VOICESCAPE LIMITED

Voicescape Local Authority

Voicescape’s services allow Local Authorities to drive huge improvements in resident engagement and debt collection. Through greater insight, Authorities can deliver operational efficiencies throughout all stages of the collection of Council Tax, NNDR and Housing Benefit overpayments. We remove non-value-added tasks and deliver engagement, maximising payments, income and customer satisfaction.

Features

• Live Dashboard / Real Time Performance Information
• Multi-Modal communications enhancing engagement and recovery of council tax
• Self-Serve portal with two factor authentication
• Professional deployment and training services
• Integration with leading HMS and leading ancillary services
• Flexibility and Scalability allowing for expansion and customisation
• No-touch / Low-touch IT implementation
• Compatibility with Telephony systems, HMS and CRM enabling smooth integration
• Fully Managed service with professional account management
• The customer has complete control of the workflow

Benefits

• Streamlined Operations: Removes non-value-added tasks, enhancing operational efficiency
• Enhanced Engagement: Improves Council Tax collection engagement and resident wellbeing
• Rapid Communication: Enables swift communication with residents, fostering timely interactions
• Additional Custom Campaigns: Demonstrable impact, measure rent arrears impact weekly
• Enables targeted outreach to specific resident groups for tailored communication
• Benchmarking across our client base, promoting the sharing best practices
• Save time with a fully managed service and account management
• Set realistic performance targets for effective debt recovery
• Demonstrable impact - measure contact success daily
• Perform one-off contact campaigns such as rebate initiatives

£0.10 to £4.00 a unit a year

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 hello@voicescape.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

628899276805150

Contact

Bill WIlliams
0161 884 3598
hello@voicescape.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: None that we have encountered so far
• System requirements:
  • An internet connection (standard ports 80 and 443)
  • A static IP for whitelisting (where users upload via sFTP
  • A standards compliant Internet Browser
  • Javascript enabled

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Within the hour during standard office hours (9:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday). Evening and weekend responses depend on the severity of the issue being raised.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: No
• Support levels: We provide support via ZenDesk ticketing system. We also provide telephone and email support. We assign an account manager to all of our users. Our technical team can be contacted directly for more technical support issues. We have a Customer Success Manager aligned to every account.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: User documentation. Technical assistance via telephone, email or support tickets.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Via the reporting interface, all data can be extracted to a CSV format.
• End-of-contract process: User data can be provided and is cleared down from our system a month after the end of contract unless otherwise requested. There are no additional charges at the end of a contract.

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: When comparing mobile and desktop services, functionality remains consistent due to our responsive design principles. Regardless of device size, users can access all features. The primary distinction lies in screen layout: mobile interfaces are optimised for smaller screens, while desktop versions offer a more spacious view. Both views provide a seamless experience, ensuring efficient task performance.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Description of service interface: There is an administration website that allows users to login to control their service and generate reports. The system has different levels of privileges and modules that can be activated according to the user's subscription levels.
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: The service does not have any specific accessibility features
• Accessibility testing: The service has not been tested with assistive technologies.
• API: No
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Real-time reports have a limit on the number of records that can be returned at once.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Users can view real-time statistics and generate a variety of reports based on real-time data via the administration interface.
• Reporting types: Real-time dashboards

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: None

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: No
• 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: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: Database encryption
• Data sanitisation process: No
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: By logging into the secure administration interface and selecting their export criteria. This is self managed.
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: Secure FTP transfers, these are IP whitelisted so only the customer can connect to the server.
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: IP whitelisting for data transfers.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We target 99% availability, and have consistently delivered 99.99% over the past 12 months. We would discuss any refund or guarantee on a case by case basis if and when the situation dictated.
• Approach to resilience: Resilient Cloud infrastructure with replicated data and servers. Further information is available on request.
• Outage reporting: We have an in-house monitoring system which displays statistics on the current status of all hardware and software services. This system alerts the support team by email and key members of staff by SMS.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Other user authentication: Optional two-factor authentication
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access is regulated by userID, companyID and authorisation level. This determines what data and services each user can access. Access is controlled server side.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Description of management access authentication: Optional two-factor authentication

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: You control when users can access audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: You control when users can access 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: Sancert Global
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 30/06/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: There is nothing out of scope.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

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 have our own internal security policies which meet the standards of ISO 27001; further information and a redacted copy of these policies are available on request.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Change management is via an internal set of procedures that starts with a change request form which is then submitted through our development process. Impact assessments and security risks are evaluated as part of this process.
• Vulnerability management type: Undisclosed
• Vulnerability management approach: We have our own internal patch management policies; further information and a redacted copy of these policies are available on request.
• Protective monitoring type: Undisclosed
• Protective monitoring approach: Monitoring of existing services and vulnerability testing, incident reports are filed for any incidents that impact the service. We respond to any incidents immediately and we usually resolve any issues within hours.
• Incident management type: Undisclosed
• Incident management approach: We have only had a limited number of incidents that affect service and none of these are common events as we create automated fixes for any such incidents. Users can report issues with the service via the standard support methods. Incident reports are recorded, redacted examples can be provided.

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

  Voicescape is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral business. We have a published environmental policy available on our website and work with our staff, suppliers, and partners to minimise our environmental footprint.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Voicescape’s automated engagement services have played a significant role in helping our Local Government clients to keep their citizens safe and informed during the Covid-19 pandemic.; As the country adapted to new ways of working, in the early days of lockdown, Voicescape clients could leverage automated engagement to reach out to tens of thousands of citizens to offer support and information. By adopting this approach, Councils can quickly identify citizens who require help and target resources to make meaningful contact with those citizens to provide positive outcomes.; As Local Government continues to adapt to the post-pandemic challenges, Voicescape continues to work with clients to find automated solutions to help maintain sustainable contact processes.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Councils often provide services and housing to the most financially vulnerable in society. As a result, they can have a significant positive impact on citizens’ social mobility, providing a base from which to reach a position of financial resilience and continue to grow and prosper.; This activity can come at a high cost to Councils. In the current economic climate, typified by the “cost of living” crisis, more citizens require assistance making ends meet. In addition, engaging with citizens requires time, and the process of generating outbound engagement is fraught with the possibility of inefficiency.; Voicescape’s analytics and citizen engagement services help councils engage with citizens by identifying those who require engagement at the appropriate level and type of engagement to make the best impact through a blend of automated outbound engagements. Through this activity, we work in partnership with councils to remove inefficiency from outbound engagement activity, releasing valuable time from non-value activities, to reinvest this into providing support and assistance to vulnerable citizens.; This collaboration results in a reduction of Council Tax in arrears, lower average arrears debt and decreases in the number of court actions.

  Equal opportunity

  Voicescape is fully committed to the elimination of unlawful and unfair discrimination and values the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. Voicescape will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values meritocracy, openness, fairness and transparency.; All employees are responsible for the promotion and advancement of this policy.

  Wellbeing

  Citizen and staff well-being is core to Voicescape's services to the Local Government. In addition, Voicescape’s engagement services create positive communication between Councils and citizens for mutual benefit.; Citizen Wellbeing; Voicescape services positively impact citizens in several ways:; 1. Voicescape’s automated engagement provides citizens with the choice to tackle their arrears in the best way to suit the citizen. By using automation, citizens can decide to engage with their Council without feeling pressured and increasing stress and anxiety around potentially sensitive subjects, such as money worries.; 2. By creating focused engagement with the financially vulnerable citizen and helping them navigate to a position of financial stability and independence, Voicescape helps councils alleviate the stress of Council Tax arrears for their vulnerable citizens.; 3. Voicescape’s Engage campaigns allow Councils to engage with citizens at scale, inviting large numbers of customers to raise concerns across a wide range of issues. Councils have successfully used targeted campaigns to help their citizens with information on Covid 19 safety and lockdown measures.; Staff Wellbeing; Voicescape services also have a positive impact on the well-being of Council staff.; 1. By automating initial contact with a citizen, Voicescape’s engagement services act as a buffer between the citizens and staff. Reports suggest that anxiety and stress are closely linked to arrears and financial worries. Inviting citizens to speak through an automated channel, rather than officers contacting them directly to ask for payments, can substantially diffuse conflict. This mainly creates a better working environment for income staff.; 2. Voicescape’s services leverage automation to remove repetitive non-value activity from officer workload. Whether by reducing the number of arrears cases to review, automating feedback, or automating outbound contact to citizens, removing this non-value activity helps officers spend more time invested in meaningful work.

Pricing

• Price: £0.10 to £4.00 a unit a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

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 hello@voicescape.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.