Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 112
Review support and training for CMS staff within six months and report findings
Recommendation
We acknowledge that staff working for the Child Maintenance Service can have a difficult caseload and come across difficult and distressing situations routinely as part of their work. To ensure that staff are able to support customers, appropriate training and support is essential. The Government should review, within six months of this Report being published, the support and training provided to CMS staff and report its findings to the Committee, alongside the actions it will take in response to remedy any issues identified.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of staff support and training, stating that CMS already proactively and continually reviews, evaluates, and enhances support tools and training materials. It commits to taking timely action to identify and offer additional training where improvements can be made, but does not commit to the requested specific review within six months or reporting findings to the Committee.
Paragraph Reference:
112
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Department recognises that Child Maintenance Service staff work incredibly hard to collect maintenance so that separated families receive the financial support that they are due; this is a challenging job undertaken in very difficult circumstances. The Department agrees that staff working for the CMS are routinely exposed to difficult and distressing situations and often endure unacceptable behaviour from its customers. CMS are proactive in their understanding of this challenge and invest in continually seeking to offer, review, evaluate and enhance support tools and training material to support staff in delivering a quality customer service. CMS take timely action to identify and offer additional training and support where further improvements can be made to prepare, upskill and improve staff confidence in situations that are challenging, to ensure consistency in the handling of such sensitive cases and conversations.