The Department of Social Protection serves a wide and diverse group of customers including families, people in employment, unemployed people, people with illnesses and disabilities, carers and older people. In more recent times, my Department has expanded its remit to provide a range of services to employers.
My Department is continuously engaging with this broad customer base to increase public awareness of its schemes and services. With this in mind, a dedicated Communications and Customer Services Unit was established within my Department whose role is to ensure information about the Department is directed appropriately to the various customer groups in an effective manner, so they can access assistance from the Department when and if required.
Since last September, a series of advertising campaigns have been undertaken including; paternity benefit, the launch of MyGovID, the extension of the treatment benefits scheme to the self-employed and most recently a campaign to raise awareness about social welfare fraud.
Advertising campaigns represent just one of the many ways in which my Department provides information to customers; engagement with formal customer representative groups, presentations at customer conferences and events, website updates, social media and participation in our jobseekers programmes are all part of the communication mix.
When planning advertising campaigns, particular focus is given where changes to schemes arise - as was the case in treatment benefits being extended to the self-employed in March this year - or where a new scheme is launched, such as paternity benefit in September 2016. However, all Department services and functions will be considered in the context of further promotional work undertaken.