What BFI sought to achieve

To publish a report that was of value to the Secretary of State, local authorities and other organisations involved in benefit delivery such as the Benefits Agency. That was the scale of the task facing us when we started our inspection of Blackpool Borough Council. This inspection would lead to our first published report.

We knew we needed to make a difference to the way the social security system is administered.

Our aim was to show that we could approach an inspection process in a different way to others and provide an incentive for Blackpool and other organisations to make benefit delivery more effective and secure.

Demonstrating our capability

In the first six months of our existence we led a sheltered life. Between March and September 1997 the results of our efforts in developing an inspection methodology were confined to insiders such as trial local authorities and the Department of Social Security. Blackpool provided an opportunity to demonstrate our capability. The Blackpool Inspection Report would be exposed to public scrutiny.

Our aim was to help secure all the gateways to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. This brought us into contact with the Benefits Agency and Employment Services as well as Blackpool Borough Council.

Building a partnership
takes mutual
understanding and
respect

We had listened to the key players, such as the Department and various local government representatives. The consistent message was "all local authorities are different". We responded to this message by seeking to identify as early as possible what made Blackpool unique.

Our initial meeting with the Chief Executive and his staff gave us a clear indication. Blackpool has a transient population and a cash-based economy. To help Blackpool cope with this BFI needed to identify how these conditions affected the amount of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit paid out. This initial meeting set the agenda for our inspection and final report.

Where we are now with Blackpool

Blackpool Borough Council is now in a position to counter fraud more effectively. The authority can focus attention on the main risks it faces in delivering benefit. But it cannot work alone; the Benefits Agency and Employment Services must play a part.

Blackpool’s formal response to the BFI report, addressed to the Secretary of State, testified to the need for co-operation. Senior officials in each of the three main organisations signed the detailed action plan submitted to the Secretary of State. They are committed to sharing information and working together in future.

The consistent message
was "all local authorities
are different"

What we did at Blackpool

This constructive response provides a model for those we inspect in future. This forward look reflects the approach taken by everyone involved in the inspection.

We started by working in partnership with practitioners. We avoided pre-judging situations and remained open-minded until we had sufficient evidence to discuss our views with inspected organisations.

Building a partnership takes mutual understanding and respect. Our efforts centred on keeping lines of communication open. Whenever we were unsure of data and information we sought clarification. As soon as we thought we had an issue that might feature in our report and reflect badly on Blackpool or the other agencies we discussed it.

We listened to the key players in order to understand the peculiarities of the Blackpool area.

We were acutely aware that BFI could be seen as an imposition that consumed other people’s time and resources. So we maintained a strict timetable which we shared with everyone at the planning stage.

It’s good to talk. And it is good to be professional. In Blackpool we had a team with a variety of skills. They had local authority experience, Benefits Agency and Employment Services backgrounds, audit training. This mix enabled us to bring appropriate skills and experience to bear on the many and varied issues and constraints that Blackpool faces.

Blackpool was not only our first inspection, it was also the first time that the results of our inspection work would come in contact with the media. As this was our first inspection we were all unsure of how the media would treat our work. As it turned out we needed our communications people from an early stage. On the first day on site local radio sought live breakfast time interviews with both Blackpool and us. It was important for us and for Blackpool that both our inspection findings and Blackpool’s response were properly and professionally coordinated; and that DSS Ministers and Council members were kept appraised of developments throughout.

What of the future?

Each authority is different but some problems are common. Other authorities also face transient populations and make many of their rent allowance payments direct to landlords. Collective solutions can therefore be developed. At present a forum for authorities facing similar problems does not exist. BFI is encouraging those with similar problems to get together and develop a common approach to tackling fraud. Later this year we are sponsoring, with Blackpool, a seminar to kick-start this initiative.