OCC’s Financial Protection software enables councils, solicitors and health trusts to efficiently manage their appointeeship and deputyship clients.

Key Features of Financial Protection

• Tracking the status of appointeeship or deputyship applications
• Recording relevant contacts and documentation
• Managing client property and assets
• Linking directly to a corporate finance system
• Integrating with individual high street bank accounts to track account credits (i.e. benefits paid) and debits (i.e. bills paid)
• Reconciling client bank accounts

The module enables smoother management of client assets and finances, saving time and money for those with this responsibility. Processes are made more efficient, and clients will receive better financial care.

We spoke to Kingston and Sutton about their experience of implementing the functionality over the last year. They explained the benefits they have seen even at this early stage.

As John Smyth, Interim Head of Finance Operations and Resident Support (Kingston and Sutton) explains: “We set up a joint team and we wanted to have a really fresh approach in the way that we did our recording, as well as the way that we did our banking.”

Background: Appointeeship & Deputyship at Kingston and Sutton

Kingston manages approximately 210 appointeeship and deputyship cases, with Sutton managing about 220. Both are running at near maximum capacity with a relatively large caseload of deceased accounts. Sutton have migrated the management of appointeeship and deputyship clients from spreadsheets to the Financial Protection module. Kingston will follow suit in a couple of months’ time.

Moving away from spreadsheets means there can be no uncertainty over version control or access. The previous system was prone to crashing which could lead to downtime within the team. This led to a desire for a more robust solution.

As Sarah Jamieson, Client Finance Lead (Sutton) explains: “We no longer run statements a month behind, and Financial Protection has enabled us to view transactions and statements all in one place.”

Kingston and Sutton held weekly configuration sessions to map out and refine these processes and refine these for implementation. Testing allowed the councils to remove almost half of their processes, ensuring that all processes were necessary and adding value to the client.

Kingston and Sutton held weekly configuration sessions to map out and refine these processes and refine these for implementation. Testing allowed the councils to remove almost half of their processes, ensuring that all processes were necessary and adding value to the client.

“It became a catalyst for rethinking our processes.”

- John Smyth, Interim Head of Finance Operations and Resident Support (Kingston and Sutton)

What Benefits has the Software Brought?

Staff have chosen to welcome the changes that Financial Protection have brought to their processes. The training they received helped them to ease into the new system.

“After testing, the team noticed a significant difference and the work became easier.”

- Sarah Jamieson, Client Finance Lead (Sutton)

Benefits of the new Financial Protection module have been observed by staff, and there is certainly a reciprocal positive effect on clients as missing payment items are picked up more quickly. Staff can be more proactive in managing client finances.

“It should grant us much better control and enable us to manage risk better. So, for example, missing benefit payments are much more obvious in Financial Protection than they would be on a spreadsheet. Previously, we would have to be contacted about missing items; now, we are more proactive.”

- Lucy Stieber, Financial Protection Officer (Kingston)

“Management feels more confident that we are looking after people’s money in the best way that we possibly can. And ultimately that is what it is all about.”

- John Smyth, Interim Head of Finance Operations and Resident Support (Kingston and Sutton)

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