Responses to NFSP questions on Postmaster Support policies
1. Network Cash and Stock Policy
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1. I What do PO deem as excess cash? This is any amount over and above the amount that Post Office
1 request is sent back. If Post Office send a planned order message
for £10,000, and the branch declares they are holding £30,000 the
night before collection, Post Office would expect them to send back
the difference, £20,000. If the branch only returns £5,000, they are
holding £15,000 excess. This may be because there was a local
issue the branch knew about.
1. I Cash requests. Are there any ongoing issues and are they I We can have issues when a branch makes inaccurate or incomplete
2 recorded? cash declarations. All calls to cash centre are recorded.
1. I What AM support is provided? AMs should only be an escalation point if the branch believes the
3 Inventory Team have not dealt with them correctly. All queries
should go directly to the Inventory team for fastest resolution.
1. I Cash & Stock returns discrepancy. What is the timescale I Currently the timescale is open ended, but we would need to know
4 and is it recorded? within 14 days if CCTV footage is required so that it can be
downloaded and stored in its original condition.
1. I Can PO share the liquidity level of cash? Enquiries are being undertaken with Treasury, but it is unlikely that
5 this information is shareable.
1. I How can excess Stock & Cash lead to non-compliance Having too much cash and stock, means more to count and can
6 errors or loss? increase the risk of making errors when counting, although daily
accurate cash declaration and verification with the Horizon
generated cash on hand figure would help identify if any errors had
occurred and make identification of the error easier.
2. Postmaster Account Support Policy
2. I What is deemed irrecoverable and then written off? Irrecoverable balances would be those where we have established
1 that a discrepancy is a loss, either through carrying out an
investigation or because of agreement from the Postmaster. We will
have followed our process but will have reached a deadlock. The
review process has yet to be confirmed.
2. I Established losses attributable to a former Postmaster e These discrepancies would have been investigated and found
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2 could result in irrecoverable balances. Can you explain: e to be losses. The paperwork relating to the investigation
e What documentation is available? would be available to the postmaster (as set out in the
e What action would be taken? Accounting Dispute Resolution policy)
« Once a loss is established, the current process would be to
telephone the former postmaster, then send a letter, with a
follow up letter sent the following week.
2. I If a T/C is disputed are the contact details for the There is a contact number on the transaction correction itself, and
3 Disputes Team on the letter? the dispute process is set out in any letters sent from the
Postmaster Account Support team.
2. I Recovering monies. What are the other courses of action? I For current postmasters, on a case-by-case basis, contractual action
4 may be considered eventually — but only for investigated losses. For
former postmasters there is currently no further action taken.
. Postmaster Termination Decision Review Policy (formerly the Appeals Policy)
an
What are the SLAs?
The process is still being finalised, but it is likely that the Decision
Review Panel will sit on a monthly basis and the SLAs would need to
fit round this. At the time a postmaster is made aware of their right
to request that a decision be reviewed the timescales involved
would be explained.
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Why would a notice period be given?
There may be occasions that on reviewing the circumstances the
Review Panel may not believe there would be sufficient grounds for
immediate termination but there are grounds for termination by
notice.
. Postmaster Contract Performance Policy (formerly the Contractual Performance Policy)
Immediate termination is not appropriate for an offence
charge, it must be a conviction.
This language mirrors both the Local and Main agreement which
gives an immediate termination right for an agreement to be
terminated if a postmaster is charged with an offense. Clearly, in
practice a review of the circumstances would need to be made and
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any decision taken on a case by case basis
4. I Information to be shared with the Postmaster unless Post Office will share any information it can with a postmaster
2 «Legal privilege unless it considers that the information is privileged. This will be
e Data Protection determined through review with Post Office’s Data Protection and
¢ Material relating to a criminal charge Information Rights Team
(this clause needs to be clarified)
5. Postmaster Contract Suspension Policy (formerly Suspension Policy)
5. I PO must record that Postmaster was advised to contact This can be noted in the rationale documents that are completed.
1 the NFSP or Legal Representative
5. I All records supplied unless Post Office will share any information it can with a postmaster
2 e Legal privilege unless it considers that the information is privileged. This will be
¢ Data Protection determined through review with Post Office’s Data Protection and
« Material relating to a criminal charge Information Rights Team
(this clause needs to be clarified)
5. I What contracts don’t give PO the right to suspend? There are no contracts that do not give this right.
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6. Postmaster Contract Termination Policy (formerly Termination Policy)
6. I Repudiatory breach. This cannot be on a charge basis it As above, this mirrors both the Local and Main agreement which
1 must be a conviction (innocent until proven guilty) gives an immediate termination right for an agreement to be
terminated if a postmaster is charged with an offense. Clearly, in
practice a review of the circumstances would need to be made and
any decision taken on a case by case basis
6. I What breaches amount to a repudiatory breach? I understand this feedback is being used as training resource for
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2 your members. It may be easier if this is picked up in a separate
session with David Southall rather than trying to condense into this
answer.
7. Postmaster Complaint Handling Policy
7. I What are the SLA’s across the range of PO functions? Mel Fischer and Bella Liu will address all these questions when they
1 attend a session with NFSP on 8" June (Calum is an attendee).
7. I PO analyse complaint Data. NFSP needs sight of this to
2 monitor and help improve areas.
7. I Volume of complaints and performance. NFSP needs sight
3 of this and how it is measured.
7. I How regular is the complaints Data reviewed and what
4 I are the conclusions? NFSP to be supplied with a copy of
the report.
8. Network Transaction Corrections Policy
8. I What are the SLAs? These were added into the updated policy and can be found on
1 pages 13/14.
8. I Not happy with the wording with “mis-key” as it implies I We are working through a proposal to change part of the process.
2 I the money will be recoverable. A new process needs to
be found for mis-key errors.
The new process will mean that, if we are unable to recover the
funds within a set timeframe, we will issue a corresponding TC to
the branch, so the postmaster is not left waiting. We would send a
letter acknowledging the credit, with a reminder of how to avoid mis
keying in future including where information is held on Branch Hub
and Horizon Online.
We will continue to chase in the background. If there are further
mis-keys from the same branch, we’d review the case with the Area
Manager.
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We are also creating a dashboard to monitor instances where we
have branches that have mis keyed for specific banks. We will also
use this data to highlight which banks we have issues with on
recovering funds.
to the Postmaster
9. Network Monitoring and Audit Support Policy
9.1 I Auditors must inform the Postmaster of the right to We will add this into the opening (Reason for Audit) script if a
request support from the NFSP at the start. This to be postmaster does not know the contact details for their
recorded. representative, they will be provided with the Head Office number
This will be much easier with announced audits
that unannounced.
9.2 I Network Monitoring - are dates of concerns recorded? Scheduling lead time is greatly reduced, meaning that issues are
When is a Postmaster informed, there is a question of current when we contact the postmaster.
diminished responsibility the longer it goes on?
Risk audit Lead Times
Average lead time for audit FY 19/20 - 28 days
Average lead time for audit FY 20/21 - 8 days
9.3_I Audit opening script - NFSP to be supplied with a copy Yes, will send with updated policies.
9.4 I Audit Reporting Tool - can you expand on what it is, and I We've created a document to explain it and added screenshots.
it’s use and involvement?
9.5 I Audit closing script - NFSP to be supplied with a copy Yes, will send with updated policies.
9.6 I Why retain a manual record for 60 days before sending Apologies. This paragraph reads terribly in the policy and is
misleading. The cash and stock manual count sheet is filled in and
used to fill in the more formal, electronic Audit Reporting Tool
during the audit.
The cash and stock count sheets ARE kept for 60 days after the
audit, but the Audit Reporting Tool is updated at the time of the
audit, not after 60 days!
I've revised way this is worded in the policy, so thank you for
flagging this
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9.7 I How can PO make Postmaster culpable if a security An updated Security Manual is currently being worked on and will
manual has not been supplied? be released to all branches shortly.
9.8 e Security Manual We are creating a Branch Process Guide which will be issued in the
« Postmaster Support Guide next couple of months - it will be paper in a red binder for every
« Summary Document branch. This will be a collation of existing materials such as the
e Operations Manual (Specific to office type, i.e. Operational Training Guide and Work Aids and will be designed to
Mains, local etc) help postmasters and their assistants to solve problems via a
. reference point on the desk (i.e. next to the Horizon terminal).
We would recommend the above are sent in hard
Copy to every office The Security Ops manual will shortly be sent out (although this will
be electronic), as will the Postmaster Support Guide (again, this will
electronic). The Postmaster Guide to Policies will be released either
with the Postmaster Support Guide or the Branch Process Guide.
9.9 I PO need to share High Level Report monthly on Cash This is fine but we think it would be best to create a dashboard on
Declarations, Branch Accounting and Cash in the this and the next question, so this is something I'll pick up with the
Network team that can help with this over the coming weeks.
9.1 I PO need to share High Level Report monthly on As above.
0 Branches monitored, contacted by phone, support visits
and audits by type
There were no comments on the Accounting Dispute Resolution Policy.
Tracy Marshall has offered to answer any questions you may have on the Training and Onboarding policies.
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