My Department has overall responsibility for the supplementary welfare allowance – SWA – scheme which is administered as part of the community welfare service by the health boards.
There are extensive communication and consultation arrangements between my Department and the health boards on all aspects of the SWA scheme. These range over a broad spectrum of meetings, seminars, presentations, working manuals, circulars, letters and communication by e-mail.
These communication arrangements are for the purpose of providing guidance and advice on the interpretation of legislation, on procedural issues involved in the implementation of new schemes and on matters relating to the administration of existing schemes. My officials met with health board officials on 70 occasions in 1998.
My Department has a duty of care to the users of its services to ensure they are treated in a fair and equal manner, consistent with the relevant legislation, regardless of which office or official is dealing with their case. Communication plays a crucial role in achieving this.
There are large numbers of scheduled and once-off meetings held between my Department and senior health board officials on a wide variety of issues. These can range from daily operational matters concerning the computerisation of the SWA scheme to presentations and seminars to health boards on specific issues relating to policy, control and appeals procedures.
A variety of joint committees were established with the health boards in recent years to facilitate consultations on SWA related matters. A number of working groups meet regularly on specific issues to ensure that there is an appropriate degree of liaison between health boards and the Department in relation to the administration of the SWA scheme. The purpose of these groups is to discuss policy, technical, legislative and procedural issues, and to iron out difficulties that can arise. One such group was involved in drafting and issuing the first comprehensive SWA procedures manual to health boards in 1998.
I intend to rationalise some of the existing groups and committees in the near future when the computerisation of the Eastern Health Board is completed to ensure that SWA issues can continue to be identified and addressed in full co-operation with the health boards.