onwards and upwards · onwards and upwards bob trahern, new irrv president, sets out his vision for...

Onwards and upwardsBob Trahern, new IRRV President, sets out his vision for the future

IRRV Annual Conference and Performance Awards specialShared services – help or hindrance?Council tax exemption for students

The journal for members of the Institute of

Revenues, Rating and ValuationNovember 2007

ISSN 1361-1305£5.50

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1210Insight297x210[v3] 18/10/07 19:37 Page 1

Chief Executive’s notesDavid Magor believes the Audit Commission should be allowed to use its statutory powers to ensure the integrity of the tax-base for council tax

Readers’ forumThe bewildering world of pyramid bailiffing and Tom Dixon’s casual image

Doherty’s despatchAs the shared services agenda continues to evolve, Pat Doherty ponders whether the debate is causing more problems than it is resolving

Legal cornerPaul Russell attempts to clarify some of the issues surrounding student exemption from council tax

In the businessAfter 30 years in the enforcement profession, Andy Rose looks forward to the future

Valuation cornerGeoff Fisher summarises this year’s highlights from the valuer day at the IRRV Annual Conference

ViewpointThe impact of the Local Government Bill on local authorities is considered by Richard Harbord

Benefits BulletinDave Hendy mourns the loss of Nigel Beacham, an inspiring person and exemplary benefits officer

INSIDE THE INSTITUTE

Advertising – Victoria Foskett (Tregartha Dinnie)T 01908 306 500E [email protected]

Editorial – John RobertsT 07952 659 258E [email protected] 020 7691 8975

IRRV Insight is produced by Aspect Mediaon behalf of the IRRV. Unless otherwise indicated, copyright in this publication belongs to the IRRV.

November 2007 ISSN 1361-1305

© IRRV 2007. Reproduction in whole or in part of any article is prohibited without prior written consent. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute. Whilst all due care is taken regarding the accuracy of information, no responsibility can be accepted for errors. Any advice given does not constitute a legal opinion.

IRRV President Bob Trahern IRRV; Senior Vice President Julie Holden IRRV; Junior Vice President Geoff Fisher IRRV; David Chapman IRRV; Julie Childs Tech IRRV; Barbara Culverhouse IRRV CPFA; Carol Cutler IRRV; Tom Dixon RD BSc (Est Man) FRICS IRRV; Pat Doherty CPFA IRRV; Richard Guy FRICS (Dip Rating) IRRV MCIArb; Richard Harbord MPhil CPFA FCCA IRRV FIDP FBIM FRSA; Mary Hardman IRRV FRICS MCMI; Caroline Hopkins IRRV; Bill Lovell IRRV; Kerry Macdermott IRRV; Roger Messenger BSc (Est Man) FRICS IRRV; Maureen Neave MBA Tech IRRV; John Roberts IRRV; Eric Rose FRICS IRRV; Peter Scrafton IRRV FCIArb; Kevin Stewart IRRV; Angela Storey Tech IRRV; Alan Titheridge CPFA IRRV; Allan Traynor FCCA IRRV; Gary Watson IRRV.

IRRV InsightManaging Editor John RobertsAssistant Editor Andreu MachancosesProduction Editor Celia MatherPublisher Tim LloydArt Director Joel O’ConnorDesigner Anja LinkePublishing Assistant Sam Villis

Aspect MediaManaging Director Roger WilsherBakehouse J108 100 Clements Road London SE16 4DGT 020 7064 8400

IRRVChief Executive David Magor, OBE41 Doughty StreetLondon WC1N 2LFT 020 7831 3505E [email protected]

Enquiries Chief Executive’s office 020 7691 8972 Policy & research 020 7691 8977 Membership 020 7691 8980 Conferences 020 7831 0881

The latest from the Institute’s Council elections, the education and membership department and the Associations. In addition, John Roberts interviews Rachel Toombs, PA to the IRRV’s Chief Executive and National President, and much more…

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COVER STORY

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John Roberts interviews the IRRV’s new President following his induction at the Annual Conference in October

REGULARS

FEATURES

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Bob Trahern reaches for a presidential star

Aspect Media – Winners, Launch of the Year, 2006 APA Customer Publishing Awards and 2007 PPA/IPAC Independent Publisher Awards

I hope to be remembered as someone who inspired others to get more involved in the Institute

Annual Conference specialThe IRRV’s flagship annual event, held in Brighton this year, was bigger and better than ever. This section provides a summary of all the highlights from the speakers’ rostrum, details of each of the winners of the IRRV Performance Awards 2007 and an image gallery of some of the best action from the four days

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0�ContentsInsight 03

www.irr vlearning.org.uk

Online Training

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05Insight

responsibility. He or she has a fiduciary duty in relation to the proper management of the finances of the LA. Perhaps the real problem lies here. Since the introduction of the CT, revenues managers have expressed concern over the accuracy of single person discounts due to the lack of attention being paid to the verification of applications and subsequent reviews.

Over the past five years, when cost of collection has come under pressure, the first thing to go tends to be resources that are used to verify reliefs. The void (forgive the pun) created by these inappropriate cuts has been filled by the private sector offering various forms of integrity checks. These have worked well, but there is no replacement for proper

validation of applications and the rigorous annual review of those in receipt of discounts. Any such

action has always been cost effective, and the early result from the Audit Commission pilots verify this.

But perhaps the best test would be to ask the taxpayer. Just imagine the response on the next customer satisfaction survey to the following question: “One in 10 taxpayers are fraudulently claiming single person discount. You are paying for this through higher CT. Are you happy for this to continue?” I suspect I know the answer. n

David Magor, OBE, Chief Executive, IRRV

The data matching being undertaken under the National Fraud Initiative to test the validity of awards of single person discounts for council tax (CT) is the subject of much discussion.

Data matching has become common place in the administration of social security benefits, so why such a fuss over the Audit Commission using its statutory powers to ensure the integrity of the taxbase for CT?

The suggestions by some that the exercise is “beyond the powers” of the Audit Commission really surprises me. I have no doubt that the Commission’s role in relation to the audit of local authority (LA) accounts is more than sufficient to justify its action.

There are also issues here for the chief financial officer, who carries the Section 151

“Revenues managers have been expressing concern over the accuracy of single person discounts”

– that is the question

MEL

ISS

A F

OU

R

To phish or not to phish

Having been an IRRV member and regular reader of Insight for some years, I am slightly concerned at the slight perceived drop in standards in your October issue. Page 44 contains an informative piece on St Albans, but is chest hair a suitable image to go with it?

I have never disputed that Tom Dixon is more ‘rock and roll’ than many of his professional colleagues and contemporaries, but I have always thought that open-neck shirts are for estate agents, market traders and aspiring Conservative politicians – not the seasoned practitioner.

I trust that this is an oversight and that a fully clothed Tom will grace the next issue.

Paul Yates

Paul Yates & Associates Chartered Surveyors Welwyn Garden City

How many local authorities (LAs) put their trust in their bailiff provider in the hope that the personnel who will be collecting their debts are as professional as the company he or she works for? Does the debtor really understand the process and the person who is knocking on his or her door? How many bailiff firms employ the services of smart, presentable, certificated, well-trained bailiffs who they think are doing their work and their work only?

The truth is that there is a new bailiff culture developing that could quite easily bring the whole industry into disrepute. We’ve all heard of pyramid selling, but how about ‘pyramid bailiffing’?

It works like this. Bailiff A is certificated, well-trained and presentable and he works as a sole provider to Bailiff Company X. However, unbeknown to Bailiff Company X, he is also selling his sole services to companies Y and Z.

Now, bailiff A is receiving so much work that he cannot possibly deal with it himself, so he furtively subcontracts his work to bailiffs B, C and D. Cunningly, bailiffs B, C and D also get work sent to them from bailiff E, (we haven’t met him yet, but he works for company Y and company Z). Overloaded with work, bailiffs B, C and D forward their work on to bailiffs F, G, H and I.

Who is controlling bailiffs F, G, H and I? The fact is that F, G, H and I are not bailiffs at all. And it’s highly possible that neither are B, C and D. They are just collectors – not certificated or bonded, untrained, unreferenced and a totally uncontrolled disaster waiting to happen. This is worrying.

The solution? The immediate answer that springs to mind is to only use employed bailiffs, although that will not stop pyramid bailiffing. There is a whole new breed out there that believes it can cut out the complex tender and vetting processes by setting up as mini bailiff companies on the back of reputable firms. Such people will go to any lengths to get work, whether that means becoming an employee of a reputable firm or not.

Good audit procedures and the monitoring of personnel will help to ensure standards

What do you think?

Whether you agree or disagree with Insight’s contributors, whether you like or dislike the magazine or whether there’s just something you want to get off your chest, we want to hear from you. Please send your thoughts and comments to: [email protected]

IRRV Scottish Conference reportJohn Butler in the spotlightHealth and performance

The journal for members of the Institute of

Revenues, Rating and ValuationOctober 2007

ISSN 1361-1305£5.50

Dear Editor,Dear Editor,

Julie Green-JonesManaging DirectorRossendales Bailiffs and Debt Collection

“Tom Dixon is more ‘rock and roll’ than many of his professional colleagues”Paul Yates, Paul Yates & Associates

and professionalism within the industry are maintained. However, the only true solution is a national register of bailiffs. Such a register could be controlled by a professional or regulatory body which would require every individual bailiff to be registered by the company he or she works for or provides services to. The register must be accessible by the general public, making it easy to verify and check who is doing the LA’s work and collecting from those debtors. Such a register would also ensure that the LA and bailiff company could check the credentials of all bailiffs collecting on their behalf.

We have to stop this growth in pyramid bailiffing before the pyramid undermines the whole process, leaving reputable firms and LAs to pick up the pieces.

06 11/07Readers’ forum

All the President’s men! Ready for action, left to right, are Bill Loughrey, of sponsors IBS Open Systems, Bob Mackay (City of Edinburgh), IRRV past President, Allan Traynor, and Donald Olejnik (Dundee)

THE ASSOCIATIONS

London And Home CountIeS ASSoCIAtIon An NDR Changes and Empty Rates presentation is taking place at The Guildhall, City Marketing Suite, EC2, at 4pm on Monday, 19 November. The Annual Charity Quiz & Buffet will be held at the Red Herring public house, 49 Gresham Street, EC2V 7EH, at 6.30pm on Friday, 30 November.

For further details of these events and many more, check out the website: www.irrv.org.uk

SCottISH ConfeRenCe, CRIeff, SePtembeR 2007An ever-growing group of successful college, SVQ and distance learning students at both certificate and professional level is pictured (above) with the immediate past President, Allan Traynor, and Scottish President, Hillary Kelly. The conference’s annual golf competition attracted a large number of competitors. The prize order was as follows:

First: Ian Gillanders, with a score of 33 points off a handicap of 4 (won on countback – 18 points on back 9). Second: Jacek Nowak, 33 off 11 (17 on back 9). Third: Mike Peterson, 32 off 18. Exhibitors Prize: Tom Ogilvie, 29 off 12. Shot of the Day: Allan Traynor. Longest Drive: Bill Loughrey. And the Ladies’ Fun Prize (don’t ask – Editor!) went to Joy Mackenzie.

noRtHeRn IReLAnd ASSoCIAtIon The Northern Ireland Conference 2007, held on 20 September in Belfast City Hall, attracted nearly 70 delegates. Conference Chair Michael Curry, of the Northern Ireland Lands Tribunal, and IRRV Northern Ireland President Colin Wilkinson presided over a very successful event. The Rt Hon Peter D Robinson, MP, MLA, Minister for Finance & Personnel, gave the keynote speech. Mr Robinson was joined on the day by Pat Doherty, Allan Traynor and Tony Travers, in addition to Charles Coulthard, of the Water and Sewerage Services Independent Review Panel, Derek Alcorn, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Northern Ireland, and Peter McNaney, the Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.

SoutH eASteRn ASSoCIAtIon Louise Freeth and Tracy Crowe will be presenting the latest benefit case law at the offices of Thanet District Council, Margate, on the afternoon of Thursday 22 November.

LAnCASHIRe And CHeSHIRe ASSoCIAtIon The Lancashire and Cheshire Association is holding a Revenues Technical Day at Haigh Hall Country Park, Wigan on 29 November.

noRtH WALeS ASSoCIAtIonNorth Wales stalwarts Islwyn Lewis-Jones, Secretary of the IRRV North Wales Association, and Mike Garland, Tech IRRV, have been appointed Chairman and Vice-Chairman of new company Excel Civil Enforcement Ltd, combining the resources of Menai and North West Commercial Services. Congratulations and the best of luck from all at Insight.

Inside the Institute 07

“Despite none of them being experienced climbers, they climbed Ben Nevis in just over seven hours, raising £550”

The lure of raising money for Cancer Research tempted seven colleagues from RB Solutions in Middlesborough to attempt to climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain at 1,344 metres.

Paul Mason, Owen Bouwer, Phil Cartmell, Kathryn Shackleton, Claire Nicholson, Ashley Bowers and Sam Thrower, none of whom had climbed much more than a reasonable hill before, bravely completed the ascent in just seven hours, 20 minutes, raising £550.

The night before attempting the climb, the team camped at Fort William at the base of Ben Nevis, where Kathryn says the majestic sight of the mountain brought home the difficulty of the challenge. “We had a few drinks in the camp the night before to calm our nerves, but every time you looked at the landscape, Ben was looming.”

However, all went according to plan the next day and the weather couldn’t have been better. “Although it was very physically demanding, the climb was amazing,” said Kathryn. “We met some lovely people on the way up and the scenery was fantastic. We were all delighted when we reached the summit, even though it was -2˚ Celsius! Thank you to everyone who sponsored us.”

ClIMB juST ONE MOuNTAIN

Pat Doherty and Eric Rose have been re-elected to the IRRV Council following the recent election. Joining them is newly-elected Junior Vice-President Geoff Fisher, who secured the third vacant position for full corporate members of the Institute. Angela Storey retained her Technician place, and the second vacant Technician spot goes to Julie Childs.

IRRV COuNCIl ElECTIONS

Geoff Fisher

Pat Doherty

Eric Rose

Angela Storey

Julie Childs

08 11/07

RuNNING THE INSTITuTE

john Roberts: What job were you doing before you joined the IRRV? Rachel Toombs: I joined the Institute in December 2004 after spending many years working for the Institute of Quality Assurance. I had a couple of roles during my time there, but when I left I was the Education Officer, running their qualifications. It was during this time that I studied for my Diploma in Management and NVQ Level 4 in Management, balancing working full-time, attending college and trying to study in whatever spare time I had. Before this, I lived in Seattle, America and have had various office roles in London. jR: Bit of a leading question, I suppose, but what have been the high points for you, to date?RT: One thing about my job is that every day is different and I love the flexibility. I do need to state here that you were the first President that I worked with when I joined the Institute, so I obviously need to say that it was you and your Presidential year that was one of my highlights!

Time machineRachel Toombs, Personal Assistant for the Chief Executive, David Magor, and the National President, talks to john Roberts about

how she manages the diaries of two of the key figures at the IRRV

jR: What does your work involve?RT: I am the PA for the Chief Executive, David Magor, as well as for the Institute’s National President. I organise the day to day activities for David (including his elusive diary!). For the President, I organise travel, accommodation, diary and Presidential events. jR: …and what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your role? RT: I face two main challenges. The first is co-ordinating both diaries and making sure that David and the President are where they are supposed to be. The other is organising the Institute’s annual reception, which we try and hold at different locations throughout London. jR: A major part of your role involves attending events. Is that a perk of the job, or is it just plain hard work?RT: People will see that as a perk and it is, but I rarely get the opportunity to see anything apart from the conference venue. It is pure hard work, however, I do get a real sense of satisfaction when it pays off and everything goes to plan. jR: What do you think are the main strengths

of the Institute?RT: The IRRV has many strengths, such as qualifications and electronic learning, for example, but I consider one of its key strengths is the conferences we run. We have just had a very successful Annual Conference in

Brighton and every year it gets better and better. My favourite event is the Performance Awards Gala Dinner night, which is always presented by a TV celebrity. The size of the event is amazing when you consider the Institute is not a large organisation.jR: And. finally, how do you relax, if you ever find time to? RT: It has been a very busy couple of months with the organisation of the Annual Conference, so when I do get time to relax, I like to spend time with my family and friends. I am also partial to the odd glass of wine! n

“The IRRV has many strengths, but one of the key ones is the conferences we run”

John Roberts is a past President of the IRRV and Managing Editor of the Institute’s magazines


he Institute’s three faculty boards are important vehicles for taking forward the Institute’s professional interests in matters related to benefits, local taxation and revenues and valuation. There are broad

similarities in the core roles of the boards. Each, for example, develops responses to consultation papers relating to their area of interest and assists the Professional Services Department by providing comment on education and membership matters. But the individual board sets its own business plan and is able to focus on topics of its choosing. Over the past few months, for example, the Benefits Faculty Board (BFB) has taken forward guidance on overpayments, which will be available to the membership early in 2008. The Valuation Faculty Board (VFB) has helped to develop the framework for a new full professional qualification and for the assessment of professional competence. And the Local Taxation and Revenues Faculty Board (LTRFB) has recommended ways to provide shared services information.

The Institute’s Council members and LRE Committee co-optees choose which board(s) they wish to belong to. The Chairman of each Board must, by constitution, be a Council member, and very valuable input is provided additionally by the co-opted members of the boards. Each board is free to make as many co-options as they think appropriate – the BFB currently has 12 co-options and LTRFB and VFB each have seven; these are elected on an annual basis.

The boards will consider at the end of this year expressions of interest from Institute members regarding co-option to one of the three faculty boards. Board members will be expected to attend around five meetings a year (generally a mixture of teleconference and face-to-face meetings) and to provide comment on papers circulated between meetings. Reasonable travel costs and other necessary expenditure are reimbursed.

More detailed information about the role and the boards (including minutes of previous meetings) can be found by accessing the relevant pages on the Institute website (www.irrv.org.uk). If you would like to register an interest in standing for co-option, please contact Moira Hepworth (the boards’ co-ordinator): [email protected]; 01636 813852.

Janette Proud, Education Liaison Officer (ELO) and long-standing member of the Scottish Association Executive, has recently resigned from her education role. Her contribution to ELO was inspiring and we wonder how she managed to find time to fit in her day job as Training and Staff Development Officer in Fife Council as well!

Under Janette’s leadership, the education programme in Scotland has known no boundary and has ensured that revenues students and employers in Scotland have been provided with a comprehensive education programme. Examples of this include how the college course in West Lothian has been constantly monitored and revamped, taking into account feedback from students and tutors, and the way in which subjects are now delivered on a modular basis, with students able to enrol at different times of the year or concentrate on fewer subjects at a time if desired.

Janette also provided a one-to-one contact point for all IRRV students in Scotland, whether at

college, distance learning or SVQ. She actively encouraged students to contact her with any query or problem and always provided a friendly ear, a sympathetic shoulder or a practical solution to problems.

A number of years ago, Janette made arrangements for a student seminar to be included in the programme for Scottish Conference. This seminar provides a welcome to the Institute for student members embarking on a course of study with the IRRV, outlines the various study methods and gives students an overview of the qualification. This seminar is now a key feature of the conference and is well attended by students and supported by employers.

I am sure I speak for all members of the Scottish Association in offering sincere thanks to Janette for many years of hard work. We wish her all the very best for the future and look forward to her continued support at IRRV events in the future.

CAll FOR ACTION

TInstitute Policy and Research Officer, Moira Hepworth, invites applicants to stand for co-

opted membership of a faculty board

Your faculty board needs you!

Hilary Kelly bids a fond farewell to Jannette Proud, who has played a key role in developing the IRRV’s education

programme in Scotland

Hillary Kelly, President, IRRV Scottish Association

A FITTING TRIBuTE

11/0710

New members Employer job title Membership type

EDuCATION AND MEMBERSHIP

dIStAnCe LeARnInG deSPAtCH Once again the year has flown by, the annual conference is here, and the University of Wales, Newport, award ceremonies are a very distant memory.

We are well on the way to completing the delivery of the modules and hope that everyone has enough study material to keep them at their desks. If there is any query, however small you think it may be, then please do contact us. You should know the e-mail by now: [email protected]. I will take the opportunity to mention the new web address too: http://lis.newport.ac.uk./dlc/index.htm. I believe this will be a very useful tool for students, even if you are well into your studies. And the Student Guide is still useful, even now.

Heather AdeyemiRachel Bell Claire CarverVictor DockreeSimon HamiltonLee HigginsAndrew HudsonJoan Ijaz

I mentioned the University’s awards ceremonies, and it was good that some of the successful students were able to share in the event. I think it is quite a fitting end to years of hard study. There were some 23 distance learning students who were successful this year

Francine Keenan Daniel LuckingLesley MainJames McKillopTracey McLorieSarah MorganKeith ParkinsonSharon Pearce

Jane Pearson Leanne RobertsKate SimmondsSarah SmithPhilip SudlowSharon TewDavid Thomas

Les Tuckwell is the Manager of the IRRV’s Distance Learning Centre

(listed below) – congratulations to all of you. I will continue to watch your careers over the coming years with interest.

There were also some other successes for DL students as prizewinners: Erika Braithwaite of Telford and Wrekin Council won the overall Technician prize; Pauline Flynn of Angus Council led in Principles of Accounting in level 1, Scotland; and Andrew Hudson of Brighton and Hove City Council won the level 3 Management prize.

Once again, please remember that we are here to help, and you might be surprised as to what we are able to help with. So, as mentioned earlier, please contact us with anything that might be giving you concern.

LISt of SuCCeSSfuL LeVeL 3 dIStAnCe LeARnInG StudentS

Basildon DCScottish Borders Council

Wandsworth CouncilHarrogate BC

Derbyshire Dales CouncilTelford and Wrekin Council

Brighton and Hove City CouncilManchester CC

Burnley BCEast Hampshire DC

Kennet DCCity of Lincoln

West Lancashire DCValuation Tribunal

Chorley CouncilReading BC

Ealing CouncilBlaenau Gwent CBC

Barnsley MBCTorfaen BCGedling BC

Crewe and Nantwich BCPowys CC

ConGRAtuLAtIonS….. ….are offered to Ann Bain, Lester Bertie, Catherine Black, Robert Mackay and Carolyn Szadura. The five successful candidates have graduated to Corporate Membership of the Institute through the Professional Project Assessment route.

11Inside the Institute

Ged Allen

Sardar Aryan

Sandeep Bansil

Mandi Bert

Alana Bowman

Charles Briggs

Carly Burgess

Catherine Burgess

Carl Butterworth

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Camden London Borough Council

Leicester City Council

Merton London Borough Council

Bolsover District Council

Harrogate Borough Council

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council


Revenues and Benefits Officer

Business Rates Officer


Benefits Officer

Benefits Officer

Benefits Customer Service Officer

Benefits Officer

Revenues Assistant

Support Officer

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT


12 11/07

Gemma Chafer

Gordon Clark

Jane Clementson

Lee Coleman

Kevin Connelly

Shaun Cooper

Nigel Cottingham

Laura Cox

Kelly Crabb

Janet Crawford

Hannah Crussell

Sarah Davey

Benjamin Davies

Nicola Dickie

Joanna Dowley

Maureen Duffus

Mark Dunderdale

Alan Ebbrell

Elizabeth Ebrey

Rachel Ellis

Stephen Ellis

Sally Eltereifi

Jo-Anne England

Rhianon Evans

Paul Evetts

Lorraine Fay

Emma Feeney

Paul Fisher

Linda Foster

Lucy Fryer

Moira Gardiner

Victoria Garner

Yemi Gbaja

Helen Gledhill

Lauren Greslow

Annette Guest

Lucy Hallett

Helen Hamblin

David Harris

Ian Harris

Ian Harrison

Suzanne Heyslop

Suzanne Hull

Sion Hurle

Christine Ifill

Gemma Jackson

Lucy Johnstone

Maryvonne Jones

John Karanja

Dawn Kenealy

Lindsay Kerr

Sidiqua Khan

Jane Kitchen

Lindsay Law

Miranda Lee

Storeys : SSP


Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Harborough District Council

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Solihull Community Housing

Bassetlaw District Council

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

West Dorset District Council

Glasgow City Council

South Northamptonshire Council

Valuation Office Agency

Bath & North East Somerset Council

South Lanarkshire Council

Telford & Wrekin Council


Aberdeen City Council

East Lindsey District Council


Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council


Edinburgh City Council

Rotherham Metropolian Borough Council


Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council


North East Derbyshire District Council

East Renfrewshire Council

West Berkshire Council

Capita Business Services Ltd

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Brent London Borough Council



Rotherham Metropoltan Borough Council


West Lindsey District Council


Oadby & Wigston Borough Council






Bolsover District Council







Lichfield District Council


Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Rating Clerk


Benefits Officer

Revenues Assistant

Benefit Assessor

Account Manager

Benefits Officer

Billing Manager

Revenues Officer

Assistant Benefits Officer

Benefits Officer

Team Leader

Benefits Assistant

Training & Development Officer

Benefits Officer

Senior Customer Support Officer

Team Leader

Housing & Council Tax Benefits Assessor

Senior Benefits Officer

Clerical Assistant

Recovery Officer


Team Leader


Revenues Inspector

Benefit Assessor

Council Tax Team Leader

Revenues Assistant

Visiting Officer

Benefit Assessor

Benefit Assessor

Overpayment Recovery Officer

Benefit Assessor

Customer Care Assistant

Business Rates Officer


Council Tax Clerk

Debt Recovery Officer

Overpayment Recovery Officer

Benefits Officer

Finance Assistant

Council Tax Clerk

Landlord Liaison Officer


Benefits Assistant



Visiting Officer


Finance Assistant

Customer Services Advisor


Director of Finance


Service Development Manager

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

CORPORATE (RICS Member)

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

NVQ CANDIDATE

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

CORPORATE (Section 151 & CIPFA)

STUDENT

STUDENT



Garry Logan

Darren Lomas

Claire Macdonald

Paula Maclellan

Christine Mancell

Anthony Martin

Getrude Matiashe

Ashley McIntyre

Joanne McKeigue

Amanda Millar

Ryan Miller

Nisha Mistry

Neil Mitchell

Laleh Mohabbat

Stephen Moody

Christian Moore

Keith Moreton

Christine Morrison

Gail Morrison

David Murray

Julie Nunn

Sarah Oates

Leona O’Farrell

Modupe Oredipe

Nilkesh Patel

Claire Pearson

Tom Quigley

Mark Ransom

Lisa Ripley

Lynne Robinson

Jacey Scott

Jake Seabourne

Alma Shala

Ben Sharples

Ann Sherring

Kate Shtrezi

Vicky Simmons

Richard Sims

Rebecca Swift

Stephen Taplin

Shirley Taylor

Gemma Taylor

Joanne Taylor

Steven Treasure

Rebecca Twine

Christine Umeh

Gail Waddington

Kerrie Walsh

Charlotte Watkins

Kelly Weaver

Nicola Webb

Stephen Whitehouse

Scott Wilson

Beth Wizard

Emma Wrigley




Edinburgh City Council

Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council

Dumfries & Galloway Council


East Lothian Council

Maldon District Council

Luton Borough Council

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council








Falkirk Council



Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Salford City Council

Lambeth London Borough Council


Wolverhampton City Council

Pendle Borough Council

Carrick District Council




Dacorum Borough Council

Islington London Borough Council

Rother District Council



Rother District Council

Capita Business Services

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

North Hertfordshire District Council





West Dorset District Council

Brent London Borough Council

Pendle Borough Council




West Berkshire Council


Liberata UK Limited




Revenues Assistant



Senior Revenues Assistant

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Rent Management Officer

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Revenues Assistant


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Benefits Assessment Officer


Benefits Manager

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Senior Revenues Assistant

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Revenues Officer

Systems Control Officer

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Quality Control Team Leader

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Senior Recovery Officer

Assessment Assistant

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Revenues Officer


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Revenues Officer

Benefit Assessor


Benefits Officer



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Bob T

rahern reaches for a presidential star

14

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Bob T

rahern reaches for a presidential star

JR: Congratulations Bob – your year’s under way! Have you prepared for your challenge in any special way?BT: What….other than the two- hour daily gym sessions with the personal trainer? Sorry, that’s not true! To be honest, I have not done anything special other than think of a few things during my recent holiday I would like to achieve, and of course practising lots of smiling in front of the camera. JR: Are there any key areas you intend to focus on during your Presidency?BT: Following on from the excellent work of previous presidents, my key focus will be promoting membership of the Institute and our growing reputation at both national and international level. I also hope to get around the country as much as possible to meet people working at grass-roots level. It’s not just about celebrating their excellent work, but also about focusing on and encouraging the sharing of good practice and working together, which is becoming increasingly important.JR: What do you think are the major challenges currently facing our Institute?BT: Challenges…or opportunities? I try to put a positive slant on most things. Internally, it must be to provide value for money to all members, new and old, across both education and commercial activities, in what is becoming a more competitive environment. And to deliver ever-increasing performance against a backdrop of, at best, static budgets. Externally, the challenge of shared services, with revenues and benefits at the forefront of the transactional services agenda. Ensuring our voice is influential at the highest level in terms of developing revenues, valuation and benefits policy must remain paramount. JR: How do you feel our professional body should equip itself for the challenges you envisage, then?BT: Positively. We are known for and need to ensure that we continue to bring objectivity, pragmatism and realism to any national debate. In September, the Minister announced the LIT proposals at our Scottish Conference, and he was keen to engage with and seek our views – not just as a professional body, but also with individual members. It’s our collective responsibility to ensure that we do not pass up on any opportunity to influence any proposed changes, so sharing ideas and contributing to any debate is important. We provide this network through regional meetings and our publications, but it is an area, in my view, which has in recent times often been left to a few committed Institute individuals who alone reflect the likely views of the majority. I know we are all busy people, but the LIT and shared services

debate has far reaching implications for us across all Institute disciplines, so making time to contribute must be a priority for all. JR: You’ve always been a supporter of the role of the Associations. How do you feel we can better engage them in Institute affairs?BT: Part of my remit during 2007 has been to work with Associations on identifying how stronger links can be forged between them and HQ. This has involved identifying issues and seeking clarity on the roles, responsibilities and requirements of Associations, to ensure everyone is working to common goals. This will shortly translate into a clear action-plan of activities, which will address the outcomes identified, and will result in a review of governance arrangements to ensure these changes can be implemented effectively.JR: David Magor has a favourite telling phrase: “Presidents come and presidents go!” What lasting impression would you like to have made during your stay in the role? BT: I hope to be remembered as someone who, by being himself, inspired and enthused

others to get more involved in the Institute in whatever way they can. David was one of a number of individuals who inspired me as a student in the 90s to get involved post

qualification. If I can enthuse others in the same way, I will take huge satisfaction from thinking I contributed in a very small way to their personal goals and achievements. JR: When inaugurated as President at the Brighton conference, you chose to walk up to Reach for the Stars by S-Club 7. Any significance behind this choice?BT: For the record, it’s not because I am a big fan! As the long-suffering organiser of the now infamous Caerleon/Keele entertainment, my happy troupe of fellow tutors and I adopted this song as the revision course theme-tune about 10 years ago. Its sentiments and words stand for everything I believe in – if you work hard, aim high and have some luck along the way, you can be whatever you want to be. Having done it for so long, we have just about perfected the dance moves! JR: On a more serious note, turning to the education of our members for a moment, how do you think we can encourage more students to progress through to corporate membership?BT: Having completed my exams when everyone studied as corporate members, the growing popularity of the technician qualification (now certificate) has seen corporate numbers falling. Addressing this issue has been the key focus of an education strategy review which will report shortly. The review will see us continue our aim to focus our qualifications on developing managers

“My key focus will be promoting membership of the Institute”

15

as well as technical experts. As a tutor, I see a lot of talented people who, with the right encouragement, employer support and commitment, could be equipped as corporate members playing key change management roles in both the public and private sector. We need to ensure our corporate qualification is valued and highly regarded by all, particularly employers, to ensure they encourage and support people to take on the three-year commitment to achieve it. On the valuer front, with focus on the emerging European taxation models, the ongoing and considerable changes to business rates legislation and the necessary council tax revaluation, the Institute, through its Valuation Faculty, has set itself the challenge to increase corporate membership among rating surveyors across the UK and further afield. As President and CLG advisor, I will seek to support them in any way I can.JR: You’ve been known to take the odd break to far away places! What plans have you got to relax over the next 12 months?BT: As I will be using a lot of my leave to enable me to undertake the role, none, but I am very lucky that the Presidential calendar will take me to both Europe and the US, as well as providing the opportunity to visit many parts of our own, beautiful country. As a keen, but not very talented golfer, I hope to get a round in on my travels wherever possible to try and keep some semblance of work/life balance! JR: And, finally, what plans have you put into place to run things ‘back at the ranch’ while you’re engaged in Presidential duties?BT: I am very lucky. I have a very supportive employer who has let me balance IRRV commitments with my day job for a number of years. This means often putting time in late in the evenings and at weekends, hence I’m already on first name terms with all our cleaning staff! More importantly, I have an excellent team of very capable managers and staff at North Warwickshire who I am very proud to manage and who have justifiably received significant recognition for their work. In addition, none of this would be possible without my BlackBerry (what did I do without it?) and, most important of all, without the constant support of my fiancée Julie. With Julie newly elected onto the Institute’s National Council, my year in office promises to be a real family affair! n

Bob will follow on from the immediate past President, Allan Traynor, and keep a blog of his activities and experiences. Follow his year through the Institute’s website at: www.irrv.org.uk.

Bob, currently Assistant Director (Revenues and Benefits) at North Warwickshire BC, has run his multi-award-winning service at the council since March 2000. He has responsibility for a range of functions including revenues, benefits, fraud, rent collection, and the council’s contact centre and one-stop shop.

He started his career in 1984 as a Revenues Trainee at Coventry City Council before moving to Nuneaton & Bedworth BC in 1990 as Senior Recovery Officer, where he started studying for his IRRV examinations. In 1993, he joined Rugby BC as Council Tax/NDR Manager and completed his corporate IRRV qualification in 1995. Bob left local government in 1998 to join ITNET and ICL in new business roles, before returning to his current, evolving role at North Warwickshire.

After completing his studies, Bob became a tutor on a number of day- and block-release courses, including both of the Institute’s national revision courses, lecturing on all levels in six different subjects over the past 12 years. He is also a recently retired examiner, having set papers for six years on level one of the corporate qualification. Bob is well known as an enthusiastic and frequent speaker at seminars, training events and conferences both home and, more recently, internationally. He is also a government advisor on revenue-related matters and a regular contributor to Insight.

Bob was President of the West Midlands Association in 1999, and was elected to the Institute’s Council in 2000. He has always served on the Institute’s Commercial Services Committee, has been Chairman for the past three years and also serves on the Policy and Resources Committee.

Bob is due to get married to his partner, Julie (recently elected to the National Council – see pp8) in January 2009, following his presidential year. While work and IRRV activities take up a lot of Bob’s time, he also enjoys a round of golf and foreign travel and is a regular visitor to the Far East.John Roberts is a past President of the Institute

and Managing Editor of the IRRV magazines

“We need to ensure our corporate qualification is valued and highly regarded by all”

bob In bRIef

16

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A winning performance

Allan Traynor (pictured above), now immediate past President of the IRRV, opened the conference at Brighton with his presidential address, and promptly had to terminate it as the fire alarm rang! Allan delivered a positive message, pointing to the IRRV’s many attributes – from the success of the Performance Awards and strong links with government to the wide-ranging education and training portfolio. Allan warned delegates, though, to take heed of events unfolding in Scotland, pointing out that the proposed changes to local taxation and the potential of a local income tax need robust challenge. “We must not be faced with another we told you so situation,” he said.

Minor mishap disturbs presidential address

David Blunkett, MP for Sheffield Brightside and former Home Secretary, took to the platform with the quip: “Hazel Blears has asked me not to commit the government to anything!” David jokingly (maybe not entirely!) suggested that only three kinds of people understand local government finance – the sad, the mad, and the sad and mad! In an interesting and thought-provoking keynote address, he concluded that a fair and understandable tax system is essential to the future of our concept of society. “Everyone involved must understand that we have to contribute to provide the glue to help us live in a civilized society providing public services,” David explained.

Sad or mad? Welcome to local government finance

RoStRum HIGHLIGHtS

The IRRV’s flagship event tackled many of the key issues that will shape the future of public services, and the Institute again celebrated the year’s most outstanding best practice

through its coveted Performance Awards...

Annual Conference18

Institute Honorary Member, Tony Travers, a key commentator on local government affairs and Director of the Greater London Group at the London School of Economics, heralded the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review as the start of a period of zero growth. While he sees no real chance of major policy change under Gordon Brown, Tony optimistically explained how he believes the era of centralism has run its course and now there is an opportunity for the IRRV and others to put their views to government. Tony presented a view of the UK as having “Sweden’s public services with America’s taxation,” highlighting those services as among the best in the world.

Sweden’s public services and America’s taxation

Gary Watson, Chair of the IRRV Faculty Board, took delegates through the Institute’s response to the consultation paper on the empty rate, asking: “Is empty rate a relief or a tax?” He expressed concern that no consultation had taken place prior to the Bill being introduced into Parliament, and that a number of the proposals were based on outdated information. In particular, Gary called for a delay in the introduction of anti-avoidance legislation, as there is no evidence of what steps an owner might take to avoid the empty rate. He also reiterated the need for a review of all reliefs, stating that it is wrong to look at empty rate in isolation. The Institute remains willing to take a lead on this.

Consultation paper on empty rate under scrutiny

19Annual Conference

Sponsored by

Mark Davies of The Holistic Company presented on the human impact of change.

He outlined that by thinking about staff and investing in learning and development, staff members gain confidence which, in turn, can enhance performance. He has been working with King’s Lynn and West Norfolk BC to develop a training programme with a health and well-being focus and this has been so successful (40% reduction in short-term sickness absence and 100% staff satisfaction) in the revenues and customer service areas that it is being rolled out across the council. This achievement earned the council the IRRV Performance Award for Excellence in Education, Training and Development.

Train your staff better and reap the rewards

With Sir Michael Lyons moving to the BBC, CIPFA Chief Executive, Steve Freer, sees the prospects of a BBC prime-time soap on local government finance unlikely. “No love interest and too much bad language before the watershed,” he said of the prospect! In a fascinating critique of the Lyons Report, Steve drew out the need to raise the profile of the anti-capping lobby and the opportunity to improve council tax with more bands, better benefit take-up and regular revaluations. In terms of real prospects for change, he viewed a cherry-picking style of government response as likely, with a limited number of the Lyons proposals being implemented over time.

lack of roar from lyons means big change unlikely

exCeLLenCe In VALuAtIon – StAte enteRPRISe CentRe of ReGISteRS, LItHuAnIA

exCeLLenCe In eduCAtIon, tRAInInG And deVeLoPment – KInG’S Lynn & WeSt noRfoLK boRouGH CounCIL

Sponsored by

20 Annual Conference

Allen Graham gave an overview of the changing requirements imposed on local government practitioners and customers from the 1980s to the present day, and called for community empowerment. This requires a sea-change of trust to deliver something the community wants, he explained. Allen said that the key theme is convergence between services and our partners. The future, he added, will be customer centric, with intelligence-led delivery of services focused on what’s important to customers. Allen’s conclusion emphasised the need for courage – managers must let go and empower the services while managing expectation through communication at all levels.

Courage required in the quest for better services

The Managing Director of BACS, Michael Chambers, revealed some interesting statistics about direct debit take-up: three out of every four households in the UK has at least one direct debit commitment, and over 90% of its workforce is paid by BACS. Chambers’ speech focused on maximising the advantages of automated payments by:l training customer-facing staff to deal with direct debit enquiries more effectively; andl a better understanding of the reasons why unpaid direct debits occur.BACS provides free training to deal with the first point, and a regular analysis of the firm’s reports should help local authorities to deal with the second.

Making more out of direct debit must be a target

exCeLLenCe In SoCIAL InCLuSIon – St. HeLenS CounCIL

exCeLLenCe In CuStomeR SeRVICe – noRtH WARWICKSHIRe boRouGH CounCIL

Sponsored by

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21Annual Conference

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

exCeLLenCe In It – SCottISH ASSeSSoRS

exCeLLenCe In AntI-fRAud – PReSton CIty CounCIL

BJ Cunningham, a successful entrepreneur now working as an independent brand marketing consultant, explained that: “problems are like angels coming to kiss us to give us the opportunity to change.” Throughout his presentation, BJ focused on his belief that companies are like people. “Each one of us is made up of three separate perspectives: how we perceive ourselves, how others perceive us, and how we want to be perceived,” he said. “The closer these perspectives are, the stronger we are. Companies are the same – if a company perceives itself in the same way as others perceive it and it wants to be perceived, then it is strong.”

Brand leadership and the power of provocation

Paul Howarth of the DWP discussed the reaction to Circular A9/2007, part of the consultation process for the new benefit performance indicators. He said the DWP has noted the responses and has extended the definition of PM10 to include increases as well as decreases in benefit. Paul reminded the audience that we work in benefits to make a difference to people’s lives, which means looking at the bigger picture when fighting poverty, not just focusing on the speed at which we pay benefits. The Chancellor’s pre-budget report was important in this respect, Paul explained, as it supports the government’s objective of eradicating child poverty through the introduction of an income disregard for child maintenance from October 2008.

Performance measures and fighting poverty

The editorial team wish to thank Sharon Harvey, Ian Nisbet, Mick Ripley and Layla Stephen for providing the conference reports

For more details of the conference, and more photos, check out the Institute’s website at www.irrv.net


Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

moSt ImPRoVed teAm of tHe yeAR – HACKney London boRouGH CounCIL (benefItS)

benefItS teAm of tHe yeAR – VALe RoyAL boRouGH CounCIL

ReVenueS teAm of tHe yeAR – CIty of LInCoLn CounCIL

23Annual Conference

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Benefits Team of the Year

Revenues Team of the Year

Most Improved Team of the Year

Excellence in Social Inclusion

Excellence in I.T.

Excellence in Anti-Fraud

Excellence in Valuation

Excellence in Customer Service

Excellence in Education, Training and Development

For further information, please visithttp://www.irrv.org.uk

®

t is interesting to see how the shared services agenda is developing from the basic simple concept of areas like joint training and joint development of leaflets to the joining together of services like national non-domestic

rates within neighbouring authorities, through to the government’s proposals for unitary authorities sharing senior officers.

Chelmsford BC and Maldon DC are discussing the possibility of entering into joint working arrangements, whereby a number of senior officer posts are merged within the two authorities. This follows on from plans by Adur DC and Worthing BC to do the same thing. It will be interesting to see how the governance issues are resolved, particularly as the political wings are not to be merged.

But all is not sweetness and light in the world of shared services – the first judicial review brought by councils affected by local government reorganisation has been heard in the High Court. Shrewsbury and Atcham BC and Congleton BC claim that they were already facing staff retention problems following the announcement by Communities and Local Government to abolish them as part of the reorganisation plans.

The council’s claim was that the decision to abolish them was made unlawfully as the appropriate legislation had yet to be passed by Parliament. We await the result with interest.

Supplementary business rateThe Centre for Cities has undertaken an analysis of the financial impact of the introduction of a supplementary business rate (SBR), as proposed by Lyons. It has estimated that an SBR of 4p (as recommended by Lyons) would generate some £400m per year in London alone and some £300m per year in England’s large cities and towns.

However, the report also states that the potential benefits of SBR decrease significantly in smaller urban areas with low taxbases, such as Middlesborough, where a 4p SBR could raise just £3.3m annually.

The report suggests that SBR should be collected across a wider area than individual councils, to generate sufficient revenues for big infrastructure projects. Since the drive behind Lyons was to generate additional income for individual local authorities, I think the suggestion by the Centre for Cities is ridiculous and misses the point of the Lyons proposal.

Also, the report questions whether the Lyons ceiling is low enough, saying: “4p may be an unrealistic upper limit given the concerns of business leaders and the potential impacts on the health of local economies.”

Northern Ireland rating reformIt is some time since I have written about the

rating reform in Northern Ireland, so I thought it was about time for an update, particularly as David Magor and myself have just appeared before the Northern Ireland Finance and Personnel Committee, who are tasked with reviewing the reforms that were implemented on 1 April 2007.

Just to remind you – a new domestic rating system came into operation on 1 April 2007 following a review of rating policy commissioned in 2000 by the then Executive, and was taken forward by Direct Rule Ministers after the suspension of the Assembly in October 2002.

The key reforms in the domestic sector that took effect on 1 April 2007 include:l the introduction of a discrete (rather than banded) capital value system, ie, individual capital values; l the introduction of a new low income rate relief scheme, which sits above and is in addition to the existing housing benefit system, and which the Institute was instrumental in developing; l the provision of 100% relief where properties are occupied solely by full-time students and trainees, ratepayers aged less than 18, and young people leaving care; l the provision of transitional relief over a three-

I At whose service?The shared services agenda continues to evolve, but Pat Doherty ponders whether

it is causing more problems than it is resolving

West

Anytown

DC

26 Doherty’s despatch 11/07

year period for those most adversely affected by the move to capital values; l amendments to the existing disabled persons’ allowance scheme to simplify the process of making awards and introduce a standard 25% reduction;l the standardisation of rates in the social rented sector; and l the establishment of a new independent valuation tribunal.

Following the re-introduction of the Assembly, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, Peter Robinson, announced that a review of the rating

reform process would be undertaken, with the objectives of ensuring that:l there is an equitable distribution of the rate burden on households in Northern Ireland, with effective reliefs provided so that those who are less able to pay are protected; l the system is sustainable and provides an appropriate means of financing regional and local government; andl the system is transparent and readily understood, both in its methodology and in how the proceeds are used, thereby improving local accountability.

Pat Doherty IRRV CPFA is an Independent Consultant and a past President of the IRRV

A consultation paper was published over the summer and requested views on short, medium and long-term options for change.

Short-term options include:l the removal or change in the level at which the maximum capital value is set;l the introduction of a minimum payment;l the introduction of the rating of vacant domestic properties;l the introduction of a deferment scheme for home-owning pensioners;l revision of the low income rate relief scheme;l revision or revocation of the rate relief scheme for students;l re-profiling of the transitional relief scheme; andl revision of the early payment discount scheme.

Medium-term options include: l the introduction of graduated tax rates at different levels of value (eg, first £150k at £7per ‘000, £150k-£300k at £6, £300k upwards at £5);l the introduction of a single person discount; l the introduction of a single pensioner discount; l the introduction of an automatic pensioner discount;l broadening the Disabled Persons’ Allowance Scheme;l the introduction of ‘circuit breakers’ for particular groups (so there is an income cap);l the provision of a discount for owner-occupiers; andl an enhanced discount for farmers.

Long-term options include:l banding of house values;l local income tax;l income tax varying powers;

l local sales tax;l poll tax;l tourist tax;l road charging;l green taxes;l land value taxation; andl derelict land taxation.

The reforms in Northern Ireland set an example for the rest of the UK, with the introduction of a capital value-based system and an income-related relief scheme that complements the benefit system and is able to direct relief to specific client groups.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the review, but it is to be hoped that the Direct Rule Ministers do not propose anything in the interests of short-term political gain which detracts from the new system. n

“All is not sweetness and light in the world of shared services”

At whose service?

East Anytown BC

Insight 27Doherty’s despatch

An education in itself

Student dispensation from council tax is becoming more and more complex, thanks to the increasing number of courses on offer and concerns about the authenticity of some educational establishments. Paul Russell reports

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28 Legal corner 11/07

attend under paragraph 4(1)(b).A student may only be required to attend one,

one-hour tutorial each week. He will qualify to be treated as a student in such circumstances provided that he would normally be required to undertake, for example, research, etc, for the remaining 20-hours-plus each week as an average.

Many practitioners seem unable to accept that research is study. Research, which forms part of the requirements leading to a degree, must be regarded as being study, otherwise, no PhD students would ever be classed as students for CT purposes! Most doctorate courses (not usually medicine, etc) and many masters courses, are research degrees.

Evidence has shown that there have been educational establishments, such as English language schools, which have been exposed as being more concerned with making money out of people who wish to immigrate into the UK unlawfully than with the teaching of English. Hence the Home Office and the newly titled Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills maintain the two registers of providers, which can be searched at www.edubase.gov.uk and www.dfes.gov.uk/providersregister. Any organisation which is not shown on either of these two registers would have great difficulty in proving it was an educational establishment for CT discount

purposes.If there are suspicions

that an organisation shown on one of the registers is facilitating illegal immigration, then it would be wise to report it to the Home Office for investigation.

Clearly, full-time courses of education do

not have to be higher education. ‘Further education’ is defined as full-time and part-time education suitable to the requirements of persons who are over compulsory school age and organised leisure-time occupation provided in connection with the provision of such education (s2(3) Education Act 1996 (as amended by the Education Act 2002)). So there is no particular requirement for certificates or other awards, although these would normally be expected as a result of successful completion of a course of education, and the range of subjects and skills which can be provided is very wide.

While most Open University courses are distance, modular learning, with insufficient attendance requirements to qualify as full-time courses for CT purposes, some do have sufficient requirements, not at the ‘premises of the educational establishment’ concerned, but ‘otherwise’ (in accordance with paragraph 4(1)(b)) at a hospital, social care organisation or school, for example in nursing registration courses, courses leading to qualified social worker status and those for people studying to become qualified teachers, etc.

This area is particularly difficult for practitioners to keep up to date with, as the world of education changes almost every year, and there is no indication that the speed of change will slow down. n

Paul Russell LLB, IRRV is an Independent Law Consultant and Trainer and can be contacted at [email protected]

onfusion is still rife among council tax (CT) practitioners as to whether or not individuals are entitled to be disregarded as students. This issue is not helped by the constant increase in student numbers, the

evolution of higher education and concerns as to the legitimacy of some educational establishments.

While most first (bachelor) full-time degree courses at British universities pose few questions, years out (sabbaticals or intercalating periods) and salaried placements can cause a lot of time to be spent trying to determine entitlement or otherwise.

Paragraphs 3 and 4 to schedule 1 to SI 1992/548 provide the answers to the dilemmas. They can be paraphrased to read that a person is to be treated as a full-time student if, on any day, he is enrolled for the purpose of attending such a course with a prescribed educational establishment and that day falls after the day he begins the course, up to the day on which he completes or abandons it or is ejected from it.

So, time is allowed out from the course, but while the individual remains enrolled on it, he continues his status as a student for CT purposes throughout, even if he is being paid a wage or salary.

Increasing numbers of degree courses involve work experience or placements. If those periods are regarded as work experience, they must be at their place of employment and provide services under a contract of employment, or:

“…at a place where a trade, business, profession or other occupation relevant to the subject matter of the course is carried on, and… there for the purposes of gaining experience of that trade, business, profession or other occupation.”

While being employed under a contract of employment may seem anathema to being a full-time student, many people who are on full-time courses are given paid leave of absence to attend the course, such as some members of the armed forces.

Paragraph 4(3) to schedule 1 states that the aggregate of all work experience must not exceed in total the aggregate of study and tuition. But one of the difficulties is deciding whether time spent “…at a place…” is actually work experience or could alternatively be tuition or even study.

Derby CC & Derbyshire VCCT v Haworth (QBD) 1994 held that nursing students were receiving tuition, not work experience, when spending supervised time on wards, etc. Alternatively, a student may be undertaking research, which would constitute study.

There is also a misconception that the hours required must be timetabled lectures or tutorials. However, in Birmingham CC v Birmingham VCCT and Adamson (QBD) 1993 the High Court held that the hours of study (research, assignments, etc) outside the timetabled lectures and required as a normal expectation of an average student must be taken into account in calculating the number of hours per week contributing towards the average of 21 hours threshold in the regulations.

Higher-degree students can also cause some difficulties. This is because of the requirement to

C

“A student may only be required to attend one, one-hour tutorial

each week”

Insight 29Legal corner

have written this memoir not only in recognition of Bristow & Sutor’s 30th anniversary, but also as a personal reflection of 25 years in the enforcement profession. I joined

the company in 1982, out of work and looking for a temporary job! This was also the year I got married and moved into my first house. Believe me, anything that I have encountered since then, including the poll tax (community charge), has been a breeze compared to that year!

At that time, the company only employed 30 staff, compared with over 10 times that number now…and still growing. In my day, it was the collection of general rates and there was little by way of codes of practice. Radio pagers were the first means of contacting a bailiff in the field until the mobile phone came along – otherwise described as the ‘black brick’! Early computer systems were cumbersome, and the first one bought by the company was the size of an office desk and with only 128 megabytes (MB) of memory, backed up onto 65MB floppy discs. Compare that with the power and memory of modern-day systems. Data protection was only introduced in 1984 and typists were still elated with the development of the word processor. Oh yes, and clients paid for the service – how times have changed!

The approach to enforcement in those days was pretty robust; forced entry and the removal of goods were much more of a common activity, as was ‘levying’ through the window, until case law changed that particular practice. I can remember many successful results being achieved by visiting debtors late at night, as they had failed to respond to earlier attempts to make contact with them. There were no restrictions on visiting hours then. My relatives were, like others who were ignorant of bailiffs, thinking I spent my time preying on old ladies and single-parent families. How surprised they became when I told them later of my experiences, and that the debtors included celebrities, footballers, a High Court judge and a Lord who paid his rates via his expenses account!

I subsequently graduated to become the Bailiff Manager at Bristow & Sutor at what might be considered the right time, just prior to the introduction of the poll tax. The company grew rapidly, and it appeared that all I did for many months was to interview applicants for a range of positions! They were difficult times for bailiff companies and councils who were striving to grow the necessary resources to deal with the volumes of work that existed. We had

I

The tools of the trade might have changed, but the enforcement profession still relies upon key

skills. Andy Rose celebrates 30 years of success

30 11/07In the business

Andy Rose, Managing Director, Bristow & Sutor

up. Don’t worry – that is all there is on that subject, and we are all following progress and further details anxiously.

So, 30 years on, where are we? Technology plays a major role, with substantial and continual investment. Client web access, new telephone systems, automated card payment facilities, in-house developed recovery systems and software are widespread across the industry. In addition, for the bailiff on the road, my firm has PDA applications for data transfer, satellite navigation, and vehicle/call tracking.

The current marketplace means that we have developed a suite of services to clients, adding value to the core activity of the traditional bailiff. New markets have grown, including decriminalised parking. I have noticed a hardening of attitudes towards collection performance, with a readiness for clients to revisit existing codes of practice

to consider how these might be amended to aid the improved collection of arrears.

The hot topic at the moment is the prospect of an ‘upfront fee’, and although I don’t intend to debate the merits or otherwise of that

concept or how it will be applied, it ironically has a link to where we were 30 years ago.

I have seen a whole lot of change over the years, both in the bailiff profession and within the local authority arena, and it is impossible to predict what the future holds. One thing is for certain, however: debt, in one form or another, will always be around. As a quote I recently read said: “If it wasn’t for credit, 90% of us would be insolvent!”

I might one day write a book about my experiences in the bailiff profession and include such stories as dealing with the ‘Prince of Prussia’, who lived in a bungalow in Worcestershire and claimed diplomatic immunity, and also dealing with a complaint from a woman in Stoke-on-Trent, who argued that she had only missed her payment because the curtain pelmet had fallen on her following an earth tremor in Wrexham, and consequently she had been in hospital!

I wouldn’t swap my 25 years for anything (unless it was to be a professional golfer), and look forward to working towards Bristow & Sutor’s next 30 years of success. n

our share of poll tax protests, campaigns to frighten the bailiff off, not to mention the money advisors who were telling debtors not to let the bailiff in. It was literally a battle for several years and, just when councils and bailiffs had cracked it, along came John Major, who changed the system again.

Throughout this period, and understandably so, councils looked to formalise previously loose agreements with bailiff companies and impose codes of practice. Formal tender processes were introduced and bailiffs were at the forefront of attention. There seemed to develop a greater importance on compliance, with a perceived need to be cautious to the detriment of collection. Also, throughout this period, many contracts were negotiated and placed at no cost, leaving the bailiff firms to rely on fee income from debtors and the well-documented pressures that brings.

Historically, fees were not regularly reviewed or uplifted by government. The Distress for Rates Order 1979 was not amended for 10 years, when the minimum levy fee was increased from £2.50 to £12.50, and there were some tweaks to the percentage calculation. Walking possession was increased from 25p to 45p per day, and physical possession increased from £2.50 to a whopping £4.50 per day! Thankfully, over more recent times, government has recognised the need to more regularly review and uplift the fees charged to debtors.

In the year 2000, I took on the role of President for the Certificated Bailiffs Association, a position which had also previously been held by my then Managing Director, Simon Sutor, in 1989.

This leads me nicely into the Enforcement Review. However, you may be forgiven for asking which one, as, ever since I can remember, there have been reviews of enforcement. I mean, of course, the latest one, which followed recommendations put forward by Professor Beatson, and the suggested need to consolidate and standardise bailiff law. I was privileged, if not ultimately frustrated, to participate in this advisory group that considered his views, which culminated in a White Paper being published in March 2003. None of the recommendations have yet been acted upon, although we now have the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill enabling future regulations to be drawn

“One thing is for certain: debt, in one form or

another, will always be around”

Insight 31In the business

by Lyons, despite the government having made an early decision on empty rates and appearing to have already decided not to have a wider review.

Nick Cooper, of the VOA, went on to provide an insight into “valuing the impossible”, with various methods and tools to measure the profit (Revenues and Expenditure Approach) or cost of providing the service (Contractors Test Method).

Anne Galbraith, Chairman of the Valuation Tribunal Service, then gave a spirited defence of the Tribunal reforms, a single Valuation Tribunal with a National President, but retention of lay

membership, which is expected to be introduced soon via the Health Bill.

On non-rating matters, Geoff Fisher considered the effect of the Olympics 2012 and its legacy on London property in coming years, highlighting the ‘Stratford City’ (large new shopping centre) and transport infrastructure schemes, as well as the impact of the five-year Olympic redevelopment programme.

Finally, solicitor Peter Scrafton outlined the reforms that are needed to the Compulsory Purchase and Compensation Codes in order to achieve fairness and clarity. Peter then went on to review the Law Commission’s various recommendations and the role of the Compulsory Purchase Association in bringing about the changes sought. n

have reached the threshold tax limit, and that firms are relocating abroad because of the high occupation costs. Rating, Roger added, is getting a lot more serious and he encouraged the rating profession to “have a bit more fun!”

The valuation fringe sessions raised a number of interesting points. Tom Dixon of Sanderson Weatherall warned of the dangers of AVMs, particularly for commercial properties with more

variables than residential. Valuation is an art as well as a science, he explained, and research carried out in the US has highlighted alarming error rates in the use of AVM.

Blake Penfold of GL Hearn gave his view of the intricacies of material changes of circumstances (MCCs) and called for simplification, with all factors taken into account and the same material day, whether proposal or VO alteration.

Jerry Schurder, of Gerald Eve, then made the case for a review of business rates exemptions and reliefs (including transition) as recommended

avid Tretton, Head of Profession at the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), opened the day with upbeat support for the Automated Valuation Model (AVM) in

the Revaluation 2010. He emphasised that it is an analysis tool to support the valuer in the revaluation process, including the production of valuation matrices and validation of the final values, not a replacement.

David explained that the VOA has developed a sophisticated Rating Support Application (RSA), and the AVM will be essential for the production of the Revaluation 2010 to a very tight timetable. Enigmatically, he asked why business rates is the only tax which does not rely on self-assessment.

Roger Messenger of Wilks Head and Eve followed David, stating that he could envisage self-assessment coming in eventually and giving a wide-ranging review of current issues and market changes. However, he highlighted the danger of AVM increasing the dumbing down of the process, with caseworkers not inspecting the property yet going on to negotiate and defend assessments produced by the computer.

Roger encouraged the VOA to get to know the real market, where deals are done in robust fashion and old ways of analysis do not pass the test. As revaluations are about distribution of rates liability, he expressed concern over significant under assessments (‘low first time?’) which meant others with ‘correct assessments’ were paying relatively too much. Roger said he felt that at 45 to 50 pence in the pound, rates

Day of the valuer

“David Tretton emphasised that the AVM is an analysis tool to support the valuer, not a replacement”

Geoff Fisher, FRICS Dip. Rating IRRV, is a Senior Consultant to Strettons Chartered Surveyors and IRRV Junior Vice-President. Email: [email protected]

DGeoff Fisher summarises the highlights from this year’s valuer day at the IRRV Annual Conference

Valuation corner32 11/07

be deducted from the grant.A huge amount of time and effort is being

put into shared services at the moment. Not many of these are actually in operation or showing a return to participants. The general view seems to be that shared services across support services could provide 25-30% savings on current costs. However, considerable investment is needed to ensure a reasonable pay-back period. Only time will tell how successful these arrangements will be and how content over a period of time authorities will be with their harmonised services. Of course, many preliminary discussions are very

optimistic about the number of participants that can be integrated successfully at one time. I am sure it can be a successful way forward, but a modest start seems, to me, to guarantee greater success.

Once the Local Government Bill becomes an Act, it will be possible for authorities to seek unitary status, and it will be interesting to see what arrangements come out of that. The point is that any unitary formed on anything other than existing boundaries will cause structural change elsewhere, and often the viability of the county will be brought into question. In any case, there needs to be some careful thought about the future of district councils who have transferred their housing and their leisure services.

Then there is the very real problem of growth. Various towns and areas have been designated for considerable housing growth. This is recognised by a need that will shortly become statutory for authorities to draw up infrastructure plans. These will focus on the facilities needed to cope with growth of population, and will cover roads, schools, police and health services, etc. At the same time as so many authorities have been or are going through stock transfer, £500m is to be provided to encourage direct provision of municipal housing.

Confused? I am. Spot the strategic thought? Tricky. I see that the Local Government Association fears that the new Comprehensive Area Assessment will fail to reduce the burden of inspection on councils. I have just been involved in drawing up an action plan to achieve level 3 and 4 for use of resources for an authority. This test has evolved very much from a test of basic financial controls, etc, which is where it started, to virtually a comprehensive assessment of its own. It now covers asset management, business continuity and very much more, and clearly needs a corporate approach, rather than being controlled mainly in the finance department.

This presents a continual challenge to senior officers to maintain or improve their ratings. And while that was the intention, and not an unreasonable one, added to the likely lack of resources over the next three years, it means that authorities are going to be very difficult indeed to lead and manage.

It has been noticeably more difficult to fill top jobs over recent years, and we do need to be careful that these jobs are actually ‘doable’. A quick glance at this week’s trade press shows headlines such as: ‘chief executive opts to take lie detector test’, ‘staff sickness caused by chief executive’s absence’ and ‘chief officer cleared by police in corruption case’.

None of these are encouraging in terms of attracting top quality recruits.

“Stop!”, I hear you say. “Is there no good news?” Well, of course there is, but I don’t have any room for that here! n

wonder whether there is anyone who has a clear vision about where local government will be in 10 years time. I doubt it, it is very difficult to predict the future, although things do not seem to be any clearer currently.

The most important event of the moment is the Comprehensive Service Review, which is universally anticipated as having a very serious outcome for local government. Given the state of the public sector finances and the priority for health and education, that view is fairly certain to be correct. There is a strong feeling that the efficiency savings expected from authorities will

Richard Harbord is a Council member of both the IRRV and CIPFA

IPractical politicsThe Local Government Bill will have a resounding impact on local authorities. Richard Harbord considers the practicalities of its implementation

Day of the valuer

0��Insight 33Viewpoint

Dave Hendy IRRV is an Independent Trainer and Consultant. Email: [email protected]

into the night to ‘spec out’ systems;l He had communication skills that recognised the skills of others and was ready to explain and repeat as often as necessary; l He never got rattled in his professional capacity, despite the rantings and ravings of both staff and landlords who were upset. He calmed them with his quiet and easy tones;l He understood the importance of checking the

rules to see if he could help people as exceptions to basic principles infrequently used in day-to-day practice are often easily forgotten in the push to reach deadlines and targets;l He would send me timely reminders of changes in the rules which would need plans to get them properly implemented, and bring me back to earth if, in my enthusiasm, he thought my plans were overly ambitious;

n arrival at Inverness Airport this week to work for Highlands Council, I switched on my mobile in the terminal building to be confronted by a text with dreadful

news. A good friend and work colleague from my days at Cardiff had died unexpectedly and suddenly in his sleep. This article is therefore dedicated to him and to all those who knew and worked with Nigel Beacham.

It was 1978 when I can remember my first sight of Nigel. He had a long beard and 1960s hairstyle, which meant his hair ran down to his shoulders. A modern day Gandalf, from Lord of the Rings, would describe him perfectly. As I progressed through various roles in the rates office, I quickly began to realise what a decent guy he was, and I was fortunate enough to work with Nigel on many housing benefit (HB) projects from 1982 onwards.

So, in answer to the question raised by the title of this article: “What makes a great benefits officer?”, the easy reply is for me to describe Nigel to you in greater depth:l He treated everybody with dignity and respect, from the treasurer of the council to the elderly and young alike;l He gave his time generously to those who needed it, whether it was a claimant who needed advice or me, as his boss, asking him to work late

l Although never eager to grab the limelight himself, it was his hard work and dedication to his roles that meant Nigel was really the tour de force behind many successful HB system implementations; l Despite progressing to managerial roles, Nigel never forgot his roots, and would be able to think through the impact of changes on all levels within the staffing structure. Moreover, his open-door

management style meant that staff would have no fears in discussing their problems, work or personal, with him.

So, in answer to that question, the former are the skills you will need to get on in a benefits office. I am very proud to have known and worked with Nigel. And when I look back, there is one event that I am particularly proud of.

Nigel was the most suitable applicant for a principal benefits

officer post I had created in a new benefits office structure. After interview, I needed to have my decision rubber-stamped by a certain officer in the hierarchy. However, Nigel’s long hair (despite being impeccably well-combed and groomed) appeared to be more than a sticking point for a person with a very old-fashioned attitude towards the selection process. It took about half an hour and expressions such as “look at the man not his hair”, to finally get my decision approved. I’m sure this officer would be the first to praise this decision, having worked with Nigel since! n

“Nigel was really the tour de force behind many successful HB system

implementations”

O

Compassion and dedication to the job are just a few of the qualities that make great benefits officers. Dave Hendy mourns the loss of Nigel Beacham, formerly of City and

County of Cardiff, who was the personification of these and many other admirable traits

34 Benefits bulletin 11/07

So, what makes a

great benefitsofficer?

Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Institute

@

Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Institute

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onwards and upwards · onwards and upwards bob trahern, new irrv president, sets out his vision for...

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