Victoria Forms

Simplified CTR Application Processing and Management System

Victoria Forms offer a simplified Council Tax Reduction Application process, designed to match the Local Authority's CTR Scheme. The Application process calculates eligibility in real time, dramatically reducing application processing resources. An Application Management System is also available; to store information, assist with forecasting, recalculate eligibility, automate reviews and more.

Features

• Cloud Based System presents, processes and stores eForms
• Intelligent online application, built to specification
• Includes real-time calculations to assist the user
• Captures only the data needed to operate own scheme
• Saving capabilities for partially complete forms
• Users can attach evidence directly to online form
• Processing system verifies data, calculates band/award according to your scheme
• Confirmation screen provides custom award information
• Processing system can raise reviews for cases when circumstances change
• Forms and attachments can pass straight into workflow

Benefits

• Real-time calculations improve efficiency for staff and end users
• Filter questions ensure only eligible applicants can apply
• Intelligent application reduces errors and improve user experience
• Customer focused approach develops most efficient service for you
• Evidence upload allows 100% paper free applications
• Localised Verification allows dynamic and personalised evidence requests
• Automated In-Claim Review Process - saving staff time
• Custom Award information provides clear user journey and fewer queries
• Completed forms easily downloaded as PDF for personal records
• 20+ years' experience in this sector, offering quick implementation

£1,700 a licence a year

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

429696981893785

Contact

Barry Young
01284 703000
GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: The Simplified CTR Application Processing and Management System will primarily act as a standalone service, calculating eligibility for CTR, notifying the applicant, carrying out automated reviews and more.; However, the Victoria Forms Solution can also integrate with third-party Back Office Systems such as NEC (Northgate), Capita, and Civica, as required.
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: The Simplified CTR Application Processing and Management System, and Enterprise Forms Server Software is only compatible with Windows and should be installed on Windows Servers. ; ; Please Note: End Users can access eForms using any operating system, it is only the core software that is constrained to Windows.
• System requirements:
  • If Self-Hosted: Windows Server 2016 and above
  • If Self-Hosted: Microsoft IIS7.5 and above (included free with WindowsServer)
  • If Self-Hosted: SQL Database

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Target Initial Response Time: 60 Minutes; Target Incident Management Response Times - ; Priority 1: 60 Minutes; Priority 2: 180 Minutes; Priority 3: 24 Hours; Priority 4: None (Logged for information purposes only); Support Desk open Monday - Thursday 09:00 to 17:30 UK Time; Friday 09:00 to 17:00 UK Time. Excluding English Bank Holidays and Public Holidays, and between Christmas and New Year. Out of hours technical support is available upon request and as mutually agreed.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Email and Telephone support are included within product and maintenance costs at the times specified. Onsite Support is provided at extra cost, of £1,000 per day.; All customers will have a dedicated Account Manager.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: For the Buyer: ; Victoria Forms appoint a Project Manager for implementation, supported by eForms Designers and Technical Team. Through an Initial Project meeting, required information is obtained from the Buyer to assist Victoria Forms during setup. Any changes required can be discussed and implemented at any time during the project. ; ; Training is included within the Setup of the Core Enterprise Forms Server Software. Typically this will be a session where the Buyer interacts with the system from the perspective of the end-user and as an administrator - to understand the full service. In addition, Victoria Forms provide access to a range of manuals and other help resources.; ; eForm branding is applied by Victoria Forms, with no need to involve web designers. ; ; For End Users:; For End Users to access forms, all that is required is to provide a link from your website to the appropriate eForm (the appropriate link will be provided by Victoria Forms). When a user clicks on the link, the appropriate eForm will open up in a new browser window on the End User’s computer.; ; Help is available for End Users via a Help Button in form controls, and technical support via our Helpdesk.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data being captured by the system in a submitted eForm is usually used or captured by the Authority for its own on-going processing and record keeping regularly. Form PDFs will likely be stored in the Local Authority's Document Management System or internal network. ; ; Data will be retained in the CTR Application Management System for a time period as specified by the Buyer. All Data will be exportable to CSV.; ; At the end of the contract, Victoria Forms can provide an additional period of access to the database if required, for the Buyer to download any further eForms submitted in the last days of contract provision, and extract data from the Application Management System, to ensure it has sufficient time in which to download these and capture the included customer data. ; ; When the Buyer has confirmed it has downloaded all records from the system or the additional access period has finished, Victoria Forms will permanently delete all data held securely under contract, including any backups to ensure it satisfies all its Data Protection requirements.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the Contract, removal of the system is included within the Annual Maintenance Fee paid by the Buyer.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Relates to end user online forms ONLY:; ; Mobile eForms are resized automatically to fit the device screen, and the eForm controls shrink to a minimalist bar across the top of the screen allowing more space for eForm questions to reduce excessing scrolling. Controls can be accessed via a mobile menu.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: End users interact with forms via their browser. No login is required, and users can navigate through forms using the form controls at the top of the page. Forms are presented in the style of the buyer's website, or as mutually agreed. ; ; CTR Application forms will likely include filter questions which appear only when relevant, for a user friendly experience.; ; The Buyer will also have access to the CTR Application management system, which will allow users to review and recalculate submitted forms / cases and band eligibility if it changes. From here, additional forms (e.g. review forms) could be triggered.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Accessibility testing: For public facing forms, accessed via the browser - Victoria Forms have conducted a number of tests using market leading assistive technology and have also had feedback from visually impaired users of the software.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: There are APIs available in various parts of our service which provide the facility to pre-populate forms, control form features, access partially completed forms and submitted forms, and control form processes.; ; The exact APIs available depend on the options chosen as part of the service.; ; The APIs need to be set up by Victoria Forms IT, who can provide documentation and example code, as well as work with the Buyer's IT to achieve requirements.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Victoria Forms offer a bespoke Forms Design Service for the CTR Application process, to match the CTR Scheme specifications. Experienced eForms Design staff discuss requirements with the Buyer, and can create bespoke forms, calculations and processes based on a given specification, requirements list and/or Business Rules.; ; Buyers can also have control over eForm configuration options, via administrative staff who have an account on the core software, allowing complete customisation over content of information shown and sent to the End User at the point of eForm Submission, as well as some controlling eForm Features.; ; The Service can be branded to the Buyer's website or according to specification, including corporate colour schemes and branding guidelines.; ; Add-On features can be made available - such as Attachments/Evidence Upload, eSignatures, Localised Verification, Document System import and more - to create a tailored solution to meet requirements.; ; The entire CTR processing system can be customised by Victoria Forms to include only the fields required by the CTR Scheme, and to include the same calculations used on the form.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Buyers have the option of hosting their own solution internally, or Victoria Forms can provide hosting, through Microsoft Azure. Where Victoria Forms provide hosting, each customer has their own independent database.; ; For the End User - the system enables the entire eForm to be loaded by the local user browser, including all the inbuilt intelligence. Once completed, processing of eForm data takes only a few seconds. Many concurrent users can complete eForms while the server remains unburdened.; ; The CTR Processing system is browser-based, reducing server load, so many staff users can access it simultaneously.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: For Hosted solutions, data is protected by Microsoft Azure's Transparent data encryption (TDE).
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: All forms can be exported as PDF files. These can be be sent to a document system via email, or manual upload. Alternatively, with some custom coding, our system can generate detailed indexing information for each form, and send this along with the form, directly to a document system. ; ; Selected forms can export as XML files, which can be sent to a Back Office System via connectors or APIs, to allow data to be integrated with existing Back Office Systems.; ; The CTR Application Management System will support CSV Export.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • XML
  • PDF
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats:
  • XML (CTR Application Management System only)
  • CSV (CTR Application Management System Only)

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Where Victoria Forms provide hosting, the eForms System will be hosted by Microsoft Azure. Microsoft’s data centers are engineered to provide 99.999% availability to meet their customer’s SLAs and service needs. ; ; 98+% Target Service Availability ; ; 98+% uptime guarantee does not include scheduled maintenance - normally conducted outside working hours and as previously notified.; ; Service Desk Support Hours; Monday to Friday; 09:00 to 17:00 GMT ; Excluding English bank and public Holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Out of hours technical support is available upon request and as mutually agreed.
• Approach to resilience: Information available upon request.
• Outage reporting: Within the Enterprise Forms Server System, any error alerts are displayed in the 'Filled Forms' area of the system, notifying users if there are forms waiting to be downloaded. ; ; Should systems be unavailable for extended periods of time, Victoria Forms will notify the Buyer and will work to reinstate systems as soon as possible.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: No
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to the management interface is via web access on servers which are only accessible to allowed IP addresses. These servers are separate from the servers which present the eForms for completion.; ; The eForms System and CTR Application Management system are hosted on secure servers, either provided by the customer or by Victoria Forms (Microsoft Azure) - servers are restricted by a whitelist of IP Addresses, as well as requiring a username and password and 2-factor authentication for access.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Description of management access authentication: Restriction by whitelist of IP addresses.

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: British Assessment Bureau
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 23/04/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: All parts of this service are covered by our ISO/IEC 27001 Certification.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: No
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Victoria Forms have an ISO 27001 Certified Information Security Management System (ISMS) in place which is followed by all staff members. The policies within the ISMS form part of our staff induction process, and staff members formally agree to policies within the scope of their work. Policies are supported by documentation and processes which make use of task management software. Regular audits are carried out to ensure continued compliance and that policies continue to be appropriate for our work. ; ; The system architecture is designed with information security at the forefront of decision-making, and we use an industry leading hosting service (Microsoft Azure) to store and process data. ; ; Further information is available upon request.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Victoria Forms use Source Control Software to track components of our services through their lifetime. ; ; Changes are assessed using an in-house code review programme.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Testing is carried out to assess potential threats to the service. Where possible, threats will be replicated and fixes/updates will be applied to the system to rectify any vulnerabilities. ; ; Major System updates are applied every 18 months. Minor updates are applied approximately every 6 months. Where vulnerabilities have been identified, patches will be applied immediately. ; ; Potential threats are identified via Penetration Testing, Customer Feedback and Regular research on current/potential threats.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Potential compromises are checked for alongside vulnerabilities.; ; In the event of the discovery of a potential compromise, Victoria Forms will endeavour to correct the issue, and assess the impact and escalate priority as required.; ; Upon discovery of any compromise, Victoria Forms will escalate the incident to the highest priority, and will provide a response to the affected party within 60 minutes.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Incidents or issues can be raised through our Support Helpdesk, which will be responded to by a member of the Support Team. ; ; All Incidents that have permanent or long-lasting effect on Information Security are run through our internal Incident Response Plan, which includes writing a report document. Incident reports can be shared to the relevant party when required.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Victoria Forms services encourage and facilitate the use of online services for applications, including providing supporting documentation. This reduces printing, postage, and trips to provide evidence in person, resulting in lower waste and emissions. As a Company, our working practices aim to reduce our negative environmental impact, including but not limited to reducing energy consumption where possible, making environmentally conscious decisions when choosing suppliers and running our local offices, and conducting meetings and training via online routes where possible, to reduce travel.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Victoria Forms' solutions support organisations in providing end-to-end online services, which provide people who are shielding or unable to visit offices in person with a comprehensive method of interaction. Evidence can be provided online via our forms rather than being posted or provided in person reducing contact. Payments can be provided online, and validation can also occur in real-time, limiting the need for in-person interactions. During the pandemic, we provided Local Authorities with COVID-19 Grant application forms, using their existing Victoria Forms system to process applications to support to businesses and individuals affected by COVID-19. Our systems can be used for further grant forms or in the wider Welfare provision process.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Victoria Forms have over 20 years' experience working with Local Authorities. Our primary area of expertise is within Benefits, assisting Local Authorities to support their community, by supplying ready-made online application forms which make the administrative process as streamlined as possible, allowing staff to focus on helping people who need them most. Our forms are also used for administering Licensing Applications, again supplying ready-made application forms which can interact with existing systems to allow online payments, online evidence provision and integration with Back Office systems to make processing efficient for all users. Our solutions also include online forms for the Recruitment sector, allowing recruiters to digitise their paper applications - making application processes more accessible, and providing an affordable and secure data collection method for applicants and recruiters alike.

  Equal opportunity

  Victoria Forms is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce. Our aim is that our employees truly represent all sections of society and each individual feels respected and able to give of their best. Training, development and progression opportunities are available to all employees.

  Wellbeing

  Victoria Forms are committed to ensure the Health and Wellbeing of staff is supported properly during their time with the company. Our aim is to create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our staff are recognised and valued, as well as providing staff with appropriate work equipment and resources for individual needs, in order for all company members to thrive physically and mentally.

Pricing

• Price: £1,700 a licence a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Victoria Forms can provide Buyers with a link to a demonstration CTR Application Form, which can be accessed at any time - completed, saved, and submitted - displaying the eligibility result. ; ; A Free Trial of the core Enterprise Forms Server software or CTR Management System is not available.

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.