Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was working as part of a group to create a brand-new electronic service for separated moms and dads to make an application for aid setting up Child Maintenance. We would certainly launched a personal beta of the electronic service in December 2019, and also were working towards introducing even more individuals on a gradual basis.
Previous to this, the only means to apply for assistance setting up Youngster Maintenance had actually been a completely telephone-based service. Nevertheless, as a department we knew that we had to offer a digital option as part of our commitment to increase our services as well as develop electronic styles based on our customers' requirements.
The push to go on the internet
All was going as intended till the pandemic hit. Nearly instantly, our colleagues in the call centres can no longer answer the phones and process applications. The department was functioning to get people established to work from residence, however a lot of coworkers were redeployed to work with other services. So, our supervisors decided to make our electronic service the primary technique of application from that point onwards, and also for the near future.
The team needed to move fast to secure the solution and also make it offered to all candidates. The plan had actually been to ramp up to around 100 applications a day undergoing the system within a few months, today we needed to get to this stage in an issue of days. The group strove to secure the solution so it could deal with the increase in users, all while getting used to working from house themselves.
Developing a 24/7 solution
At the personal beta phase we were using feedback from customers to advance the solution-- as we opened it up further this feedback became a lot more vital. There was a clear demand for a few changes such as 24/7 availability. The service was initially made to only be offered when the heritage backend system was available, in between 8am to 8pm during the week, and out weekend breaks.
We had a lot of feedback asking why it was not offered after 8pm, so we constructed our own backend to save the application information temporarily, until the heritage system became available. Around 20% of customers now finish their applications because 'offline' amount of time, which shows the benefits of responding really rapidly as well as taking user feedback aboard.
An additional piece of feedback we obtained from individuals associated with them intending to validate receipt of their application. So, as part of our regular iterations, we supplied a feature that enables customers to sign up for an e-mail confirmation that their application has been received utilizing the Gov.Notify system. Around 99% of child maintenance on the internet individuals have chosen to utilize this facility, which just shows how beneficial it has actually been as confidence for people getting Kid Maintenance.
The hard work pays off
Throughout the summer season and also right into autumn, the team worked constantly to introduce brand-new attributes, with adjustments deployed on a practically weekly basis. It was a relentless pace and also was testing at times-- for example for those people home education our youngsters. Having a shared goal helpful to obtain money to families that require it was a truly encouraging variable throughout these times.
That hard work meant that we were able to take the product through a Federal government Digital Service (GDS) public beta assessment in winter months. It passed with flying colours, which was a truly happy minute for everyone involved in the task. We were additionally just recently acknowledged with a team honor at an interior awards event, which was a great way to commemorate the means we've interacted.
Thus far, over 59,000 people have actually used the electronic solution to apply for Youngster Maintenance, which is around 80% of all candidates. The telephony solution is still there for those that need it, however the variety of online applications continues to grow.
This isn't completion of the digital trip for this service either. We're now advancing a brand-new roadmap for further makeover of the end-to-end service, as well as we'll remain to listen to individual needs, as well as make modifications and enhancements to make it as very easy as possible for people to apply for as well as handle their Youngster Upkeep plans.
It's certainly been a difficult year for everyone, however I rejoice that I'll be able to recall at when our group rose to the obstacle and provided for individuals when they required us most.