Birmingham City Council - Procedure Manual

Although Birmingham City Council, Revenues and Benefits had started the process of consolidating procedures into one location, the Lotus Notes database being used was clunky and unsophisticated. Documents could not be indexed properly, the lay out could not be changed and it was not possible to link other documents or to refer users to other sections of the database.

Revenues and Benefits selected Destin Solutions to provide a procedure manual that would encompass Benefits, Council Tax and NDR. During and following installation of the manual, the support received from the Destin Consultant was invaluable. He understands the difficulties we face and provides suggestions to help improve the end user service.

Destin is being used to provide staff with access to:

  • Procedures for Benefits, Council Tax and NDR
  • Links to Circulars and Commissioners Decisions
  • Links to DWP Guidance documents
  • Training Portfolio containing trainer notes and handouts for trainees

Having the Destin manual has enabled all procedures to be accessible in one place, makes reviewing and updating individual documents easier. We now have a rolling programme of review of the procedures, ensuring that our staff has up to date information at their finger tips. Being able to adjust the layout has enabled us to place updates on the home page to alert staff of immediate changes as well as creating a Frequently Asked Questions section.

We have recently installed a new search engine that gives Google type search results. This has made it easier for staff to find what they are searching for.

Other than making suggestions on how we can improve the content of the manual, Revenues and Benefits staff have indicated that Destin itself has proved to be a valuable resource. This is for staff based in the office, processing claims and for Benefit Advisors based within our Contact Centres. We will continue to develop the manual using the resources available within Destin to ensure that our customers receive accurate information at the first point of contact and that any subsequent claims to benefit are processed in a timely manner.

Chris Gibbs, Assistant Director Revenues and Benefits

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