POL00084275 - Report on closure work aid, audit process manual, chapter 5 performing a branch closure dated 23/11/2009.

Evidence on official site

Ver.
13.4

Activity

Closure Workaid

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Planned/
Unplanned

Planning

Contact Debt Recovery team to ascertain if any outstanding debt is to be recovered on closure of the
branch.
Agent Debt (Branch Control) Paul Dann (PL;

Contact Retail Cash Management on {
known.

that the ACC isabled by contacting the Outlet Field Support Team oni.
jor Post Line. at least 5 days before date of closure. If the date of closure is ‘less
than 5 days away contact the Reference Data Service oni
Ensure spare Closure Pack is carried to office Closure (P2: inal
Report, P301 Non disclosure statement) Best practice, to always carry spare Closure Pack with
you.

Planned/
Unplanned

Planning

Contact the outgoing agent al least 5 working days prior to closure and confirm receipt of closure
letter.

Discuss the Post Closure Activities list (attached to closure letter sent to branch) to ensure the
branch is preparing for closure. Post Closure Activities list can be found overleaf. Ensure the
branch has some one-trip rem pouches.

If there are any unresolved Cash In Pouch or Remittance discrepancies (cash) please contact the
appropriate team below to confirm they are proper to be held & if so to arrange a Transactional
Correction to b br:
Carol King (PL}
Dave Lancashire (PL)

Planned

Planning

Agree audit attendance time with the outgoing agent considering:

1. If cash and stock is to be returned using Shared Service confirm the collection time so audit
attendance can be aligned.

2. Confirm the value of cash held by the branch. If it is over the £10K limit for Shared Service or
the amount of coin on hand exceeds 4 full or part bags, asks the agent to return excess cash
over the limit for RMSD/Shared Service.

3. Ask the outgoing agent to confirm with the Postman that a collection is planned from the
branch on the day of our visit or following day depending on our attendance time.

Planned

On site

On arrival, ask the agent for the Pre Closure Activity list and the closure pack. Confirm what
activities have taken place in preparation for closure.

Planned

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— Chapter 5 Performing a Branch Closure

Page 1
5 Rem
Verification

Contact Admin Support! j to confirm the inward and outward rems.

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Planned

6 On site

Ask the outgoing agent to add you to Horizon with Manager access. If dealing with a suspension or
you need to post items to late account you will need to get ZAUD99 access via NBSC.

Planned/
Unplanned

7 Asset
Verification

Undertake a Horizon Final Balance.
Ensure that cash and stock is recorded correctly on Horizon. If it is not, re declare cash and stock
on hand; agree any discrepancies on hand with the outgoing agent.

Planned

8 Postage labels

Print postage labels for final Archiving Boxes (If not already printed by SPMR) Use Parcelforce and
claim amount as official postage.

Planned

9 Pay station

You will need to ensure that there are no outstanding barcode summaries by producing an unseen
barcode summary report from Paystation using the following path ADMIN, enter, Reports menu,
enter, unseen barcode summary report enter yes. The terminal will produce a report detailing all
outstanding barcode summaries. These must be reprinted using the following path Admin, enter,
Print BCS, enter, at this point enter the batch ID number from the unseen BCS report the BCS will
then print out and this can be scanned into Horizon this process must be undertaken for each
outstanding BCS listed on the barcode summary report.

For audit temp closures the terminal must be placed in the secure area of the office. Advise product
ager of the closure and ensure the terminal is suppressed by contacting Jane Adcock on

For business as usual closures, as part of the end of day process a cut off would need to be run on
the terminal. This produces a bar-coded summary for the total value of transactions performed that
day. The pay station terminal can then be disconnected from the power supply and telephone line
the terminal is packed up ready for collection and that the Postmaster is aware of the collection, if
Auditor is not sure they must contact Chris Edwards o1
collection of terminal.

If the Paystation is not on site contact Jane Adcock o1

Unplanned

Planned

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10 TC’s and Debt I Bring any outstanding Transactional Corrections to account and discuss how the agent will make Planned/
recovery jood any losses. Credit/Debit card payments can be accepted by calling Debt Recovery team on Unplanned

debit/credit card payments can be offered if
before 5pm Monday to Friday
11 Rems to BdC Spoil traveller cheques, complete Certificate of Inventory Destruction, (TC8 ), despatch in Green Planned/
pouch marked branch closure TC's. Unplanned
BdC currency should be returned using horizon print out and in purple pouch marked Currency.
12 Cash Rems Rem out all the cash on hand and seal in grey pouches enclosing the Horizon print out ensuring that I Planned/
you keep to the pouch limits for the branch. Affix coin bar code label P6097 and scan prior to sealing. I Unplanned
Coin bags should be remitted out and bar code label P6097 affixed to the back of the coin return
advice. Presentation standards can be found in Operational Workaid week 15 2003 & should be
adhered.
13 Stock Rems to I Rem out all stock on hand and seal in Green Stock pouches enclosing the Horizon receipt. Planned/
ADC PLEASE NOTE MVL DISC’S ARE REMMED OUT BUT DESTROYED LOCALLY. Unplanned
Activated All activated Instant Lottery tickets are to be remmed out and returned with the activation slips in
Instant Lottery I Green Stock Pouches. If activation slips are not on hand contact the Helpline to confirm that all
Tickets activated cards on hand are within the final return date. Any obsolete tickets are not to be returned
and the shortage is to be made good.

Unactivated Unactivated Packs are to be verified by confirming they agree with the Unactivated Pack Summary

Instant Lottery I and Individual Pack Status reports obtained from the Camelot Terminal. The Pack numbers are then

Tickets to be recorded on the National Lottery Return Ticket Form, (WH 1), and returned by special delivery
to Paula Sheriff, Returns Department, Camelot PLC, The Kestrel Centre Unit, 44 Salthouse Road,
Brackmills Trading Estate, Northampton, NN4 7EX.

14 CIT same day Prepare collection before the CIT officer arrives — F1, F3, and F13, scan barcodes then F1 to Planned/

complete. On arrival of CIT F1, F3 and F14, scan the barcode on the ACC (prior to transferring Unplanned
EACH pouch to CIT) then handover the pouches obtaining a signature for them on the collection
receipt and F1 to complete. Retain one of the collection slips and file with the closure documentation.
You can only complete a Final Trading Statement once the CIT collection is complete

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15

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CIT next day

To prepare pouch F1, F3, F13, F1 then F4 to print, obtain 3 pouch collection slips. To despatch
pouches F1, F3 and F14 scan barcode then F1 to complete. Keep the collection receipt with the
pouches ready for despatch the following day. To move the amount into table 9 you will need to roll
over the stock unit - if you have already rolled over prior to undertaking the despatch pouch process
you will need to roll over into the next c/a week.

Planned/
Unplanned

16

Despatch of
Rem pouches

If CIT are not attending ON the same day and the postmaster will be despatching the pouches,
transfer the pouches to the outgoing Subpostmaster using the reverse of one of the Pouch Collection
receipts from Horizon. Write this statement on the reverse of the receipt, I confirm receipt of the
pouches listed overleaf. I will secure the pouches in the safe and despatch as agreed signed
by the outgoing agent and the NFSA. Bring the signed statement away with you and leave a self-
addressed envelope on hand so the agent can sent you the despatch note once complete. PLEASE
NOTE FOR UNPLANNED CLOSURES WE SHOULD DEAL WITH THE DESPATCH DIRECTLY
OR AGREE DESPATCH WITH CONTRACTS & SERVICE TEAM.

Planned/
Unplanned

17

Reconciliations

Complete all the reconciliation's and despatch the weekly pouches Chesterfield and Girobank as per
the Counter Operations manuals.

Planned/
Unplanned

18

19

Admin

Final Account

Despatch datestamp with destruction certificates (Appendix J & K) & national lottery scratch cards
via RMSD at the nearest available P.O. The parcel datestamp should be destroyed locally by
removing the rubber and cut in 4. Travel insurance policy pads should be destroyed locally.

Proceed to complete the Trading Statement and prepare P242 final trading statement. Ensure that
the outgoing agent signs the P242, as well as the NFSA. If there is an amount is suspense, note the
reason for the suspense item. Enclose in an envelope; mark FAO Paul Dann, Debt Recovery Team
and forward to Chesterfield in the brown pouch on the day of the closure. Please note that for late
account items over £1k, a copy of the report should be sent to Paul Dann.

Planned

Planned/
Unplanned

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20

Transaction
synchronisation

option 2 ensure that more than 30 minutes have
elapsed since the last CUSTOMER transactio1 that the final cash account as been printed.
Please identify yourselves in the following way: "I am a Post Office NFSA A N Other, Pass Number
XXX at A N Other Post Office Branch" calling to confirm (For Single Counter Branches)
synchronisation with the mirror disk, (For Multi Counter Branches) End of day marker. Confirm the
time and date that the last cash account was completed & inform them that they need to refer this
call to Tier 2.

Before you contact P.O. Helpline on

Planned

21

Transaction
synchronisation
failure

If the transaction synchronisation failed, Call the Fujitsu Services OBC team on
in order to initiate data retrieval by FS Mobile Engineering. In the event that the above
number cannot be reached (for example due to local telephony problems), then a contingency
number of i, “ishould be used. Obtain from the Fujitsu Services OBC team the call
reference number and record on ki r. Advise Post Office Ltd’s NIST on: South West &
Midlands NIET area branches - i
area branches -j
that data synchronisation has not been confirmed.
switched on at all times

Ensure that the Horizon equipment remains

Planned

22

Romec support

Locate the PMMC and pin. Secure in the safe so the RoMEC engineer can access for removal of
horizon equipment or agree storage with retail line for unplanned closures. Add the followi er:
, Surname - Omec. User id therefore : 7

Planned

23

Datestamp

ate stamps should be secured in the locked safe and arrangements made with the retail line for the
storage of the keys.

Note: Only where the Field Advisor has concerns regarding the security of the safe, or where no safe
exists, then the datestamp head or self inking datestamp should be returned, with any branch keys
and alarms codes, to the Network Support Admin Team in Leeds.

Unplanned/
Temporary

24

Investigation
support

Contact should be made with the investigators to confirm what/if any accounting documents they
require. These should be taken off site if requested by the investigators.

Unplanned

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25 MI notification I For ALL closures contact the relevant Admin Team (see number 5) whilst ON SITE to confirm the Planned/
following: Branch name, FAD code, Type of closure - Suspension/BAU, deficiency/surplus in final Unplanned
account, date of closure, Pouch numbers and contents i.e. cash or stock and amount of cash
enclosed in pouch, Cash Centre and Coin Centre that deal, Permanent or Temporary closure, rem
pouches despatched or not and date of collection?
26 National Contact Camelot retailer hotline o! & inform them that the branch is closed and no Unplanned/Planned
Lottery further transactions are to take place under the current retailer number. If lottery is being retained
branches then a new retailer number will be issued. Verify unactivated scratchcards to print out from lottery
terminal.
27 Retention of File paperwork locally for 60 days. If there were issues on closure or if there was a suspension Planned/
documentation I please retain the paperwork in accordance with the Retention of paperwork policy. Unplanned
28 Post Audit Save and password protect the P32 in the correct format e.g. SUSPENSION.023323.010105.xls and I Unplanned
activities email to P32 file generic email address.

What goes where and how?
Old accounting records via Parcel post standard - Royal Mail Account, Iron Mountain Records Management, Norman Road, Pickardy Manor Way, Belvedere,
KENT DA17 6JY
Metal Datestamp via Special delivery - A M Precision, Unit 1, Georges Ground, Marston trading Estate, Frome, Somerset, BA11 4RP
Self inking datestamp via Special delivery - Ludwigs Ltd, Unit 19 Handley Page Way Colney Street St Albans AL2 2DQ

Unactivated Instants via Special delivery - Paula Sheriff, Returns Department, Camelot PLC, The Kestrel Centre Unit, 44 Salthouse Road, Brackmills Trading
Estate, Northampton, NN4 7EX

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