Y3 Or E411enable Individuals to Administer Their Financial Affairs

Y3 or E411Enable individuals to administer their financial affairs

Elements of competence

Y3.1Enable individuals to make payments

Y3.2Enable individuals to claim benefits and allowances

Y3.3Enable individuals to collect benefits and allowances

Summary

This unit is concerned with supporting individuals in managing their financial affairs by enabling them to make payments and claim and collect any allowances and benefits due. The support provided is appropriate to the individual and their abilities, with the aim of helping the individual to be as self-managing and independent as possible.

Who this unit is aimed at

This unit is designed to be applicable to all care settings where such support and assistance is given to individuals. It is likely to be most relevant to those working with individuals who have some responsibility for household finances.

Principles of Good Practice

The importance is stressed of respecting individual’s wishes as to how their finances should be managed (for example, their decision to claim or not to claim benefits). The worker must be aware of their own feelings about the appropriateness of such decisions and manage these feelings in a way that still enables them to offer support to the individual. The unit also requires the worker to be able to respond appropriately to situations which may arise when the individual wishes to take actions which are illegal or against agency policy.

Relationship to other units

This unit links to unit Y1 where individuals are supported in the management of their general domestic and personal resources and Y2 in enabling individuals to make use of available services and information. This unit however looks in more detail and requires more specialist knowledge related to the financial area.

Place in the SVQ framework

This unit occurs in the following qualifications: Care Level 3; Promoting Independence Level 3; Community Justice: Work with Offending Behaviour Level 3.

Evidence Requirements for this unit

You must provide your assessor with evidence for all the Performance Criteria and all aspects of Range and Knowledge. The evidence must be provided in the following ways, taking account of any Special Considerations, which may be noted below:

Special Considerations

None.

1Direct Observation

Your assessor must observe you in real work activities, which provide at least some of the evidence for each element in this unit. During these observations you will meet many of the Performance Criteria (PCs) and as many aspects of the Range Categories as possible.

PCs, which might not be observed by your assessor, include: Y3.1.9, Y3.1.11, Y3.2.3, Y3.2.7, Y3.3.7.

You can, of course, cover these PCs during the observations if the opportunity arises..

2Other types of evidence of your performance and knowledge

Your assessor will also want to see other evidence to feel confident that you can consistently repeat this standard of work and to cover those performance criteria and aspects of range, which are not met during the observations. They will also want to see evidence that you know, understand and can apply in practice the knowledge that is listed in the specification. Your assessor may decide that you have already demonstrated some knowledge and understanding when they observe you working.

You will need to agree, and review an assessment plan with your assessor so that you can collect sufficient evidence to show that you are competent and meet the requirements of the unit. You will need to discuss with your assessor what will be acceptable. Types of evidence could include:

products of your work
statements from other people who have seen you working (witness testimony)
simulations
questioning, oral or written
case studies, projects, assignments and reflective accounts of your work.

Element Y3.1Enable individuals to make payments

Performance criteria / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
1The support required is agreed with the individual and they are encouraged to be as self-managing as possible
2Individuals are encouraged to exercise informed choice and control their own budget
3The individual’s payment obligations are identified and agreed with them
4Individuals are encouraged and helped to pay bills by their preferred method
5Individuals are encouraged and helped to obtain receipts for bills and keep these for later reference
6Individuals are encouraged to query any discrepancies in bills with those concerned and find a solution to the problem which is acceptable to them
7Possible methods of reducing bills and improving financial management are explained in a manner, and at a level and pace, appropriate to the individual
8Details of payments made by the worker on the individual’s behalf are recorded accurately, legibly and completely
9Where the individual questions the amount of money spent, payments are clearly explained and accounted for
10Problems and concerns regarding individual’s payments, and their ability to pay, are discussed with the individual and workable solutions found
11Where there are continuing problems or concerns, these are reported to an appropriate person as soon as possible
12Information about the individual’s finances is disclosed only to those agreed by the individual

Element Y3.1Enable individuals to make payments

Range / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
1Type of payment:
a)one-off
b)ongoing
2Payment methods:
a)cheque
b)standing orders and direct debits
c)giro and postal orders
d)cash
e)HP and credit cards

Notes on this element

One-off payments (Range 1a) would include payments for bulk or large purchases, fines.

Ongoing payments (Range 1b) would include rent, fuel, maintenance payments, debt etc.

Element Y3.2Enable individuals to claim benefits and allowances

Performance criteria / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
1The support required is agreed with the individual and they are encouraged to be as self-managing as possible
2Individuals are encouraged and supported to find out which benefits and allowances they may be entitled to
3Where individuals are unable to find out about benefits and allowances themselves, the information they need is obtained for them from an appropriate source
4The documents for the claim are appropriate to the type of benefit or allowance
5Individuals are supported to complete the relevant details on claim documents so that they are complete, accurate and legible
6Individuals are encouraged to make a claim for any benefit or allowance to which they may be entitled
7Where the worker is unsure of details relating to a benefit or allowance, further advice is sought from an appropriate source

Element Y3.2Enable individuals to claim benefits and allowances

Range / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
1Benefits and allowances:
a)statutory and social allowances
b)wages and salaries
c)discretionary and non-discretionary grants
d)maintenance payments

Notes on this element

Statutory and social allowances (Range 1a) include employment benefit, disablement benefits, welfare benefit, insurance benefits.

Sources of information (pc 3) might include other members of the care team, social services, library, relevant government department, Citizen Advice Bureau.

Element Y3.3Enable individuals to collect benefits and allowances

Performance criteria / Type of evidence state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
1The support required is agreed with the individual and they are encouraged to be as self-managing as possible
2Individuals are encouraged and supported to claim or collect benefits and allowances themselves
3Individuals are reminded that benefits and allowances need to be received or collected within the appropriate timescale
4Individuals are encouraged and supported to check the amount received against the amount due and report any discrepancies to the appropriate person
5Details of benefits and allowances collected by the worker on the individual’s behalf are recorded accurately, legibly and completely in the appropriate documentation
6Individuals are encouraged to keep their money in a safe and secure place
7When the nature of the care setting requires records of individual’s funds to be kept, these are complete and available for inspection by an authorised person
8Any loss of cash or valuables is reported to the appropriate person without delay

Element Y3.3Enable individuals to collect benefits and allowances

Notes on this element

Statutory and social allowances (Range 1a) include employment benefit, disablement benefits, welfare benefit, insurance benefits.

Methods of collecting benefits and allowances include through cheque, standing orders/ direct debits, giro, postal orders, cash, order books.

Knowledge specification for the whole of this unit

You must show your assessor that you know and understand the following:

(the numbers after each knowledge statement refer to performance criteria)

Legislation, policy and good practice / Relates to performance criteria / Select evidence index no(s)
1Why it may be necessary to record details of payments and keep receipts for future reference / Y3.1.5
2Why concerns regarding the individual and their money should be passed on and the constraints on this in terms of confidentiality / Y3.1.12
3Why the individual’s rights must be respected if they do not wish to claim benefits and allowances / Y3.2.6
4The reasons for completing benefit/claim forms in full and the effect which incomplete information may have on the individual’s claim / Y3.2.5, Y3.2.7
5Why the individual should be encouraged to be as self-managing as possible even if this has attendant risks / Y3.3.1
6Why the individual should be encouraged to collect payments within the relevant timescales / Y3.3.3
7Why in institutional settings a disclaimer form will be necessary for those who do not wish to keep money in a safe and secure place / Y3.3.6, Y3.3.2
8Why discrepancies and loss should be reported / Y3.3.8
Services and products
9Sources of advice and help in financial matters / Y3.2.1
10Where to access information on the benefits and allowances available / Y3.2.2
11Where further assistance may be sought / Y.3.2.3
12Where information on payments and befits can be obtained and updated / Y3.2.2
Factors which influence what you do
13Where to get information on individual’s rights and the payments due / Y3.3.2, Y3.3.3
14The worker’s role and responsibilities to the individual and the agency in disclosing information when the individual wishes to do something which is illegal or against agency policies / Y3.1.11, Y3.1.12
15The potential conflicts which may arise (for example where the individual chooses not to pay for a television licence) and the worker’s role in these situations / Y3.1.11
16The worker’s own feelings regarding the appropriateness of certain actions and the effect which this may have on the support which they offer to the individual / Y3.2,6
17The worker’s role in ensuring that the documentation is filled in correctly and when the worker should step in and say it is incorrect or not neat enough / Y3.2.5, Y3.2.6, Y3.2.7
18The relationship between method of payment (e.g. order book, cheque), timescales and budgeting / Y3.1.7
How to achieve important outcomes
19Methods of budgeting and their appropriateness to individuals / Y3.1.2, Y3.1.4
20Methods of managing debts such as deferred payments, split payments, charitable support / Y3.1.10
21The ways in which individuals can be supported to make an informed decision if they do not wish to complete fully a claims form / Y3.2.1
22The actions the worker should take if the individual deliberately misleads or misinforms / Y3.2.6
23Methods of cashing cheques for those who do not have bank accounts / Y3.3.2
24Methods of storing money safely for the individual concerned / Y3.3.6
Knowledge and understanding / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
There is sufficient evidence of knowledge and understanding for this unit
Evidence requirements / Type of evidence — state evidence index no(s) / Date
DO / P / W / RA / Q / Other
The evidence generated by the candidate meets the evidence requirements for this unit

Assessor/Internal verifier comments

Candidate’s name Assessor’s name IV’s name

Candidate’s signature Assessor’s signature IV signature

Date Date Date

Unit: B6W9 04 (Y3 or E411) Enable individuals to administer their financial affairs