Reducing our carbon footprint is a great way to save money, boost staff morale and lessen our impact on the environment. But applying this to a business takes a bit more thought than remembering to separate plastic from paper.

The new contract

We recently awarded a new ITS waste contract to a local supplier that offers a complete asset management process. This includes data cleansing, repairing and refurbishing old IT equipment.

The contract includes the option of selling our IT kit back to the private sector and, where possible, clawing revenue back in to the public purse.

Through this new contract we have reduced our destruction costs to zero, making an instant annual saving of £62,000.

How we do it

Our IT kit is carefully wiped of all data to make sure that everything is removed before it leaves DVLA.

It is then collected by the supplier and placed on a production line, where a physical check is carried out to check for any damage. Each element is given a monetary value, before being cleaned up and sent for resale or donation.

Where it all goes

We have a history of donating IT equipment to local schools, voluntary and charitable organisations through our sustainability team. Laptops, desktops and other redundant IT equipment have also been donated to schools in Zambia as part of the Giakonda project and to the Sponsoring Academic and Medical Access charity.

Laptops have also been reused through our ITS DRIIVE programme. We were able to identify which schools in the local Swansea area would benefit most from our old equipment by working with the Welsh Assembly.

Why it matters

Awarding this contract means we are closer than ever to achieving the goals as set out in our sustainability report.

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One of DVLA’s primary functions is to collect vehicle tax on behalf of the Treasury. Most vehicle keepers tax their vehicle when they should – over 98% did the right thing at the last count. We do lots of things to help remind vehicle keepers when their vehicle tax is due, such as millions of postal reminders every year, providing quick and easy to use digital services and targeted communications campaigns.

Despite all this, some motorists still don’t tax their vehicles and continue to drive them on the road. This is where we come in. Our role is to spot untaxed vehicles and take action against them.

How we do it

I work with a fantastic team that makes these enforcement measures happen.

We’ve been really busy since we last blogged about this. We’ve stepped up our enforcement activities with our partners such as local councils and the police in all parts of the country. No matter where you live, we take action against those who don’t tax.

A range of measures, such as fines and penalties, stickers, wheel clamping and communications designed to change behaviour, are having a positive effect in combating tax evasion.

If you’re caught without tax, it’s expensive, inconvenient and just not worth it. When DVLA clamps an untaxed vehicle the motorist is charged a £100 release fee. If they cannot show the vehicle has been taxed when it’s released, the motorist will have to pay a surety fee of £160. This is refunded if the motorist can show the vehicle has been taxed within 15 days.

If the release fee’s not paid within 24 hours, DVLA impounds the vehicle and the fee rises to £200. There’s also a storage charge of £21 per day. Again, a surety fee of £160 must be paid if the motorist cannot show that the vehicle’s been taxed.

Motorists who choose to evade tax take a very real risk of losing their cars, as well as the potential of multiple financial penalties.

Getting the message out there

As well as the hard graft we put in on the road every day, our communications team ran a locally targeted communications campaign in each of the locations of the UK where vehicle tax evasion is highest. Adverts ran on lots of different channels including radio, print, online and social media. This helped to reach those who have avoided, or might be thinking of avoiding, their vehicle tax.

My teams are always out across the country but we’ll be well supported by the communications once again when the advertising resumes in the areas we’ll be in.

The message is clear to all those who continue not paying their vehicle tax – tax it or lose it.

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I’m delighted to join a vibrant working environment with such great people.

We are a multi-channel customer service provider with around 1,100 staff handling over 24.5 million enquiries a year. The strong leadership and excellent people development that exists is second to none. I think our vision says it all:

To be a centre of excellence in everything we do

Award winning customer service

We recently received Customer Contact Association (CCA) accreditation for the 12th consecutive year, this time successfully obtaining CCA Global Standard Version 7.

To support our accreditation independent external assessors met with staff, senior leaders and key stakeholders to benchmark our operation against the CCA standards.

Continuous focus on customer experience, strong processes, staff development and engagement were key strengths highlighted by the CCA in their assessment.

This achievement follows on from our recent success at the CCA Excellence Awards, where we picked up Team of the Year and Individual of the Year awards.

What I bring to the role

I have over 20 years’ experience in a contact centre environment, covering every role from phone advisor to operations manager and everything in-between! I’m excited to use my expertise to help shape how we take the contact centre to the next level.

Coming from the private sector into the public sector has its advantages. Bringing different perspectives and experiences can be helpful when looking at continuous improvement, pushing digital transformation, and supporting our customers and people.

What the future looks like

We’ll continue supporting customers by offering a choice of channels. I look forward to building on technology we’ve already introduced such as chatbots and webchat.

I’m proud of the awards we’ve achieved, the engagement of our staff and how we always strive for excellence. We’ve got a culture where everyone works towards a common team goal, no matter what individual roles they play.

To find out more

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The first group of 10 has come on board

It’s been four months since our students started the first Business Analysis (BA) Development Programme at DVLA. The programme is part of the Centre of Digital Excellence which was set up in 2018, aimed at recruiting and developing talent in a number of digital areas. We welcomed our first ten students in September and set about immersing them in all things BA. The group is a good mix, with 50% new to DVLA and the others moving over from other parts of the agency.

The students hit the ground running, starting with a 3 week boot camp where they were immersed into the DVLA culture and introduced to the foundations of BA. They were set challenges and tasks and worked through multiple BA methodologies and techniques. We also started preparing the students for their first British Computer Society (BCS) module – the Foundation in BA.

After boot camp it was straight to work, letting them start using their newly learned tools and techniques to help deliver front line digital services for the agency. The feedback from the software development teams has been great, and shows how quickly the students have started to add real value

Gaining experience and qualifications

Our first group has successfully completed their BCS Foundation in BA module and have started their journey to achieve an International Diploma in BA. We are incredibly proud of what our candidates have achieved so far and the effort our team have put in to help them along their path.

We took time before Christmas to review their progress with them and see how much they’ve learned and reflect on how their confidence has grown. It’s been a busy few months but they’re also looking forward to what comes next.

Vicky Goldsbury, one of our first students said:

The BA development programme has given me the opportunity to be totally immersed in a new development challenge and taken me right out of my comfort zone. It’s got a great mix of on the job learning and formal qualifications. Pair that with the support and knowledge we’ve had from our peers and the wider DVLA community, has meant it’s been a great scheme to be part of so far.

Next steps for our students

In the next module, our students will continue studies with BCS, including Requirements Engineering, Systems Development and an introduction to programming. They will also work on our programme to create a digital future.

What’s next for the scheme

The scheme has proved incredibly successful. As well as all candidates passing their first module, which is a great personal boost for them, they are also able to help with developing  DVLA’s frontline services which will help get things done quicker for customers

We are now sharing knowledge with other organisations and government departments who have expressed an interest in the programme. If you have an interest in becoming a Business Analyst, keep an eye on the Civil Service Jobs website where all our opportunities will be advertised.

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Getting your training right allows you to attract better staff, and retain talent. Our Learn, Engage, Adapt, Perform (LEAP) training programme was developed in-house for new and existing leaders. It’s a 12 month programme where delegates can explore and understand their role as a leader and build excellent leadership skills. Nearly 500 staff have received the training so far, in just under three years.

So I’m delighted that the programme has been recognised and celebrated with a Princess Royal Training Award.

A huge honour

I helped commission, design and develop LEAP and I was nominated by my training colleagues to accept the award from HRH Princess Anne on behalf of the team. I was honoured, but to say I was nervous was an understatement!

I was joined at the awards ceremony by my colleagues Mari Rees and Richard Perry, and Mark Shackell, a leader from our Contact Centre who has come through the programme.

Mari said:

The awards ceremony was a wonderful way to recognise the hard work of colleagues who created the LEAP programme. Hearing all the stories of the other award winners made me feel proud that the DVLA was in such good company.

Every member of the team has played an important part in gaining this award, I was pleased to represent them on this special occasion.

The ceremony

Entering St James’s Palace was a surreal experience. Taking in the beautiful surroundings and being part of the excitement and nervousness of all the other award winners was like nothing I have experienced before.

After being invited into the waiting hall we mingled with the other award winners ahead of the presentation ceremony.

As the award recipient, I had to leave my colleagues to be seated in a separate area. I waited patiently until I was called to step forward. It was a pleasure to be greeted by Princess Anne who asked me how many staff worked for the agency and congratulated us on our achievements.

After the ceremony, the award recipients were taken to small tables and Princess Anne took the time out to visit each of the tables, where we all got to give a quick overview of our achievements. I thought that was a very nice touch from someone whose time is always at a premium.

The whole day was fantastic and something I will always remember. I feel privileged to have been part of it.

In good company

This award sees DVLA join a select group of businesses and organisations who have achieved the award, including household names such as IBM, The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Royal Navy.

On average only about 40 of these sought-after awards are given each year. We are only the second Civil Service organisation (the other was HMRC) to have achieved this standard of excellence in the four years since the awards launched.

Future plans

Great training and opportunities to develop and progress are at the core of our values. With this award under our belt, LEAP goes from strength to strength – the next round of delegates are three months into the latest programme and enjoying every minute.

To find out more

You can read about what it’s like to work at DVLA and take a look at our latest vacancies on Civil Service jobs.

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