Duffy to commissioners and service providers in Birmingham on 11th November 2015. the talk outlines a strategy to grow trust between providers and commissioners and extend the personalisation options available to local people.
Presentation slides from Jonathan Bone and Peter Baeck from the launch of Nesta's Crowdfunding Good Causes report:
http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/crowdfunding-good-causes
A VCSE Health and Social Care Assembly for Norfolk CANorfolk
Delegates found out how their organisations can work more closely and collaboratively with health and care partners within the emerging Integrated Care System through the new VCSE Assembly. The VCSE Assembly Steering Group spoke about developments over the past year, next steps for the future and how you can get involved.
We are piloting a service to improve the wellbeing and emotional resilience of older people suffering from mild depression, anxiety or social isolation.
The presentation was a workshop at Evolve 2014: the annual event for the voluntary sector in London on Monday 16 June 2014.
The presentation was chaired by Anna Bloch from Charity Finance Group and shares highlights of how charities have adapted and are continuing to adapt to the climate, covering reductions in statutory funding and new fundraising strategies.
Find out more about the Evolve Conference from NCVO: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference
Find out more about the work NCVO does around funding: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/funding
Seth Reynolds (Principal Consultant for Systems Change at NPC) and Katie Turner (Deputy Head of Research at the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR)) share their insights and inspiration on how we can build on the adaptations and innovation shown so far this year, to influence and shape a better future for people and communities in Norfolk.
Evidence and policy suggests that people with multiple needs and exclusions often struggle to engage with services because of the way those services are set up. People may be well known to agencies and professionals but may not have been able to make and sustain changes in their lives. This webinar will provide an overview of the issues facing adults with multiple needs and exclusions. Due to agreements with the individuals involved, in the recording we are unable to show Leah’s story and Tommy’s story. These segments have been removed from the recording. If you have any queries please email: help@ripfa.org.uk
Part of the Norfolk Annual VCSE Conference. Are you applying for funding for the first time? This session will help you understand what you need to consider before making an application, where to look for the funding you need and what to expect when you get it.
IRRV WELFARE REFORM AND BENEFITS SEMINAR: The Reality of the Social Impact of...Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani, Policy in Practice, spoke at the IRRV Welfare Reform and Benefits Seminar – Are We Facing An Impending Disaster? on
The IRRV’s annual seminar on Welfare Reform and Benefits addressed the key issues on Welfare Reform and looked in detail at the Government’s proposal for the months and years to come.
Deven Ghelani, CEO and Founder, Policy in Practice, will delivered the following session at 10:35 am:
The Reality of the Social Impact of Welfare Reform
What will be the detailed social impact of Welfare Reform? What pressure will be placed on local authorities in delivering their statutory functions particularly in relation to housing and local taxation? How will local authorities continue to maintain these functions whilst facing up to the demands of the Governments austerity programme?
View his slides here.
Services for Later Life conference: A change in thinking: Redefining servicesAge UK
Age UK's Services for Later Life conference took place on 12 July 2012. This presentation was given by Dan Corry, Chief Executive, New Philanthropy Capital.
Webinar: Revolutionising Government's Relationship with DataPolicy in Practice
Councils are being driven by ever tighter squeezes on budgets and the availability of smarter, cheaper technology.
And senior leaders need high quality, reliable data that can be interrogated to reveal insights that will let them do more with less.
The good news? Revenue and Benefits teams already have the data sets.
In this webinar Deven Ghelani and Daniel Cavanillas from Policy in Practice showed how some Revenues and Benefits teams are using their data to punch above their weight.
We highlighted how local government finance teams have:
- Used standardised government data sets to identify in advance which individual households will be affected by the lower benefit cap and by how much. They can take proactive steps and prioritise support to those most heavily impacted.
- Used standardised government data sets to identify which 18-21 year olds will lose their Housing Benefit as a result of changes in government policy, and which will be required to ‘Earn or Learn’. Some of our clients have commissioned targeted support on the basis of this analysis.
- Used standardised government data sets to identify exactly how much is lost through Pupil Premium funding as a result of households failing to make a claim for means tested free school meals, and exactly which households should be making a claim. This is worth over £1m to most London Boroughs.
A talk given by Dr Simon Duffy to commissioners and service providers in Birmingham on 11th November 2015. the talk outlines a strategy to grow trust between providers and commissioners and extend the personalisation options available to local people.
Presentation slides from Jonathan Bone and Peter Baeck from the launch of Nesta's Crowdfunding Good Causes report:
http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/crowdfunding-good-causes
A VCSE Health and Social Care Assembly for Norfolk CANorfolk
Delegates found out how their organisations can work more closely and collaboratively with health and care partners within the emerging Integrated Care System through the new VCSE Assembly. The VCSE Assembly Steering Group spoke about developments over the past year, next steps for the future and how you can get involved.
We are piloting a service to improve the wellbeing and emotional resilience of older people suffering from mild depression, anxiety or social isolation.
The presentation was a workshop at Evolve 2014: the annual event for the voluntary sector in London on Monday 16 June 2014.
The presentation was chaired by Anna Bloch from Charity Finance Group and shares highlights of how charities have adapted and are continuing to adapt to the climate, covering reductions in statutory funding and new fundraising strategies.
Find out more about the Evolve Conference from NCVO: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference
Find out more about the work NCVO does around funding: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/funding
Seth Reynolds (Principal Consultant for Systems Change at NPC) and Katie Turner (Deputy Head of Research at the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR)) share their insights and inspiration on how we can build on the adaptations and innovation shown so far this year, to influence and shape a better future for people and communities in Norfolk.
Evidence and policy suggests that people with multiple needs and exclusions often struggle to engage with services because of the way those services are set up. People may be well known to agencies and professionals but may not have been able to make and sustain changes in their lives. This webinar will provide an overview of the issues facing adults with multiple needs and exclusions. Due to agreements with the individuals involved, in the recording we are unable to show Leah’s story and Tommy’s story. These segments have been removed from the recording. If you have any queries please email: help@ripfa.org.uk
Part of the Norfolk Annual VCSE Conference. Are you applying for funding for the first time? This session will help you understand what you need to consider before making an application, where to look for the funding you need and what to expect when you get it.
IRRV WELFARE REFORM AND BENEFITS SEMINAR: The Reality of the Social Impact of...Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani, Policy in Practice, spoke at the IRRV Welfare Reform and Benefits Seminar – Are We Facing An Impending Disaster? on
The IRRV’s annual seminar on Welfare Reform and Benefits addressed the key issues on Welfare Reform and looked in detail at the Government’s proposal for the months and years to come.
Deven Ghelani, CEO and Founder, Policy in Practice, will delivered the following session at 10:35 am:
The Reality of the Social Impact of Welfare Reform
What will be the detailed social impact of Welfare Reform? What pressure will be placed on local authorities in delivering their statutory functions particularly in relation to housing and local taxation? How will local authorities continue to maintain these functions whilst facing up to the demands of the Governments austerity programme?
View his slides here.
Webinar: How to Future Proof Your CTRS scheme for Universal CreditPolicy in Practice
Despite greater flexibility to raise income, councils still have to make savings and ensure their budgets are spent as efficiently as possible.
In many councils the spotlight is on Council Tax to raise income and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) to make savings.
Council Tax Schemes have been locally designed since April 2013. While many still reflect the nationally administered Council Tax Benefit, we're starting to see greater innovation locally.
The driver of this innovation is the backdrop of the cumulative impact of past and future welfare reforms, the introduction of Universal Credit and ever tighter budgets.
CTRS schemes are intended to keep the most vulnerable citizens safe from poverty. Knowing who those people are is a huge challenge.
We've modelled options for future CTRS schemes in detail for various councils. The impact assessments are used to make informed policy decisions by officers and members.
View this webinar to learn how:
1. We accurately model the cost of CTRS schemes today
2. We accurately model the cost of CTRS schemes in the future, including under Universal Credit
3. We accurately model, compare and evaluate CTRS options under consideration
4. We provide evidenced based recommendations on which CTRS scheme best supports the strategy e. g. best fit for anti-poverty strategy while operating within financial constraints
5. What CTRS schemes we have created for North Hertfordshire, Leeds City and Newcastle City Councils
A lower benefit cap is being rolled out from 7 November 2016. Policy in Practice has been helping local authorities across the country to determine who will be impacted. In this webinar we shared some of the recent work we're doing with London Borough Croydon to help them identify potential exemptions, and prioritise both financial and employment support to affected households.
We were joined by Asha Vyas, Head of Enablement and Welfare, LB Croydon, who shared background and details about the key strategies the council is now following, as a result of the work with Policy in Practice.
View the slides to learn:
1. How we proactively identified which households will be affected by the lower benefit cap, and by how much.
2. How the most vulnerable households were segmented into 6 different groups, and what the characteristics of those groups are
3. What different strategies the council is now executing for each of those groups to mitigate the impact of the lower benefit cap
4. How our work builds on the DWP benefit cap scans and how it can help you identify potential exemptions
Webinar | Wed 25 Jan 2017. Listen back to hear how Policy in Practice models the impacts of different Council Tax Reduction schemes on individual households, taking future reforms into account.
Featuring guest speaker Steve Hill, LB Tower Hamlets.
10 Event Technology Trends to Watch in 2016Eventbrite UK
We’ve picked 10 exciting, innovative technologies that are gathering pace and adoption, and are likely to start appearing on your radar in 2016. Get ahead of the curve by learning more about them.
Webinar: How to make the welfare system simple to understandPolicy in Practice
Policy in Practice's Benefit and Budgeting Calculator software is fast, accurate, simple and targeted. Newly upgraded for 2017, it now has even more features to help people understand work and welfare with confidence.
Using our frontline engagement software local authorities, housing associations and welfare to work providers can simplify conversations, explain complex changes better and support advisors with information they can trust.
Most importantly, our software simplifies the welfare system, giving people the information to make the decisions that are right for them.
Listen to this webinar to hear:
- How to simplify your benefit assessments
- How to simplify your budgeting advice
- How to simplify your income maximisation advice
Find out more at
http://policyinpractice.co.uk/outcome-based-software/benefit-budgeting-calculator/
or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
Are You Evaluating Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculators? Policy in Practice
Policy in Practice's Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator software has everything you need to help people set realistic job goals - the first step of getting into work. We help you answer the question "Does work pay?"
"The Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator is different. Its outcome-based approach has been very powerful and has really helped us to change behaviour of both our residents and advisors." Inga Spencer, LB Hillingdon
You can show people what benefits they can get under Universal Credit and the current system, provide advice on where savings might be made, provide help with personal budgeting support and create a simple, straightforward action plan, all in one integrated platform.
View the slides from the webinar we held on Wednesday 20 July 2016.
You will see:
1. Why 83% of advisors think the Policy in Practice calculator is faster than their own “better off” calculator
2. Why 69% of advisors thought the Policy in Practice calculator is easier to use
3. Why 75% of customers found the visuals used to show their own financial position useful
4. Why customers are 85% more likely to understand the welfare system
5. How an accurate budgeting tool can also help you triage your clients to key partner organisations to save you time and resources to support your clients
Outcomes Based Contracting resource - logic model and Results Based Accountability framework. Taken from the draft Partnering in Procurement Document developed by the Western Australian Council of Social Service and WA Health
Vincent Boom (Shoulders of Giants): How To Use Your Community To Transform Yo...FeverBee Limited
Vincent Boon, the brains behind GiffGaff's incredibly successful community, explains how you can use your community to transform your business. In this talk, Vincent shares real examples and data from many of the world's largest online communities.
Webinar: Understand how Universal Credit affects Council Tax Reduction SchemesPolicy in Practice
Universal Credit full service will change the amount of Council Tax Support households receive and how much this will cost the council.
To best support all households, councils need to know the full impact that Universal Credit full service will have in their area. This crucial information lets councils consider scheme change to support the most vulnerable households.
In this webinar, we explain the detail of how Universal Credit affects the Council Tax Support that households receive and the cost to the council. We offer some rules of thumb on typical winners or losers, and suggest who may need support.
View the webinar slides to learn:
- how to model the impact of Universal Credit in your CTR scheme
- why changing your CTR scheme for Universal Credit roll out is important
- how certain groups of households will be affected
- the impact on council spending
- what you can do to protect vulnerable groups
With guest speaker Jenny Hoare, Wolverhampton City Council.
For more information please visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242
Understanding Users at Scale with Product AnalyticsHannah Flynn
A deep understanding of how users interact with your product is critical for PMs at every stage of their product's lifecycle. Whether you are building new features, trying to improve customer experience or battling poor retention - user behavior forms the foundation of your product strategy.
Webinar: Helping people transition onto Universal CreditPolicy in Practice
Organisations tasked with delivering frontline support are fine tuning action plans to help prepare people ahead of the full service roll out of Universal Credit, which is set to accelerate this October.
Local authorities and housing associations can learn from peers who have already moved on to Universal Credit full service. Understanding the operational challenges faced during the transition period, and the strategies employed to deal with them, could make all the difference to a successful roll out.
Guest speakers from Aster Group housing association and Croydon Council shared how they've helped their customers move over to full service Universal Credit and how Policy in Practice's Benefit and Budgeting Calculator has helped.
For further information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
Benefits realisation: a tool to help evidence the benefits and importance of ...CYP MH
CYPMH conference 2016 Future in Mind Vision to Implementation
Benefits realisation: a tool to help evidence the benefits and importance of children and young people’s participation - The GIFT Team with Young Sessional Workers
Anne is Deputy Head of the Measurement and Evaluation at New Philanthropy Capital (NCP) and helps charities and funders to measure and communicate their impact. Her role includes developing tools and approaches for improving impact measurement for a wide range of organisations.
VAL was delighted to welcome Anne to present a workshop during our 2013 Future Focus Conference. Anne's workshop was all about helping charities tell a compelling story about what they do and the impact they have.
Specifically, Anne's workshop looked at the benefits of measuring impact, information about the 'theory of change process' to help charities understand what outcomes they are aiming to achieve, and helped groups start thinking about the type of data they need and how best to collect that data.
While the 2013 Future Focus conference is now over, VAL runs trainings and workshops year-round. If you'd like to learn more about training for your organisation, visit www.Valoneline.org.uk.
The 9 secrets of successful customer feedback and action programsGenroe
Ever wondered how successful customer feedback and action programs differ from unsuccessful programs? We did. So we asked 80 organizations, operating at various levels of success, what they were doing.
Watch The Webinar Here: https://compliatric.com/compliatric-webinar-series-continuous-compliance-its-not-just-an-osv-prep-chapter-19-board-authority/
Compliatric is excited to continue their “Continuous Compliance" Webinar Series based on the existing Health Center Compliance Manual and the most recently updated Site Visit Protocol. Each month, program requirements are reviewed to assist health centers in understanding the various elements and ensuring continuing compliance. Participants will be able to use these webinars to increase their knowledge of the requirements, and go one step further and utilize the program requirements to improve operational excellence.
This month’s webinar will focus on the following chapter:
Chapter 19: Board Authority
Webinar attendee takeaways will include:
· An understanding of the program requirements, which includes updates to the Site Visit Protocol
· Maintaining continuous compliance - not only based on a site visit
· Improving operational excellence for your Community Health Center
hority clients who are analysing their administrative datasets using a LIFT Dashboard to identify vulnerability, target support and track change amongst their low income families.
For more information contact hello@policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 008 9242 or visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk
It may be easier than ever today to collect data, but many marketers still find themselves scratching their heads when trying to decide how best to sift through it to uncover the gems. What’s often even more difficult, however, is developing reports that incite action and encourage future investment in the right strategies and optimizations – especially when findings challenge the status quo.
In this session, Ben Magnuson, Senior Data Strategist at One North, explore how to deliver reports that your stakeholders will actually care to read. Specifically, he dives into how you can shift your reporting strategy to ensure you are:
* Establishing the right baselines and goals to help you more accurately benchmark your progress towards KPIs
* Moving beyond simply showing your work to provide the right level of context around data trends that matter
* Including stakeholders in the development of metrics to prevent surrogation, or the confusion of strategic intent with the metrics meant to represent it
* Creating an influential narrative around your results that helps you overcome bias, combat conventional thought and improve decision making
Deven Ghelani spoke at Destin Solutions webinar on the impact the Breathing Space policy will have on local authorities.
View these slides to find out:
- The context for debt and collections in the UK
- What is Breathing Space?
- The impact on council tax collection
- Our findings for the GLA
- The case for early intervention: ReImagine Debt
For more details call 0330 088 9242
https://policyinpractice.co.uk/webinar-how-to-influence-central-government/
Browse our webinar slides to learn how to influence central government policy development and get your frontline experiences heard. With Paul Howarth and Jake Love Soper.
A new Parliamentary term brings fresh opportunity to talk to decision-makers about the things that really matter.
We think it’s important that policy hears from practice. But we also know it can be hard for people on the front line to get their voice heard above the noise.
Our guest speakers spoke about how to influence central government policy development and get your frontline experiences heard. With Paul Howarth and Jake Love Soper.
For more details call 0330 088 9242
https://policyinpractice.co.uk/webinar-how-to-influence-central-government/
2020 has brought fundamental changes to our lives, both personally and professionally. As our economy took second place to our health, so the welfare safety net came to the fore to support families who faced an income shock, seemingly overnight.
In this webinar Deven Ghelani, Zoe Charlesworth, Paul Howarth and Duncan Hatfield looked back at the policy response to the seismic shifts in our economy and society wrought by the pandemic. We revisited the research findings we uncovered from our analysis for clients across both local and central government. And, as the focus turns to the health of our economy, we look at what 2021 means for people facing redundancy, debt or lower incomes.
Listen back to the webinar to hear:
- How well the COVID-19 welfare changes worked, and what should happen next
- How living standards changed this year, and what the future holds
- The outlook for 2021 and how organisations can best support families
Our policy experts will discuss our analysis and what this means in 2021 for council tax support schemes, housing and homelessness demand, the outlook for living standards in the context of economic recovery, Universal Credit and Brexit.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
Deven Ghelani was invited to talk about the the impact of the benefit cap through the use of administrative data at a webinar organised by the University of York on Thursday 26 November 2020.
He was joined by a range of speakers, Dr Kitty Stewart, LSE and Dr Donald Hirsch, Loughborough University and Claire Hall, Child Poverty Action Group, to name but a few.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
Current Challenges and the Future Direction of Social Security ReformPolicy in Practice
Westminster Insight’s timely Welfare Reform Forum explored how to process the huge upsurge in claims, improving advice for those dealing with immediate cash flow problems, changing assessment processes to safeguard claimants, identifying people falling through gaps in the system and supporting the most vulnerable people financially affected by the pandemic.
Zoe's keynote address covered:
- The implications of the Government’s response to COVID 19 on the social security system
- Improving system design, delivery, flexibility and speed to support people in times of crisis
- Ensuring the social security system can weather the longer-term effects of the crisis
- Creating a person-centred, holistic and supportive social security system
In today’s economic climate falling into debt is perilously easy, getting out is hard. Firms in the debt sector have adopted flexible and ethical collection practices to support families who are struggling, yet costs and the time taken to collect have increased.
This Policy in Practice webinar featured guest speakers Carole Kenney, Director, Welfare and Customer Care, Gareth McNab, Social Inclusion Lead, Nationwide Building Society who spoke alongside Zoe Charlesworth, Director of Policy and Operations, Policy in Practice, and Sarah Lambert, Affordability Assessment Manager, Policy in Practice.
Whether you’re a collection agency, utility company, advice organisation, local authority or housing association, you’re on the frontline for helping people in debt.
You can boost the financial resilience of households by helping them to increase their income. In this way, you can increase collection rates and social impact, in the knowledge that you’re doing the right thing.
In this webinar we discussed:
- How COVID-19 has already hit people’s incomes, and what’s in store
- Who the newly vulnerable households are
- How to reduce existing arrears and the chance of a customer falling into arrears
- How to minimise the cost of debt collection
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242
The Future of the Welfare State: Universal Credit, Furlough Schemes and Other...Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani was invited to talk about the effectiveness of Universal Credit and the social policies introduced in the light of COVID-19 at this conference by Public Policy Exchange on Thursday 1 October 2020.
He joined speakers Debbie Abrahams MP, Steve McCabe MP, Dr Sophie Wickham and Dr Guy Standing.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
Sarah Lambert, Affordability Assessment Manager, Policy in Practice, delivered this presentation to the Money Advice Liason Group (MALG) Virtual summit on Thursday 29 October.
Over 20 million of us don’t have the necessary skills to effectively manage our money and 11.5 million of us have less than £100 in savings.
With predictions of widespread unemployment and an expected tsunami of people needing debt advice and support during the coming months and years, this session explored the innovative new tools and approaches that will help organisations to improve the financial capability of customers, increase the financial resilience of customers and engage customers earlier.
Sarah Lambert from Policy in Practice discussed research and initiatives we've developed, including our award winning Benefit and Budgeting Calculator, to support organisations to get ahead of the curve.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
AIM: Data protection, data governance, data managementPolicy in Practice
Tues 29 Sept: Deven Ghelani spoke with Paul Withers, DPO for Walsall Council, about our lessons so far from a powerful new project backed by the LGA and NHS digital to link data across adult services, children's services, public health, the NHS and police. Good data science relies upon access to good data, and we spoke about focusing on impact to win over stakeholders, actively raising and resolving data governance concerns upfront, and how the basics of good data management (security, data cleaning, data linking) are harder and more important than the 'sexy' data science that this project will become known for.
For more information email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242
Councils are looking ahead to what COVID-19 means for collection rates, people’s ability to pay, and whether their council tax support schemes can cope with increased demand.
Zoe and Megan share key findings of three new reports:
- An 18 month project working with 22 Welsh local authorities for the Welsh Government on Universal Credit, council tax reduction scheme and rent arrears in Wales Reports for the Greater London
- Authority on the impact of the Coronavirus Hardship Fund, and on the impact that a flexible approach to collections has on collection rates Analysis for the Cabinet Office on the effectiveness of an early intervention approach to managing arrears in two councils, Newcastle and Barking and Dagenham Council tax arrears were already £3.5 billion pre-crisis and are forecast to reach nearly £5 billion by the end of parliament.
Zoe Charlesworth examines what the worsening financial crisis means for council’s collection rates, budget setting and council tax support schemes, and will look at efforts across central and local government to improve how council tax debt is recovered.
Zoe Charlesworth, Head of Policy at Policy in Practice, spoke at the IRRV Virtual Annual Conference about those people who have struggled or missed out on support due to COVID-19 uncertainty.
The new COVID-19 schemes operate alongside means-tested benefits, pay different amounts and cater to different kinds of eligibility, resulting in a wide yet inequitable net of support. Zoe Charlesworth presents analysis by Policy in Practice that looked at over 2,500 individual cases of households who struggled with or missed out on support. Zoe will explore the characteristics of eight groups who you should watch out for as you advise residents, and a worked example of surplus earnings rules. Delegates learnt who missed out on support, what impact of COVID-19 support has had on inequality and, practically, who will need more guidance as their circumstances change.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
Reimagine Debt. A tale of two councils: Reimagine Debt CollectionPolicy in Practice
Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder of Policy in Practice, spoke at the IRRV Virtual Annual Conference about the Cabinet Office's reimagine debt pilot scheme.
As COVID-19 continues to hit the financial resilience of many families councils are looking ahead to what this means for collection rates. With council tax arrears already at £3.5 billion pre-crisis, and forecast to reach nearly £5 billion by the end of parliament, councils will need to find new ways to maximise collections. Deven Ghelani spoke about how two councils identified which residents owed multiple debts to them, how they stabilised their incomes, and how they tracked the effectiveness of support. Attendees learnt how early intervention offers a proven approach for other councils to consider to prevent problem debt.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
Jade Alsop, Commercial Director at Policy in Practice, spoke at Housemark's Ten Days of Data festival about embedding a data driven culture within organisations such as housing providers, local authorities and others.
Commitment to embrace data-driven decision making is needed at all levels of an organisation to realise the full value of insights. At this event Jade joined the speaker panel with Charlotte Carpenter from Karbon Homes and Colin Sales from 3C Consultants to explore how to lead by example to ensure what we do, say and ask, fosters a data-driven culture and embeds the use of data across an organisation.
For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
IRRV virtual conference 2020: COVID-19 who has fallen between the gaps?Policy in Practice
In October 2020 Zoe Charlesworth, Head of Policy Operations presented to IRRV Annual Conference and Exhibition attendees on COVID-19: Who has fallen between the gaps?
Watch the full presentation: www.policyinpractice.co.uk/IRRV-2020
For more information please visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 088 9242 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
At the Government Data Science Festival 2020 Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder of Policy in Practice, joined Paul Withers, Data Protection Manager for Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, to present a case study of data science in local government.
Deven and Paul introduced the Active Intervention Management (AIM) project to the audience of local government data and digital officers. AIM is one of three Social Care Digital Innovation (SCDIA) 2020/21 projects that's run by CC2i on behalf of the Local Government Association with match funding from NHS Digital.
AIM uses basic level data to identify potential vulnerabilities and support the improvement of early intervention services. Organisations from fire and rescue, children's services and police authorities are all taking part in AIM.
For more information contact Deven Ghelani via deven@policyinpractice.co.uk or Paul Withers via paul.withers@walsall.gov.uk. Alternatively contact hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.
Identifying people at risk of homelessness is a key priority for all local authorities. Deven Ghelani, Director and founder of Policy in Practice was invited to present to the Housing and Homelessness Needs group of London Councils on Friday 11 September 2020.
In his presentation to Deven covered the following agenda:
- Uncertainty: The outlook for the end of furlough and 2021
- The impact of COVID-19 to date: Data from 20 London BoroughsHousing affordability – who is at risk of homelessness
- The future outlook: Caseload, financial resilience and service demand
- Insight into action
For more details and to discuss how Policy in Practice can help your local authority to identify vulnerability, target support and track change using data please contact 020 3239 5579 or email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk.
COVID-19 has created residents who are newly financially vulnerable and who will be looking to you for help in the near future. But who are these people, and what action can you take now to stop them falling into crisis? And, critically, how will your support services need to adapt?
As the pandemic continues to hit the financial resilience of many families, councils are looking ahead to what this means for collection rates, and whether their council tax support schemes can cope with increased demand.
In this webinar, Zoe Charlesworth summarised the latest and forthcoming policy updates which will drive the need for local authorities to redesign their CTR schemes, highlighting the importance of how understanding this context can assist scheme design.
Paul Howarth presented some key insights from our analysis on Understanding the Impact of Universal Credit on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Rent Arrears in Wales.
Dr Ben Fell shared details of our latest work on future modelling and how it can help you future-proof CTR schemes for local authorities.
Finally, Sally Sanders shared how working with Policy in Practice has helped Enfield Council model a new scheme to help protect residents from COVID-19 income shocks.
Listen back to hear:
- New analysis for the Welsh Government on the impact of Universal Credit on rent and council tax arrears
- How COVID-19 is expected to change your caseload, and what this means for your council tax support scheme
-Measures you can take to boost future collection rates and minimise arrears
The future is uncertain and recovery will be tough. It’s difficult to make projections about what the policy landscape will look like, what the wider economic trends will be and what will happen to different groups of people.
But we need to make projections to see implications for demand for council support and services, and indebtedness.
Listen back to hear:
- Key findings from our rapid-response COVID-19 analysis for the Greater London Authority
- How a new approach to real-time analytics can support councils with their economic and social recovery plan
- What our new future modelling analysis is predicting for both household and council finances
Roundtable - Who are the most vulnerable residents in London?Policy in Practice
Local authorities have stepped up in the fight against Coronavirus. As the lockdown lifts and our thoughts turn to recovery, proactively identifying and targeting support to those who need help most, using all of the insights available, has never been more important.
In this roundtable, hosted by Policy in Practice, we discussed who the most vulnerable residents in London are, both now and in the future.
We shared the latest analysis from our data-led investigation into the causes and consequences of poverty in London, supported by Trust for London.
We also revealed findings from our research for the Greater London Authority on how different welfare support policies have impacted London's poorest households.
We explored what the findings mean for London's local authorities and how services may need to change to proactively safeguard the wellbeing of London's residents.
Listen back to learn about:
- The financial situation of London's residents before COVID-19
- How an Innovate UK backed project can local authorities a real-time view of living standards now
- Which households will be most vulnerable in 2021, how this will impact council finances, and actions councils can take to mitigate the impact on residents
- Findings from research for GLA into the impacts of COVID-19 on low-income Londoners and best practice in flexible collection practices
Our Trust for London supported project will continue for another six months so councils who have not yet taken part still have time to do so. Email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242for details.
Many self-employed people will receive a grant through the new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) this month. These payments can be up to £7,500 and will be counted as earnings under Universal Credit.
As a result, lots of self-employed households will be affected by the complex 'surplus earnings' rules for the first time. In short, these rules mean that for many households, the SEISS money will be taken into account as earnings not just for the month it was received, but for future months as well.
Welfare advisors need to understand the rules, and need a tool that can calculate eligibility all in one place, in order to advise people what their Universal Credit payments will be, and when they need to reclaim.
Hear from Sue McCarron from Citizens Advice Wirral who shared how frontline staff have supported customers facing with fluctuating income using the Benefit and Budgeting Calculator.
Review the slide to learn:
- A simple guide to the SEISS, Universal Credit and surplus earnings rules
- Worked examples to illustrate the challenge, and what to look out for
- How our Benefit and Budgeting Calculator helps
What is the point of small housing associations.pptxPaul Smith
Given the small scale of housing associations and their relative high cost per home what is the point of them and how do we justify their continued existance
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
Many ways to support street children.pptxSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Presentation by Jared Jageler, David Adler, Noelia Duchovny, and Evan Herrnstadt, analysts in CBO’s Microeconomic Studies and Health Analysis Divisions, at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Conference.
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
Up the Ratios Bylaws - a Comprehensive Process of Our Organizationuptheratios
Up the Ratios is a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap in STEM education for underprivileged students by providing free, high-quality learning opportunities in robotics and other STEM fields. Our mission is to empower the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and problem-solvers by offering a range of educational programs that foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
At Up the Ratios, we believe that every student, regardless of their socio-economic background, should have access to the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in today's technology-driven world. To achieve this, we host a variety of free classes, workshops, summer camps, and live lectures tailored to students from underserved communities. Our programs are designed to be engaging and hands-on, allowing students to explore the exciting world of robotics and STEM through practical, real-world applications.
Our free classes cover fundamental concepts in robotics, coding, and engineering, providing students with a strong foundation in these critical areas. Through our interactive workshops, students can dive deeper into specific topics, working on projects that challenge them to apply what they've learned and think creatively. Our summer camps offer an immersive experience where students can collaborate on larger projects, develop their teamwork skills, and gain confidence in their abilities.
In addition to our local programs, Up the Ratios is committed to making a global impact. We take donations of new and gently used robotics parts, which we then distribute to students and educational institutions in other countries. These donations help ensure that young learners worldwide have the resources they need to explore and excel in STEM fields. By supporting education in this way, we aim to nurture a global community of future leaders and innovators.
Our live lectures feature guest speakers from various STEM disciplines, including engineers, scientists, and industry professionals who share their knowledge and experiences with our students. These lectures provide valuable insights into potential career paths and inspire students to pursue their passions in STEM.
Up the Ratios relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers to continue our work. Contributions of time, expertise, and financial support are crucial to sustaining our programs and expanding our reach. Whether you're an individual passionate about education, a professional in the STEM field, or a company looking to give back to the community, there are many ways to get involved and make a difference.
We are proud of the positive impact we've had on the lives of countless students, many of whom have gone on to pursue higher education and careers in STEM. By providing these young minds with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed, we are not only changing their futures but also contributing to the advancement of technology and innovation on a broader scale.
Canadian Immigration Tracker March 2024 - Key SlidesAndrew Griffith
Highlights
Permanent Residents decrease along with percentage of TR2PR decline to 52 percent of all Permanent Residents.
March asylum claim data not issued as of May 27 (unusually late). Irregular arrivals remain very small.
Study permit applications experiencing sharp decrease as a result of announced caps over 50 percent compared to February.
Citizenship numbers remain stable.
Slide 3 has the overall numbers and change.
5. Agenda
• Brief introduction to Policy in Practice
• The need for a benefit calculator
• Evolution of our software
• What’s new
• Let’s look at 3 cases
• Questions and answers
• Next steps
6. We make the welfare system
simple to understand, so that
people can make the decisions
that are right for them
7. Evolution of our software
• Built UCC to
help small
group in
Whitehall
• 30k+ hits
within 3
months
• Added
current
system for
first client, LB
Lewisham
• Helped 3x as
many
households
into work
• Fastest in the
market,
helped w2w
clients and
housing
associations
• Added
budgeting
module
• Data analysis
and broader
policy
coverage
• Modelling
CTRS
schemes
• Added DHP
calculator
• Collected four
years of
customer
feedback
• Decided to re-
build from
scratch
• Launch of
UBBC 3.0
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
8.
9. Background: why the upgrade?
• The welfare system is as complex as ever, and changing all of the time
• Broader than the current system, or UC - discretionary support, free school meals,
support for disabled people – desire to be comprehensive
• Flexibility for users, employment advisors and welfare rights experts across a range of
sectors (back to work, housing providers, local government)
• Greater demand for guidance, in addition to job search and links to local support
• Link into to our analytical tools, helping local authorities and others to target support to
individual households.
• Future proof the infrastructure and the UI for new integrations and modules
• A modern intuitive user experience
Search is only 5% solved – why stop now?
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google
10. 101010
Poll 1: What are the most important
uses of a calculator for your
organisation?
12. Key concepts behind UBBC 3.0
Income
maximisation
Engaging and easy
to use
Action
oriented
advice
13. How these concepts are supported
Incomemaximisation
Accurate calculation
of benefit income
Individual actions for
maximising income
Budgeting that
shows where you
can make savings
Quick links to
benefit application
and job search
Engagingand
easytouse
Visual charts and
engaging User
interface
Compare different
scenarios side by
side
Benefit breakdown
for advocacy
Customised for
organisations and
advisors
Actionoriented
advice
Personalised action
list for user and
adviser
Better off calculation
linked to job search
Budgeting that
shows how to
reduce cost
Identify barriers and
sources of support
Calendar for UC
payments
14. Meeting the needs of your organisation
Better engagement between organisation and customers
Improve the situation of your customers
Decrease rent arrears
Increase income / revenue
Optimise staff time
Income maximisation
Engaging and
easy to use
Action oriented
advice
15. Meeting the needs of your clients
of tenants
require no
support
30% of clients
require some
support
50% of clients
require a lot
of support
(and take up
80% of staff
time)
20%
Source: Curo Group, 2017
18. Case 1: Abby
Abby is an unemployed single parent
who is considering returning to work
but concerned about childcare costs.
Will Abby be better off in work?
19. Case 2: Belinda and Carl
Belinda and Carl are a couple with 2
young children currently living with
their family. They want to move to their
own property but are not sure if they
can afford it.
What rent can Belinda and Carl afford?
20. Case 3: Deborah
Deborah is a single parent with 3
children. Another older child, and their
partner, also live at home. She has
moved to Universal Credit and doesn’t
understand why her household’s
income has reduced.
Why has Deborah’s household income
reduced?
How can she improve her situation?
21. Deborah
This is a more complex case and illustrates:
• How the calculator can be used to examine benefit levels in complex cases
• How the calculator supports the role of organisations in benefit support and
advocacy.
• This is of particular importance given the increasing amount of time that
organisations need to spend on this role under Universal Credit.
22. New features
• New features to meet the core roles of income maximisation, support and
engagement:
• Actions
• Barriers and support
• Budgeting calendar
• Prints
23.
24.
25.
26.
27. Clear, actionable print layouts
Select your scenario
Show current system or UC
Show information for advisor or user
Select print, email or download
• Assessment
• Detailed breakdown
• Actions
• Benefit actions and information
• Budget actions
• Support action
• Calendar
29. 292929
Poll 2: From a management
perspective what are the most useful
features of the software?
30. 303030
“Any software is only as good as its
implementation and the support we’ve had from
the team to bed in the new service has been a
massive benefit to us.”
Jemma Johnstone, Serco
31. 3131
“Our tenants are facing increased pressure on
their budgets as a result of welfare reforms. This is
one of the key reasons why we chose Policy in
Practice's Universal Benefit and Budgeting
Calculator software. It allows us to provide better
income and budgeting support to our tenants.”
Linda Tookey, First Wessex Housing Association
I founded Policy in Practice back in 2012 to help people to make the decisions that were right for them.
The biggest challenge in policy is not legislation or implementation, it is how policy is communicated and understood.
We model the policies of four different government departments combined, over 9,000 equations to show how policy affects the individual.
NB. Merge with slide 13 as appropriate
Poll 1: What are the most important uses of a calculator for your organisation?
1. Assisting claimant transfer to UC
2. Helping people in to work
3. Carrying out a pre-tenancy check
4. Improve customer’s circumstances
5. Helping advisers to engage with customers
Better engagement between organisation and customers
Improve the situation of your customers
Decrease rent arrears
Increase income / revenue
Optimise staff time
30% = self serve / guidance
50% = information and advice
20% = support and advocacy
To show speed of a simple calculation
To show scenarios to assist decision-making
To show slider
Illustrates use to organisations for getting people back to work
Case: Single parent with 3 children. Youngest is now 4 so she is looking at returning to work. In addition to the free childcare available for her 4 year old she will need wrap around care for the children. She is concerned that it will not be worthwhile returning to work.
Data input: DOB 1980
Children 2008, 2009, 2012
Private rent, 3 beds, £400/month
Scenario 1: no income
Scenario 2: Childcare £300/month. Job £15,000 30 hours
[5 mins]
To show:
Use to lettings
Budgeting – cover selection of databases
Scenarios
Surplus/deficit
Useful to organisations for sustainable lettings
Case:
Couple with 2 infants (boy and girl) currently living with family are wondering whether they could afford to live in their own place. Offered a HA tenancy but not sure if it will leave them with enough after rent and housing costs. He is disabled and she is his carer.
DOB 1980, 1980
Children DOB: 2017, 2016
User: Carers Allowance
Partner: ESA support/ DLA care middle
Scenario 1: no housing costs
Scenario 2: housing costs: 2 bed social rent, CT, Postcode(?), electricity, water rates, insurance
Scenario 3:
Scenario 4: offer same number beds in different locations
[10 mins]
To show:
More complex case
Use in support and advocacy
Discussion of actions and barriers
Using scenarios to change benefits to maximise income
The case: Single parent with 3 children and older child and their partner living in her home. She has moved to UC and doesn’t understand why her income has reduced. She works part time in a self-employed capacity.
DOB 1978
Child DOB 2001/2002/2003
Non-deps DOB: 1995 – 1. earning £150/week. 2. earnings £120/week
Earnings: self-employed working 20 hours week for £100/month
Rent £400/month social housing 4 bed
1st scenario: explain difference between current v UC showing MIF and non-dep changes
Discussion indicates that she is also caring for her parents who live near by for more than 35 hours/week. Her father receives DLA at the middle rate
Scenario 2: input CA. Show that if she claims CA her MIF will reduce and she can still carry on being self-employed for up to 16 hours/week.
Result:
Printout to show non-deps their expected contribution
Information on how to apply for CA
Actions agreed by adviser and user around claiming CA, updating her journal, talking with non-deps and arranging greater contributions.
Further meeting planned to check on actions and arrange arrears repayments.
[15 mins]
To show:
More complex case
Discuss actions and barriers
Using scenarios to change benefits to maximise income
To show:
More complex case
Discuss actions and barriers
Using scenarios to change benefits to maximise income
Poll 2: From a management perspective what are the most useful features of the software?
Ability to record and monitor customer’s outcomes
Management info to prove ROI and staff efficiency
Ability to save staff time
Maximising organisation revenue by helping customers make decisions
Providing debt and budgeting services in same conversation
Q: How long would a typical case take to assess?
Q: How long does it take to get started with this software?
Q: What customisations can you do for me?
Q: What training and support do you give for clients? Account management story: training (webinars, Olark) / on boarding / roll out / usage monitoring