Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was functioning as part of a team to produce an all new digital service for separated moms and dads to make an application for aid arranging Child Maintenance. We 'd introduced an exclusive beta of the digital solution in December 2019, as well as were functioning in the direction of presenting even more customers on a steady basis.
Previous to this, the only way to obtain aid arranging Child Maintenance had been a completely telephone-based service. However, as a department we knew that we needed to provide an electronic alternative as part of our dedication to expand our solutions and also develop electronic styles based on our users' needs.
The push to go online
All was going as intended till the pandemic hit. Virtually immediately, our colleagues in the contact centres can no more respond to the phones and procedure applications. The division was working to get individuals established to work from home, yet a great deal of associates were redeployed to deal with other solutions. So, our directors made the decision to make our electronic service the main approach of application from that point onwards, and for the direct future.
The group had to scoot to secure the service and also make it readily available to all applicants. The strategy had been to increase to around 100 applications a day undergoing the system within a couple of months, and now we had to reach this stage in an issue of days. The team worked hard to secure the service so it could manage the boost in users, all while adapting to working from house themselves.
Creating a 24/7 solution
At the private beta phase we were using comments from users to advance the solution-- as we opened it up even more this responses ended up being a lot more essential. There was a clear demand for a few modifications such as 24/7 schedule. The service was originally designed to only be readily available when the legacy backend system was offered, in between 8am to 8pm during the week, as well as out weekends.
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 temporarily, up until the heritage system became available. Around 20% of users now family solicitors finish their applications because 'offline' time period, which shows the benefits of responding actually quickly and taking individual comments aboard.
An additional piece of feedback we got from customers connected to them wanting to verify receipt of their application. So, as part of our routine models, we supplied a function that allows individuals to register for an e-mail verification that their application has actually been obtained making use of the Gov.Notify system. Around 99% of on-line users have actually picked to use this facility, which simply demonstrates how beneficial it has actually been as peace of mind for individuals making an application for Kid Maintenance.
The hard work pays off
Throughout the summer and also into autumn, the team worked constantly to introduce brand-new attributes, with modifications deployed on a practically weekly basis. It was a relentless pace and also was testing at times-- for example for those of us home education our kids. Having a shared goal helpful to obtain money to families that require it was a truly motivating factor throughout these times.
That effort implied that we were able to take the item with a Government Digital Solution (GDS) public beta evaluation in winter season. It passed with flying colours, which was an actually pleased moment for everybody associated with the project. We were additionally just recently recognised with a group award at an inner awards ceremony, which was a great way to commemorate the method we have actually collaborated.
So far, over 59,000 individuals have made use of the digital solution to get Child Upkeep, which is around 80% of all applicants. The telephone service is still there for those that need it, yet the variety of online applications remains to expand.
This isn't the end of the digital trip for this service either. We're now proceeding a new roadmap for more transformation of the end-to-end solution, and also we'll continue to pay attention to user requirements, and also make changes and improvements to make it as easy as possible for individuals to get and manage their Youngster Maintenance plans.
It's absolutely been a challenging year for everyone, yet I'm glad that I'll be able to recall at when our group rose to the challenge as well as supplied for people when they needed us most.