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Consumer Vulnerability (Services (A Service Strategy should answer the…

- - - - Others....
      - Community events (e.g. SPEN Network Natter)
      - GP Visits (e.g. SPEN jab and jabber)
      - Shopping centre stands
      - School visits
    - - Referral of customer to PSR via company
        
        Example - UKPN Established PSR referral partnerships with SSAFA (ex-military), Wavelength (social isolation), Catch 22 (care leavers and ex-offenders), Cruse (bereavement) and the Salvation Army."
        
        Example - SPEN and UKPN make use of GP Surgeries and NHS to target vulnerable customers in specific areas, as informed by data
      - Direct sign-up of customer to PSR
        
        Example - WPD Affordable Warmth and Power Up schemes
      - Companies should have a structured method to select partners though which they should advertise the PSR. A balanced scorecard approach similar to that employed to pick delivery and engagement partners can be used.
    - - Website
      - Google search optimisation
      - Phone
      - E-Mail
      - Mail
      - Employee customer referral scheme
    - - Sponsor vehicles with PSR info
        
        Example - Cadent sponsors F&R veichles with CO related information and signposts company services
      - Awareness campaigns
      - Targeted advertising boards
      - Digital advertisement
        
        Online adverts on nation-wide groups and website for individuals suffering by various situations of vulnerability
        
        Social media targeted to areas of high vulnerability
      - Print advertisement
        
        BT Phone Book
        
        Vulnerability specific paper (e.g. Enable Magazine)
        
        Local news (Radio/Print/TV)
  - - - SPEN EXAMPLE
      - Track provenance of customers who land on your signup page online
      - Ask partners to deliver number of signups on a monthly basis
      - Ask customers to indicate this on the online or telephone signup
  - - - The format advertising campaigns must be appropriate to reach vulnerable customers who may be affected by various impairments. Examples include:
        
        more...
        
        BSL translation on website
        
        Large Print
        
        Braille
    - - The content of the advisement campaigns should be tailored to the specific gap found in a given area. For instance, areas where there is a large gap in old age customers should be targeted with messages directed at this demographic.
      - Informed by data companies should direct promotion to the areas where there expected gaps are most prominent.
- - - - Example - UKPN has partnered with Sustainability Exchange in London to reach specifically the muslim community in east London
  - - - We suggest a balanced scorecard approach to assess different partners with the aim to choose the best one to fit the company's needs. Aspects to be measured include:
        
        Partner reputation
        
        Wider benefit to company
        
        Partner capability
        
        Subject matter expertise
        
        Ability to cover multiple roles
        
        Partner Coverage
        
        Shared Values
        
        Cost of partnership
    - - Companies should have a set process to identify partners where needed. Methods include:
        
        Search keywords on Government's charity list
        
        Reach out to existing local partners to identify potential options
    - - Breakdown on engagement and delivery partners
        
        Training partners
        
        Delivery partners are those that the company relies on to offer services, and more in general support, to customers where the company is not best placed to do so.
        
        Engagement partners are those that he company uses to gather feedback directly from vulnerable customers and understand their wants and needs.
      - SECV criteria for excellence require companies to show that they are using partnerships in a way that (1) is effective and (2) that does not create unecenecessary work
        
        Companies can show they are managing partnerships effectively by developing a clear process to review their performance
        
        Set up new projects as Proof of Concept and define 'what constitutes success' before starting it
        
        Review final outcome of project/POC and identify lessons learned. Decide to improve or stop the project.
        
        Review delivery at regular intervals
        
        Set delivery expectation and division of role with standard form that is co-signed by partner and company representative
        
        Companies can show that they are not creating unnecessary work by showing how they are bringing partners to perform actions that they are not best placed to deliver.
        
        Ability to identify the capabilities required to deliver new customer need/service
        
        Identify the company's core capabilities
- - - - Companies should develop a set of actions statements that bring to life what the company will do to achieve its mission statement. These act as the pillars of a vulnerability strategy. For example, Cadent has the following action statements:
        
        Provide all with equal access to products and services
        
        Provide tailored, value for money, services directly or through partners that add value to customers affected by different situations
        
        Train customer facing staff to identify and respond to all situations of vulnerability
        
        Establish network of partners to understand, identify and address vulnerability across networks served
        
        Understand the nature of vulnerability in your communities
        
        Collaborate with industry to develop unified approach to addressing vulnerable situations across the country
        
        Have detailed, up to date and reliable data on vulnerable customer which is used actively, by all parts of the business to deliver a service tailored to their needs.
        
        Example - WPD states: "A key strategic focus was to use this data across our entire consumer vulnerability programme, ensuring that our efforts to identify hard to reach customers and provide proactive advice and support, is always targeted at the areas of greatest need."
    - - The company's vulnerability strategy should be driven by the same structure, principles as the company's overall SE strategy. Vulnerable customers are specific group of stakeholder with particular needs, this requires the company to come up with a specific strategy to support them.
    - - Companies should have challenging targets for improved impact on vulnerable customers. It is crucial that companies explain why these targets are challenging.
      - Companies should have clear KPIs and make targets as definite and precise as possible. Targets are practical and measurable objectives not aspirations or mission statements.
        
        WPD example - (1) Minimum of three referral partners in each WPD operational district by 2019 (81 total).
        (2) Activity targeted at areas of greatest need. Target minimum 40% PSR take-up versus total eligibility per region.
        
        Example - UKPN:
        - PSR customer satisfaction – 92% customer satisfaction for PSR customers in 2017/18. This will increase to 92.5% and 93% in the next two years
        - PSR customers during a major event – Contact and offer support to 100% of affected PSR customers in the event of a power cut
    - - What is the objective of the company with regards to consumer vulnerability?
        
        Example - UKPN: "Our vulnerability strategy is to understand the needs of, and where appropriate support (especially in the event of a power cut), our customers who are
        more likely to suffer detriment, or substantially more detriment, than a typical energy customer"
  - - - Example - ensure accessibility (Double A accessibility standard) of all website pages and provide options for deaf customers to get in touch with you. Organisations such as AbilityNet provide certifications for these standards
      - Example - UKPN: "We improved our website, changing fonts and colours and removing certain menus to make it more accessible to disabled customers."
- - - - Measure and assess the most effective ways of getting PSR signups
      - Range of stakeholders
        
        Companies should make efforts to reach all types of vulnerable customers via appropriate methods. See list of vulnerable customers on Stakeholder Engagement branch.
      - Paid Channels
        
        Update contact details
        
        Example - UKPN: "...we maintained our approach of using specialist data company Nexis Lexus to check, update and refresh our PSR contact data."
        
        Partners
        
        Data sets on UK deaths record
      - Organic Channels
        
        Partners
        
        Example - WPD: We have formed partnerships with existing trusted fuel poverty outreach programmes who via their existing front-line services seek to identify hard-to-reach customers not already knows to WPD...we work with one lead agency, which coordinates several smaller agencies. The aim is to act on the key insight that, due to common vulnerability factors, a high proportion of fuel poor customers are also likely to need priority assistance during power cuts. The primary goal is to provide assistance to fuel poor customers, but to utilise this to directly register customers also eligible for the PSR.
        
        Customer on the doorstep
        
        Outbound customer call
        
        Inbound customer call
    - - Process to update
        
        Staffing
        
        Example - WPD has two dedicated data cleanse teams who contact every known PSR customer to update their details, remind them how to contact WPD, offer resilience advice and where appropriate, refer them for practical fuel poverty support from one of WPD’s partnership schemes"
        
        At customer touchpoint
        
        Companies should make the due arrangements to update the data held on a customer's situation at each possible touch point. This includes:
        
        Upon receiving a customer call
        
        Making a customer call
        
        Upon meeting a customer at the doorstep as part of BAU operations
        
        Through customer interaction with partners
        
        Recurring
        
        Channels to update
        
        Mail
        
        Example - WPD Wrote to 316,250 PSR customers we had not had contact with in 3+ years before deleting them from the PSR
        
        Partners
        
        Proactive phone call
        
        Companies should ensure they have appropriate processes to update records of those on temporary registrations. An example is to contact the customer at the end of the pre-determined period on the PSR and enquire on further needs.
        
        Companies should have a process to ensure that records do not go over a certain threshold of 'age'. Most companies ensure that no-record is left untouched for more than 2 years.
        
        Example - UKPN: "...includes a challenging target to ensure that all PSR records are updated every 18 months, reducing this to 12 months by 2020."
      - Identify data gaps
        
        Vulnerability mapping can indicate gaps in PSR data by comparing existing PSR list with a set of private and public data which can estimate numbers of vulnerable customers in a given area.
        
        Socio-economic/ Demographic
        
        Fuel Poor Households
        
        Foreign language speakers
        
        Energy inefficient homes
        
        Health (mental health, self-reported poor health, disability benefit claimant)
        
        Age (children under 5 and 16, people over 56, 75 and 85)
        
        Low Income (single parent, low paying jobs, unemployed)
        
        Experian Mosaic data
        
        Over 400 variables are assessed in order to segment the population. Indicators are selected from these variables to identify vulnerable households
        
        Classification data for populations in specific geopgrahic areas
        
        Anonymised address data
        
        Company customer address data can be anonymised to show existing PSR customers on map
    - - Forecast evolution of vulnerability
        
        Vulnerability mapping can indicate gaps in PSR data by comparing existing PSR list with a set of private and public data which can estimate numbers of vulnerable customers in a given area. Forecasts on these datasets, as well as analysis of main demographic and socio-economic trends, can inform the evolution of vulnerability. This understanding should impact the long-term strategy of the company.
      - Informs strategy
        
        Understanding the particular characteristics of vulnerability across the communities you serve should impact a company's strategy to tacke this.
        
        Another example is how an understanding of the main situations of vulnerability affecting the communities served can impact the targets set by the company
        
        Example - WPD calculates substation vulnerability to inform its network reinforcement investment decisions. This shows an impact on business strategy not only vulnerability strategy
      - Integration in emergency response
        
        Preparedness
        
        Group PSR codes in priority lists. In the case of emergency who will be addressed first and foremost?
        
        Actions
        
        More...
        
        Prioritise actions to diminish impact on vulnerable households
        
        Provide electricity generators to most in need
      - Use of Vulnerability mapping
        
        Other
        
        Inform operations in BAU field work activities
        
        Example - UKPN:"Data informs the location and nature of welfare support during outages. For example, if the area has a high population of a specific faith we provide catering specific to the dietary requirements of that faith."
        
        Example - WPD:"...launched a new system for mapping PSR customers. This helps staff to use their handheld devices on site to apply filters on our PSR to identify customers in need and better target our services. This may include providing bespoke communication and advice, as well as offers of practical support."
        
        Example - prioritise door knocking for vulnerable customers and prepare material which is appropriate to situations of vulnerability presented in the area (e.g. prepare translation services for customers in areas with high concentration of non-English speakers)
        
        Specific vulnerabilities by area
        
        Show the concentration of customers affected by a specific situation of vulnerability (i.e. specific need codes) and establish partnerships with organisations and charities to offer support tailored to regional dynamics.
        
        Example- show estimated level of fuel poverty by area and target these regions with partners and referral networks that provide fuel poverty support
        
        Example - Prioritise network reinforcement on high incidence of off-gas customers to lessen the negative impact on vulnerable customers in these areas.
        
        Aggregate vulnerability by area
        
        Show gap between actual and expected PSR uptake in given area then target regions with largest gap with PSR awareness campaigns
        
        Show areas with a high concentration of vulnerable customers to inform investment in infrastructure,
- - - - Customers should be able to sign up to the PSR for a set time-frame tied to a temporary situation of vulnerability.
    - - Eligibility to services offered to customers on the PSR should be offered to all those customers who may feel they are struggling at the moment and need extra support
      - A company should add to the PSR only those customers who are suffering from a commonly recognised situation of vulnerability. This allows for more effective data sharing with industry partners and prevents the PSR from reaching an unmanageable size.
  - - - PSR specific services
        
        Generators to keep homes on supply
        
        Community support veichles
        
        Emergency boxes
        
        PSR Welcome Boxes
        
        Batteries
        
        Medicine cool bags
        
        Bespoke
        
        Hotel rooms
        
        Food delivery
        
        Food drops (helicopter)
        
        Family travel paid
      - Communication services
        
        Recite-Me website feature
        
        RoboBraille
        
        Interpreter Now
        
        Peace of mind service for home visits
        
        Plug-in power outage device for smart meters
        
        Two-way SMS systems
        
        Dedicated telephone line
        
        Dedicated customer service teams
        
        Proactive calls to customer before service
        
        Next generation Text service
      - Additional vulnerable customer services
        
        Income maximisation
        
        Behavioural changes (e.g. efficient use of heating)
        
        Health and well being measures (e.g. NHS referral, Mobility aid)
        
        Free installation of energy efficiency measures
        
        Tariff switching services
        
        Boiler replacements
        
        Referral to water social tariffs
      - Note that the list of services is purely indicative. A company has to offer the services that its customers want and need and are also prepared to pay for - this may be different from company to company.
    - - Partner delivered
      - In-house
      - Referrals
      - Companies should offer a clear rationale to explain why they have set up services in the way they have (e.g. why do we offer the meter move service and why does Age UK offer dementia related services)
        
        This should be based on the core capabilities of the company and, tied to this, which tasks it is best placed carry out
  - - - Companies should have standard processes to set up the delivery of services, either in-house or through partners. This enhances the efficiency of the stakeholder engagement function .
      - Partnership/Referral/Self-Delivery
      - POC & Testing
        
        Before rolling out services to the full customer base (or target stakeholders) the company should set up short term POCs in a 'controlled' environment to test feasibility, best practice, verify benefits delivered and customer 'appetite' for such services.
    - - Companies should establish processes that allow them to review the number of outputs and amount of benefit delivered by services. Processes will vary depending on who is delivering the service (referral/partner/in-house)
      - Companies should measure and verify the assumptions that went into the calculation of qualitative benefits (i.e. SROI) to ensure that the benefits expected did materialise. This contributes to the rigour with which a company demonstrates its impact.
      - Companies should set clear expectations in terms of (1) outputs delivered and (2) benefit deliver by given services
  - - - Companies should develop an additional level of detail to the PSR need codes. The need codes as they are, do not indicate customer needs rather situations which network companies should consider. Companies should engage with customers and their representative to develop a clear list of practical needs that customers affected by different situations (PSR need codes) have with regards to their energy supply.
      - The list of needs for each PSR code should be compared to the list of services offered by the network company to check for gaps and demonstrate far-reaching and targeted coverage.
    - - Establish direct sight between field teams and S.E. teams to identify and communicate on customer needs
      - Arrange regular meeting with customer facing representatives to discuss the validity of the current set of needs identified and discuss any new ones.
      - Example - Cadent has set up a network of customer facing staff that focus on the needs of vulnerable customer: Safeguarding Champions. On top of advising on service delivery for specific group of customers they have oversight and responsibility to identify and communicate new customer needs.
      - Example - NPG studied the evolution vulnerable customers needs over the duration of a powercut.
  - - - How does the company ensure that customers are aware of the service it offers and how to access this help?
    - - How does the company review service delivery?
    - - How does the company arrange for service delivery?
      - How does Cadent build internal capabilities to deliver these services?
    - - How does the company identify the needs of vulnerable customers?
      - How does the company pick which customer needs it is best placed to act on?
      - How does the company ensure that its services are the most effective in addressing customer needs?
- - - - Disability VR training (part of UKPN training)
      - Tools simulating vulnerability (e.g. UKPN senior management training)
    - - EXAMPLE - WPD staff have received expert training from organisations including Dementia UK, Energy Saving Trust, British Red Cross to pick up on warning signs of fuel poverty and vulnerability throughout customer calls
  - - - Companies often use partners as an extension of their CV delivery within communities. Partners cover different roles from signing up customers to the PSR, referring them to WPD and more. Best performers provide training that enables partners to fulfill their role.
        
        *"Example - WPD: We created a short, animated e-learner to train staff at partner organisations about:
        
        WPD and our role during power cuts
        
        The benefits of registering to the PSR
        
        Advice for how to cope during a powercut
        
        How to register customers on the PSR and become a formal PSR referral partner"*
    - - Specific members of a company's customer facing staff should be trained to interface with customers affected by all types of vulnerability (e.g. dementia)
        
        Example - WPD:"Velindre Cancer Centre who now sign-up new PSR customers on our behalf and deliver expert face-to-face training to help all Contact Centre staff to better tailor our PSR services to those effected by serious illnesses."
      - Companies should ensure that all customer facing staff is aware of the company's responsibility with respect to alleviating consumer vulnerability and the toold and process in place to do so.
        
        Example - WPD: Customer service & PSR-refresher
        training for all 5,000 field staff... course covered the steps we can take to support PSR customers ... staff were trained to identify signs of vulnerability for customers engaged during field works and to arrange for them to join the PSR. Staff discussed case studies of customer interactions, opportunities to provide bespoke support and the importance of taking personal responsibility and having the freedom to use their initiative to put things right.
      - Senior management should be trained to understand the need of those affected by situations of vulnerability. This shows senior management buy in and a culture geared towards the needs of customers.
        
        Example - UKPN put all senior management through a vulnerability training which replicates some common situations of vulnerability that affect a large number of customers. The training is facilitated by expert partners via the use of sensory simulation tools (e.g. glasses which restrict vision)
  - - - Example - NPG, Powergrid Cares
    - - Front line staff trained to recognise and record Consumer Vulnerability
        
        UKPN has trained 3000 staff in dementia. They have also trained 1558 staff to recognise and record CV. At least 60% of all staff has been exposed to some sort of vulnerability training.
        
        NPG has the target to expose 100% of all staff to vulnerability training
        
        WPD exposed all 5000 field staff to some sort of vulnerability training
      - Contact centre training to clean PSR data during periods low call volumes
      - Yearly refresher for customer service staff
      - Overview of steps to handle PSR customer inquiries
    - - RNIB Training
      - Parkinson Disease
      - Mind Health
      - Disability virtual reality training
      - Hearing loss specialist training
      - Sensory training for arthritis and visual impairments