Information, Advice and Guidance(IAG)

Target Support Working Group

24 June 2008

David Barrett

Our Aim:To provide high quality information, advice and guidance to meet customers’ needs, in the most cost effective way.

Our Commitment:To ensure that no-one is deterred from entering HE for lack of being able to access the help they need to understand what they are entitled to and how to apply for it.

Our Objectives:Provide coherent and consistent IAG to address the issues identified in the end to end review: the confusion of information sources, and the patchy availability and inconsistent quality of local IAG currently offered by local authorities.

Provide an IAG service which is flexible enough to meet the varied and changing needs and growing expectation of our customers.

Ensure that the loss of local authority student finance team does not create real gaps in service for customers.

Provide a service that meets customers’ needs in the most efficient and effective way.

Customer Engagement

• Research was required among three vulnerable groups to recommend:– The timing, type and amount of assistance that each group needs before, during and after application

for student finance– How the application process could be simplified for each group

• The three key groups were identified as:– Students claiming Disabled Students Allowance (referred to as DSAs)– Students in lower income families (under £37.5k household income pa) with parents who have

difficulties understanding written English (referred to as SNESPs)– Students claiming Childcare Grant (referred to as CCGs)

• Specifically the research was designed to:– Understand and evaluate the range of sources for information and for support– Understand when these sources and support were used– Explore the barriers or difficulties experienced throughout the student finance application cycle and

how they were overcome– Assess the impact of student finance applications having to be made by telephone or online

Information and Support Before Applying

ISSUE

RECOMMENDATIONS

DSA CCG SNESP ALL

Information source

Support agenciesFrom university before and during enrolmentShare information with UCAS

From university before and during enrolmentAccessible internet information

Peer group important WebsiteSmaller guides and shorter notesSchools and collegesSocial networking

Information content

How the application process works is more importantReconsider language used

Targeted at more mature studentsGuide about likely award amount before applying

Local language guides about parental role

Application process

Face-to-face support

Being provided by schools, colleges, support agencies and universities

Knowledgeable telephone line probably enough

Being provided by schools, colleges and peers

Not essential

How to apply

ISSUERECOMMENDATIONS

DSA CCG SNESP ALL

Application timing

DSA at the same time as other finance (if system efficient) but could be any time

Want to know about entitlements by June/ July CCG at same time as other finance

Supporting booklets for parents explaining why they need to apply and what they need to supply

Swift response

Application method

As streamlined as possible but online good

Some concerns but online OK

Some concerns but online OK for students.

Access to a PC a small concern but accept online

Completing online

Ensure web application accessible Needs good back-up support

Generally more convenient for them

Some parents very reluctant so will want to complete their bit on paper or the student to do it for them

Show that it can save time and is secureHave clearer help, tutorials, option to call/ chatReassure about query resolutionReview usability

Face-to-face support

Many would be OK with good telephone support

Highly desirable for a few and particularly for those on benefits

Some local language sessions but local language telephone support for parents likely to be enough

Information and Support after the Application

ISSUE

RECOMMENDATIONS

DSA CCG SNESP ALL

Sharing details

Emphasise confidentiality Explain that not about checking their creditMature students need more persuasion

Parents need greater reassurance

Speeding up the application process is attractive Authorisation needs clear info on usage

Information content

Particularly interested in next steps of their applicationVery helpful to see how award is broken down

Need to know more about progress and approx timings

Knowing how much they will get and when is the key infoClearer information on repayment

Resolving problems

Appear to suffer most problems and need to be resolved much more quicklyUse face-to-face support through universities and carers

Students previously on income support need more help but tend to have fewer problems

Parental evidence section needs to be clearer

Needs to be quicker and a lot more efficient

IAG Central Service

The new central student finance service will:

• Reduce the need for IAG services– By making the whole process simpler, smoother and easier for customers.

– Application forms will be simplified and therefore less complex to complete

• Provide a trusted authoritative central IAG service– Controlling both the spread and quality of the student finance information

– Much improved help on the web

– Single authoritative telephone help-line

• Provide a high level of support to local IAG services– Student finance messaging will be delivered through increased collaborative working with

established partner organisations

• Provide face to face support– Develop and put in a delivery structure to meet customers needs

Access and Extra Support

• The majority of customer, including those regarded as having special needs, will have their requirements met by the web and telephone service.

• Evidence shows that only 19% of students and 11% of parents seek any face to face assistance.

• We do however, anticipate that a small minority will continue to need additional face to face help particularly from the following sub groups: disabled students; those who have parents/sponsors for whom English is a second language; people with caring responsibilities; access difficulties; lower income background

Traditional HE students and sponsors

Non-traditional students and sponsors

Employed and maturestudents

Targeted supportDSA/CCG

Looked after children

Traditional HE students and sponsors

Non-traditional students and sponsors

Particular needs

Number ofStudents

Scale ofNeeds

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

LOW

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

Integrated Delivery Structure

• For most students any support needs will be delivered by the central processing unit.– General queries

– More specialised queries and named adviser support

• Recognition that there will be a need for face to face support although there will be local variations in both needs and demands.

– Already established partner organisation will continue to provide face to face support and will be supplied with relevant material to do so.

– Partner organisations will have telephone support from the central unit specifically for them.

– 12 regional consultants will be established to work with the partner organisations and provide fact face support when all other avenues have been exhausted

Head ofCustomer Contact

Contact Centre ManagerGlasgow

Contact Centre Manager

Wales

Contact Centre Team

Assessment & Specialist Support

Query Team

Practitioner Support Team

Contact Centre Team

Contact Centre Manager

Darlington

Contact Centre Team

Contact Operations

} Second Level Support

Head ofProcessing Services

Work Reception

Resolution Services

Targeted Support

ICR Resolution

Core Processing Third Level

Support

Website

• Will be WAI W3C compliant to the highest level attainable

• Full approval will be awarded by a third party

– Customer can navigate site in manner suited to them

– Site structured to assist in use of screen reader if required (incl ability to skip repeated content on each page)

– All graphics described in words, to allow screen readers or other asstive technologies to convey the same information

– All fonts scalable by user

– Where possible large areas of information chopped into smaller sections

• Accessible pdf forms and booklets

Paper Offering

• Promotional Characters – Jenny & Carla

• Targeted Support Guidance Books– Bridging The Gap

– Childcare Grant & Other Support for Full-Time Student Parents

• All material available in alternative formats– Braille

– Large print

– Audio

• New, easier to complete application forms

Face-to-face support for applications - DSA

• Face-to-face support to fill in the application is considered very important and all have had some face-to-face support from parents, the university disability service, other friends, Student Finance.

• Emotional or moral support is important as the student may be coming to terms with the disability and anxious about it. They may need reassurance that they are entitled to it and that it won’t affect their academic and employment prospects.

• They also need help with completing the applications:– The process can seem very complex and the questionnaire very long, so they want

someone to help them through it.– The questions can seem very unclear, eg. those with medical or mental health conditions

say their symptoms can vary widely from one day to the next– They appear to have many more problems with their applications

The Benefits

• The central service will provide a single trusted and authoritative source of student finance information and advice

• Schools and colleges will receive a more consistent level of help and support

• Co-ordination of local services with the central unit

• Local IAG services will be intensively supported by the central service

• Establishment of the regional consultants

• Availability of a referrals service for customers

• Multiple entry points for customer

QUESTIONS&

WORKSHOP