exit strategy for housing benefits linda price irrv (hons) ict and contract services manager sefton...
TRANSCRIPT
Exit Strategy for Housing Benefits
Linda Price IRRV (Hons)
ICT and Contract Services Manager
Sefton MBC
DWP Surveys
• Several undertaken
• Asked for staffing costs– TUPE type information
• Asked for other costs– Contract penalties for early exit
• Important to respond– Must make DWP aware of how much money
we may need from them!
Map the Current Service
• There are the easy parts– Existing HB/CTB teams– Call centre– One stop shops– Libraries
• There are the complex parts– The accountants time– Auditors– More?
Funding
– DWP Admin Grant will disappear• Council Tax Support will be a Grant
– Surplus on Subsidy will disappear– Recharges from Support services– Recharges from Management Overheads
– Consequence = increase to other areas
The Legislation
• When will the last regulation change be?
• When will the last software change be?
• Review all contracts– Identify notice periods and exit clauses– Send early warning letters– Make sure you don’t miss notice dates
Appeals / Overpayments
• How many?
• What’s happening?
• Overpayments– Will DWP pay the Council and then collect
from Universal Credit?• Apparently not!• Collection plan needed
Data Retention
• Where?
• What?
• How long for?
• How?
• Data retention policies
Communication
• Customers
• Staff
• Members
• Third parties
• Suppliers
• Partners
Change Management
Linda Price
Client Contract Manager
Sefton MBC
Change creates organisational pressure
Initiators: Isolated
Managers/Leaders: Squeezed
Staff: Resistant
Pressure on Initiators
Initiators tend to• underestimate impact on employees• isolate themselves• avoid communicating or seeking bad
news• expect employees to go along with
change and blame their middle managers if people resist or complain
• feel betrayed if employees don’t respond positively
Initiators: Isolated
Managers/Leaders Squeezed
Staff: Resistant
Pressure on Managers
Managers• Feel pulled in different directions• Often lack information from initiators
on priorities• Caught in the middle – confused
without clear instructions• Besieged by upset, resistant or
withdrawn staff and deserted, blamed or misunderstood by the initiators.
Initiators: Isolated
Managers Squeezed
Staff: Resistant
Pressure on staff
Staff• feel attacked and betrayed by
changes announced by management• often feel caught off guard• many respond with resistance,
anger, frustration and confusion• response can solidify into a negative
attitude• become afraid to take risks and
experience loss.
Initiators: Isolated
Managers/Leaders
Squeezed
Staff: Resistant
The Manager’s Challenge
maintain or increase productivity whilst moving staff in a new direction.
direct energy away from feelings of powerlessness
move away from the security of the past articulate the vision of the future draw attention to the ways in which
your team can make a difference….
Leading the people The most common response to change is a sense of
loss, i.e. loss of control – a feeling of insecurity loss of competence – its hard to admit you don’t
know how to do something removal of relationships – a sense of belonging
can be lost feelings of a lack of direction loss of territory – psychologically
Loss can be manifested in an emotional response similar to grief
This is normal and you should not repress it.
Managing the people
One of the manager’s jobs is to acknowledge the loss people are experiencing and not to pretend it is business as usual.
Create supportive relationships – listen, facilitate, reward – direct and confront when necessary but with a supportive tone
4 Stages
Denial
Resistance
Commitment
Exploration
PAST FUTURE
DANGER OPPORTUNITY
When people first approach change their initial response is to see it as a threat and they fear and resist it
…and then climbing back out again.
Think of the process as descending into a valley……
Most people go through all 4 stages.
Leading the people
Denial
Resistance
Commitment
Exploration
PAST FUTURE
DANGER OPPORTUNITY
Some may move quickly through the stages – some may get bogged down and at times even go into reverse.
Once people accept a change is inevitable or can provide new opportunities the change is well on the way to successful implementation
Symptoms
Denial
Resistance
Commitment
Exploration
Denial: withdrawalbusiness as usual activity but not much is accomplishednumbness
Resistance: errorsanger/anxiety/
complaints “gave my all and now
look what I get” loss of productivity –
sickness, CV writing …
Exploration: energy and chaosover preparation frustration too many new ideas too much to do can’t concentrate
Commitment: teamwork satisfaction clear focus and plan
Impeded if staff not encouraged to register reactions or if they are expected to swing straight through to “commitment”
Impeded if goals and values are unclear
Allowing views to be aired helps minimise resistance and make this stage pass more quickly.
Tactics
Denial
Resistance
Commitment
Exploration
Denial: Confront individuals with informationLet them know that change will happen and explain what to expectGive time for this to sink in and arrange a planning session to talk things over
Resistance: Listen, acknowledge
feelings, respond with empathy and support
Accept their resistance so that they will continue to tell you how they feel and so you can respond to their concerns
Exploration: Concentrate on
priorities and provide training
Set short term goalsRun participative
planning sessions
Commitment: Set long term goalsConcentrate on team
buildingAcknowledge and
reward those responding to change
Communication Communicate important changes face to face and follow
up with written announcement to help people absorb the information
Tell the truth – if people are more informed then they are less anxious and there is less opportunity for gossip.
Express your own feelings in a positive light – this makes people feel acknowledged and understood.
Create frequent opportunities to meet informally and formally to: Announce change – giving specific reasons Provide information and clarification Let people express their feelings Involve staff in planning and implementing the change Provide feedback
Participation People will more readily accept change if they
are involved in the process. This could take the form of: Quality circles Task forces Special discussion groups Q&A sessions Staff surveys Suggestion schemes Planning sessions Shared goal and objective setting.
Managing the change process
1. preparation
2. planning
3. transition structures
4. implementation
5. reward
1 - Preparation Prepare the staff – let them know what is happening in
good time
Describe the change as completely as you can – for the team as a whole and individuals – identify who will be most affected and approach them first
Understand what happened during the last change and learn from it
Assess the readiness of your teams – are they ready to undertake a change
Don’t make additional changes that are not critical
Identify what is fundamental, negotiable, controllable
2 - Planning Allow for the impact of change on personal
performance and productivity Encourage staff input Anticipate the skills and knowledge that will
be needed Set a timetable and objectives so that you
can measure progress Make contingency plans
3 - Transition structures
Create transition management group to take the pulse of the workforce and help identify possible problems.
Develop temporary policies and procedures
Create fast and accurate channels of communication
Meet frequently to monitor the unforeseen, give feedback etc.
4 - Implementation Provide training in new skills and develop new attitudes
and behaviour patterns Encourage self management – inform each person that he
or she is accountable for some aspect of the change Provide more feedback than usual so people know exactly
where they stand Allow for resistance – be ready to help those who find it
difficult – don’t dismiss people as irretrievable Give people the chance to step back and look at what is
going on – monitor the change and survey responses Encourage creative thought and look for opportunities the
change creates Build collaboration between teams
5 - Reward Create incentives for special effort – for those that
lead the change and groups that come through the change smoothly – the ‘change masters’
Reward attempts as well as successes Celebrate – hold special events to recognise
successes Incorporate good ideas and new suggestions from
the team members as part of your regular communications.
Where is your team? How will your team react during each
phase? note reaction of each individual How will you bring each individual to next
level?
Who are the leaders that can be relied on to help others move along?
Who will need extra help?
Managing Change There are no ready solutions – individual managers and
team leaders must take the initiative within their work groups
Change offers both uncertainty and opportunity – sometimes not easily recognised
Change is disruptive
Change will not necessarily solve previous organisational problems
It is a fantasy that change will not cost too much and be quick to implement
Action Plan 1-51. Describe the change as completely as you can. State
specifically how it will affect your staff, department and organisation. Note human factors.
2. What would the best possible outcome look like?
3. What are the strengths of your group/department in undertaking this change?
4. What obstacles are there to the change to prevent you from reaching your goal?
5. List the action steps for: Communication Dealing with resistance Involvement Leadership
Action Plan 6-10
6. What is the timetable for making this change – how can you measure progress?
7. What new skills, knowledge and attitudes are needed to make this change?
8. What transitional structures and processes are required?
9. How will you create incentives, acknowledge, recognise and celebrate this change?
10. What contingencies should be planned for?
Discuss?
• Questions ??