Connect Assist Limited

Smart Solutions for Grant Applications and Management

Using Oracle Policy Automation (OPA) and the Oracle Digital Assistant (ODA) the user is guided through the Grant Application process using smart forms and chatbot engines to significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of grant applications. The solution offers a high level of automation to improve throughput and accuracy.

Features

• Defined rules and behaviours for smart solutions to self-guide users.
• Choose Chatbots or Smart Forms, or both, for improved user-experience
• Full integration with existing websites and design
• Complete end-to-end process

Benefits

• Transparent costings, timetable and collaborative working style
• Improved accuracy of grant applications and reduced administration
• Create the ‘look and feel’ that suit your requirements
• Seamlessly fits within your existing website
• Faster resolution for genuine applicants

£708 a licence a year

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

• Modern Slavery statement

  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 Amanda.mullans@connectassist.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

439567618970102

Contact

Amanda Mullans
07974 634 789
Amanda.mullans@connectassist.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: Oracle Service Cloud
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: The offering is for Oracle Service Cloud.
• System requirements:
  • IOS
  • Windows 8 or later

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support response times: Target response times will be discussed with the customer at the point of agreeing the schedules to the call off contract
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Web chat accessibility testing: The system allows many types of assistive technology, such as screen readers, to be used.
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: We provide 4 support packages, Gold, Silver and Bronze for full support and Customisation Only support where Connect Assist has customised or extended the platform. Each has commensurate price and SLAs.; - Gold: 20% of annual Oracle Service Cloud license fees - INCLUDED; - Silver: 15% of annual Oracle Service Cloud license fees; - Bronze: 10% of annual Oracle Service Cloud license fees; - Customisation Only: 30% of the cost of customisation based on the day rate and the number of days of customisation provided. We provide 1st 2nd and 3rd line support engineers.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide online training on a 'train the trainer' as standard. ; Procedural documentation available at extra cost. Oracle also provides extensive on-line documentation which is free to access.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • PDF
  • Other
• Other documentation formats: MS Word
• End-of-contract data extraction: The data remains the property of the client. Connect Assist would be the Data Processor and the client the Data Controller. All data is freely accessible for clients and an extract can be provided upon request at exra cost.
• End-of-contract process: We complete a thorough handover process agreed with our clients.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • IOS
  • Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Browser UI used on mobiles - Suitable for agents not suitable for system administrators. Administrators use .Net application on desktop.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: The interface is customised from templates to reflect the brand of the host organisation. There are service portals for some types of instance provisioning and administration.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Accessibility testing: The service interface is available through standard browsers and therefore will support the screen readers that are available.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Connect REST API (REST API) allows integration with the Oracle Service Cloud platform using representational state transfer (REST) web services.; ; Connect PHP API (PHP API) is a public API that enables customers and partners to integrate with the Oracle Service Cloud platform using PHP scripts. Connect PHP API is primarily used to integrate with the customer portal.; ; .NET API is an add-in framework for the Oracle Service Cloud platform that enables customers and partners to build custom .NET components, controls, and applications for the agent desktop.; ; Connect Desktop Integration (JavaScript API) is a public API that enables customers and partners to integrate data contained on a workspace with a web page that is contained on the workspace.; ; Connect Web Services for SOAP (Connect Web Services) is a backward-compatible, public API that enables customers and partners to integrate with the Oracle Service Cloud platform..; ; Connect Knowledge API (Knowledge API) is a public API that enables customers and partners to leverage the Oracle Service Cloud knowledge base from any external application, device, or service where knowledge is needed.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: The interfaces can be customised to the host organisations' branding and look and feel. Customer Portal look and feel, tools and extensions to the platform.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Oracle Service Cloud has been designed from the beginning with scalability in mind. It imposes no physical or technical limitations on the total number of concurrent users.; Oracle has experience deploying Oracle Service Cloud in highly available, highly scalable, load-balanced Web server and clustered database server configurations. Oracle has found no limits on the number of agents who can work in the system, and no limits on simultaneous end users. The Oracle Service Cloud hosted solution maintains state-of-the art configurations to help make sure that there are no limitations to the maximum amount of hardware usage.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: This is part of the Oracle Service Cloud contract provision and an analytics suite with over 750 standard reports are included as standard. Custom reports are also available via a builder tool.; Oracle will provide the customer with access to a customer notifications portal. This portal will provide metrics on system availability for Cloud services purchased under the ordering document. If metrics for certain Cloud services are not available on the customer notifications portal, Oracle will provide metrics on system availability upon receipt of a service request submitted by the customer.
• Reporting types: Regular reports

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Oracle Service Cloud

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: On the most basic level data can exported from Oracle Service Cloud using a simple file (excel,csv etc.), but both real-time and batch data transfer can be automated using Oracle Service Cloud's API.
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • HTML
  • Excel XML
  • PDF
  • Tab-delimited
  • Colon-delimited
  • Pipe-delimited

Data-in-transit protection

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

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Oracle works to meet the Target Service Availability Level, or Target Uptime, of 99.5% in accordance with the terms set forth in the Cloud Service Pillar documentation for the applicable Cloud Service.
• Approach to resilience: Redundancy is built in to all Oracle Systems. Each site in turn has its own redundancies built in with dual data feeds, backup power solutions and each operated in a N+1 configuration.
• Outage reporting: Outages originating from from Data Centre are initially reported to Oracle via email to nominated support staff. Customers are alerted via emails from relevant Oracle service team to nominated Customer administrators.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: The customer Admin User and the administrators they create including Connect Assist Support Engineers are granted access to the My Oracle Support (MOS) channel. This enables them to raise Service Requests via the MOS Portal or via phone-call.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)

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 contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BM Trada
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 11/06/2020
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Our accreditation covers all our activities, namely Provision of contact centre services and technology solutions (including implementation and support), and consultancy to charities, public organisations and commercial organisations.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: World Pay
• PCI DSS accreditation date: 15/03/2021
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: We are covered to PCI DSS version 3.2.1
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: Oracle has SOC1 and 2

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: We maintain a full time compliance manager, annual audit structure and have ISO:27001, 9001 and 14001 accreditations. Information security policies and processes have been assessed as part of IOS 27001 certification.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Change management is a formally documented process consisting of documented requirements, solution specification and costs. Clients are required to approve changes which is duly recorded along with documentation concerning the service itself. Any security considerations are assessed as part of these processes.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Patches are applied through our automated policy framework.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: This is confidential but we do employ protective monitoring of our network and it has passed inspection by the Home Office DDaT team in connection with our work with the Home Office.; We respond quickly and efficiently to incidents as per our compliance procedures.
• Incident management type: Undisclosed
• Incident management approach: We maintain an Incident Reporting and Management Procedure document ID: CAPR-6201, which has procedural definitions for:; Notification; Incident Management; Investigation; Out of Hours Support

Secure development

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

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  We are ISO:14001 Environmental Management System accredited. Our parent company Maximus UK has also pledged to become a Carbon Positive organisation by 2030.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  We were fortunate in being designated as an essential business during the pandemic, affording us the opportunity to support the NHS through our work on the Test and Trace project. One of our key corporate objectives is to offer long-term, sustainable employment to people in our local area. This and engaging in projects focused on positive human outcomes, remain our key measures of achievement.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  A key part of our mission is to create sustainable, meaningful jobs. Our location in Nantgarw is purposeful to that simple objective, being an area of high social challenges. We have created over 350 such jobs to date. To deliver frequently challenging work, our staff need to be well supported. Consequently, we offer all employees permanent contracts of employment and pay above the living wage. Annual pay increments are published to help staff plan ahead. We also offer a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme and, a company-funded Health Cash Plan provided through Healthshield. We support flexible working for family care, health or educational reasons. Our ability to offer secure homeworking means that we can support employees who, for health or mobility reasons, need to work from home.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  We maintain a comprehensive equal opportunity, inclusivity and diversity policy which is available on request. As importantly, we assert the importance of these standards through our working culture which recently received an 85% approval rating in a recent staff survey.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  Our story is one of rapid growth over the last four years particularly. As part of that journey we have standardised contracts, moved to be a real living wage employer (post probation) and put in place a range of non-contributory benefits which offers a range of innovative health and wellbeing solutions and practical support. Implemented in 2020, it has been well-received by our staff. We nurture a culture of open support and provide as many avenues as possible for staff to seek help, emotional support and guidance when needed. Every member of staff is made aware that they can talk with anyone in the organisation they feel comfortable to talk with. For example, if someone was uncomfortable talk to their immediate line manager, they may approach a Contract Manager or any other senior manager. If they wished to speak with someone outside of their immediate team, our HR team operate an open-door policy. For further clinical support, Connect Assist also houses a counselling team supported and managed by a Clinical Lead. In addition to in house support, we also offer a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme with a company-funded Health Cash Plan including; • 24/7 Helpline and counselling support which offers practical information and emotional support for issues relating to family, bereavement, trauma, relationships, stress, personal legal information, tax information, medical information, money management, alcohol/drugs and debt support. The Helpline is available to for our staff but also their partners and dependents. The ‘GP anytime’ service we provide also enables staff to speak face-to-face with a qualified GP 24/7, with no capped appointment time.

Pricing

• Price: £708 a licence a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

• Modern Slavery statement

  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 Amanda.mullans@connectassist.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.