Written by The Charity for Civil Servants is launching the Carer’s Passport and Statement Digital Tool, with WPNC building the new online service to make it faster for users and more efficient for the Charity.
As part of the digitisation of The Charity for Civil Servant’s service delivery, the integrated agency has created the tool to improve efficiency in the application process for current, former and retired civil servants who seek support in their role as an informal carer, alongside their job in the Civil Service.
The overall aim of the tool, scheduled to launch in the lead-up to Carers Rights Day (26 November), is to increase the number of applicants accessing support while automating the process to reduce the amount of staff time required to generate documents.
The Charity for Civil Servant’s staff will be available via phone and instant chat to assist applicants with the tool, which is available online. It is the latest example of WPNC’s expertise in digital service design and build.
The Carer’s Passport details the caring responsibilities of a serving civil servant. It is used by the carer to facilitate a conversation with their employer about the impact their caring responsibilities may have on their role and work/life balance, enabling open discussions about reasonable adjustments to their workload that may be possible. The Charity for Civil Servant’s tool means the employee can start a conversation without being forced to repeat or explain themselves due to a change in employer or personnel.
The Carer’s Statement Digital Tool is a similar document, but is offered to current, former and retired civil servants to facilitate conversations with healthcare, social care and other professionals who may be involved with supporting the carer or the person they care for.
Both documents will be accompanied by an Action Plan, which lists other relevant organisations or sources of support and is tailored to the needs of the applicant. The Charity for Civil Servants worked alongside WPNC to develop the new digital tool. It features a self-service digital version of the Carer’s Questionnaire used to create the Passport, Statement and Action Plan. The tool automatically creates securely stored PDF versions and sends links via email to the applicant.
It is vitally important for employers to recognise and respond to the situation of civil servants who care for someone while also doing their job. Our new tool removes time and effort from the application process so we can deliver support far more efficiently to those who need it. The tool also enables former and retired civil servants to quickly create a Carer’s Statement, as well as receiving their personal Action Plan.
Linda Eades, Head of Caring and Health Services at The Charity for Civil Servants
At present, a significant amount of human intervention is required to process an application, and create and issue the Carer’s Passport, Statement and Action Plan documents. At peak times, it can take the Charity around six weeks to process a single application for the service so this really is a digital transformation for the service.
Vicky Reeves, Managing Director, WPNC Digital