Social Security Charter Review: research findings

13. Workshop 1: Views about the Charter

The first workshop with the core client group took place in July and 14 participants took part. The aims of the workshop were to introduce the Charter, outline the review process and understand the group’s priorities and identify areas for revision. Researchers provided information about the background and purpose of the Charter. Researchers also discussed findings from the first phase of research with clients, staff, and partner organisations. The group also received a presentation from SCoSS about their work to provide scrutiny of the Scottish social security system. Participants were split up into small groups to discuss their priorities for the Charter, the tone and language used in the Charter, and how the Charter should be communicated to clients. The sections below outline the findings from the small group discussions.

13.1 Feedback about the Charter and experiences with Social Security Scotland

There was positive feedback about the values and principles the Charter represents. Participants said having a charter and asking for input from clients reflected the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland’s approach to social security and the values that shape the system. Overall, participants were also positive about the Charter itself. They said the Charter was clear, an appropriate length, and were positive about the content of the commitments. One participant said the Charter didn’t seem like a “living document” given how much has changed in the years since it was written.

Participants also shared feedback about their experiences with Social Security Scotland. Some participants were pleased with their experience, highlighting in particular the culture of Social Security Scotland and of feeling “listened to”. Some made favourable comparisons with previous experiences with the DWP. There was also positive feedback about decision letters, with participants calling them clear and concise, and about the web chat function.

“The support and level of availability have been excellent and it’s actually been such a joy to deal with Scottish social security.” Core client group participant

Other participants were less positive about their experience. Some mentioned long wait times to receive decisions about their applications or to talk to or connect with an adviser on the phone or via web chat. Other issues raised were: unclear or contradictory communication; lack of support to answer questions; and more training for staff to understand health conditions and their impact.

“[More training to give staff a] better understanding of the health condition the person has been diagnosed with.” Core client group participant

13.2 Priorities for the Charter

In their small groups, participants discussed their priorities for the social security system and the Charter. Participants mentioned a range of broad and more specific priorities. One group said it was important the commitments in the Charter are delivered. They said the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland should be accountable for the implementation of the Charter. Another group highlighted the influence of the Charter on the culture of Social Security Scotland and in particular, how staff treat clients. Participants said the messages within the Charter filter down to staff and can help clients have positive interactions. One participant said they had experienced poor interactions in the past and the Charter was a way to ensure clients had better experiences. One participant said the Charter set out how staff should be kind, and said it was important that clients reciprocated this by treating staff with kindness too.

“[The Charter could help to avoid an experience like] talking to someone on the phone not knowing [what to do] and the person on the other side not caring.” Core client group participant

Several participants said it was vital that clients were kept informed about the progress of their applications. Participants said updates can help prevent clients feeling anxious and disappointed when progress takes longer than expected. Participants mentioned “backlogs” of applications and uncertainty about when decisions would arrive. Participants said updates for example, via email or text message, would help reduce anxiety.

“People start positive then are disappointed…disappointment is crushing…If people know what’s going on, people won’t be disappointed.” Core client group participant

Participants also said it was important to have access to practical information about where to find help or who to contact if things go wrong. Suggestions included information for specific groups for example, carers, or about organisations who provide support. One participant said the Charter should include information about how to make a complaint. Others said it could be difficult to know which benefits to apply for when first engaging with the benefit system so a guide or a flow chart for different circumstances could be helpful.

13.3 The tone of the Charter

Participants also discussed the language used in the Charter, and its overall tone. There were a range of views on whether the Charter should be aspirational or more realistic in tone. In these discussions, participants touched on a range of overlapping issues such as: setting a high standard for service delivery; giving clients reassurance about what the system is like and setting realistic expectations; and incorporating future ambitions for the social security system. One group felt it was important for the Charter to include aspirational elements. They suggested the Charter could include information about the future development of the social security system under headings such as “we will…” and “we aspire to…”. Another group felt it was “better [for the Charter] to deal in fact than aspiration”.

Overall, there was wide support for the Charter to avoid language which is ambiguous and open to interpretation. There was negative feedback for language which is “vague”, “woolly”, “ambiguous”, and “uncertain”. Participants preferred language which is clear, avoids confusion, and states with certainty “what can be done and what can’t”. As such, participants preferred commitments to use phrases like “we will” and not “we aim” to avoid potential uncertainty. One participant said they found communications from the Scottish Government to always be clear and precise and this mirrored their preference for “closed, clear written language”.

Participants said clarity helped clients have better experiences and can avoid the frustration of unmet expectations. One participant said clear commitments allowed clients to better understand the system and would be less likely to “expect miracles”. Another participant said this tone helped clients trust and believe the commitments would be delivered. One group said clear language also made it easier to judge if commitments were being met. Overall, there was a strong sense that the Charter should reflect what clients can expect from the social security system and similarly, that clients’ experiences should reflect the content of the Charter.

13.4 Communicating the Charter

Participants were asked for their views on the format of the Charter and how it is communicated to clients. Some participants said awareness of the Charter was limited both among clients and across wider society. One group of participants said marketing the Charter would raise awareness of both the available benefits and the approach to social security as a human right. Participants said advertising benefits marked a significant difference from the approach taken by the DWP and reflected the ethos of Social Security Scotland, including the values of dignity, fairness and respect for clients.

There was mixed feedback about the best approach to sharing information about the Charter with clients. Whilst some participants mentioned paper copies of the Charter at community locations such as libraries, one participant highlighted the potential environmental impact and suggested digital communication instead.

Some participants said clients should receive a copy of the Charter as soon as possible in their interactions with Social Security Scotland. Others said a short summary of the Charter should be provided with all correspondence from the agency.

There was overall support for finding a balance between helpful information and keeping the Charter relevant and not too long. Participants thought clients were less likely to read a long document so a shorter document, a concise summary, would also be beneficial. There was a suggestion that a summary version could direct clients to a longer, more detailed Charter document to give clients choice about how much to read. There were also suggestions for including more visual elements to make the Charter more engaging.

13.5 Reflections on the Charter Measurement Framework

Although not directly covered as part of their discussions, several themes raised by participants were relevant to the framework and were used to guide and shape the review activity. Participants were interested to know what was being done to develop and improve the social security system and about plans for the future. They highlighted that a key aspect of the power of the Charter would be lost without assurances about how the commitments were being met. However, in their discussions about accountability it was noted that there was limited awareness of the range of evidence about performance that is regularly published by the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland. These reflections were used to develop questions for the participants to discuss at a later workshop.