WITNO7510100
WITNO7510100
Witness Name: Sandra Harper (nee
Evans)
Statement No.: WITNO7510100
POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
FIRST STATEMENT OF SANDRA HARPER (NEE EVANS)
I, Sandra Harper, will say as follows...
INTRODUCTION
1. 1am a former employee of Post Office Limited and held the position of team
leader at the Network Business Support Center (‘NBSC’).
2. This witness statement is made to assist the Post Office’Horizon IT Inquiry
(the ‘inquiry’) with the matters set out in Rule 9 Request dated 3 January
2023 (the ‘Request’)
3. I have been asked to write a witness statement concerning my time at NBSC.
While reading this please take into consideration that I left the Post Office
over 16 years ago and have no access to any documents or systems that
would help with my recollection of this time.
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BACKGROUND
4. I worked for the Post Office overall for 16 years. I initially started at Darfield
Road Cudworth post office on the YTS training scheme. From there I moved to
the Sheffield branch office where I took the role as a part-time post-office clerk.
I later moved to Chesterfield into a full-time clerk position which later led to a
promotion to team leader at the NBSC. My responsibility as team leader
include whose role was to answer calls from Postmasters and assist with any
queries or issues they were having. My role as Team Leader was to ensure
that calls were being answered and the team was working as efficiently as
possible. I left the Post Office Permanently in 2006.
5. My recollection regarding the training involved is poor. Following my promotion
to team leader I do recall going to Leeds branch office where I shadowed the
staff already trained on the helpline.
6. NBSC: As previously mentioned, my responsibilities working in the NBSC
involved managing a Part time team of around 12 staff in their duty to help the
Postmasters with any question they would call in with.
7. In regard to queries regarding the Horizon system: no specific circumstance
comes to mind. However, the usual process was as follows. A member of staff
would pick up a postmaster’s query and from there would liaise with the
postmaster leaving no stone unturned to find the solution to the problem. There
was no time limit on how long this would take, and every call was different.
Should no solution be found, this would then be raised with myself, usually this
would require me to raise the issue with other team leaders to discuss how to
proceed.
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8. I am unable to recall any specific issue/problem the postmasters had. Every
phone call was of a different nature.
9. I am unable to comment on the resources available at the time and their
adequacy.
10. There was an overall NBSC Manager who had several Team Leaders working
under them including myself. Each Team Leader managed a small team of
staff. In my opinion the NBSC was a nice working environment, and our
expectation was to aid the sub postmasters in their duties. In my opinion the
process in place had the capability of providing sufficient assistance to
Postmasters.
11.1 was not aware of any bugs, errors or defects in the Horizon system in my time
at NBSC
Statement of Truth
I believe
pates:_23 2.23 -
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