Why Use TAAS?

 

Continued & Committed Training Programme

TAAS employees come from a sound educational background as well as experience within the criminal justice system. The basic training is approximately 40 hours, with regular update and refresher training throughout their employment with us.

 

TAAS is an equal opportunities employer, and will employ any individual who has the requisite skills and attributes to work in these fields regardless of previous experience. All new employees will undergo a rigorous training and interview procedure, in line with all Safer Recruitment Guidelines. This ensures that only the most suitable candidates progress to representing TAAS. Many of our employees complete their duties in their spare time and hold professional qualifications relating to the Criminal Justice System, education or Social work. Some of our employees are employed full time by TAAS and others are retired professionals who want to put something back into their local community. We have employees from all walks of life, covering a wide range of age and experience.

 

In a new contract area, we will always offer employment opportunities to current staff, subject to the necessary security checks, vetting and training. This ensures some degree of continuity of service and also recognizes the hard work and dedication they have put into the role to date.

 

All our employees undergo an extensive training programme. Induction training in local operational and procedural matters is given to any new recruit and on going training is provided at quarterly intervals, to ensure that all our employees are up to date on any new laws, or issues relating to the role they are undertaking.

 

Ease of Referral

TAAS operates a central contact point which is manned 24 hours a day. We do not use pagers. This can accept referrals for appropriate adult callouts, triage attendance , Bail Supervision requests and deal with Reparation enquiries.

 

We have a dedicated phone number relating to individual areas, to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in answering queries, or accept referrals to the service.

 

We have a member of the senior management team on call at all times.

 

Often with other schemes, or in house schemes, those needing to access the service are required to hold rota information about staff available to cover certain sessions. Leaving the referrer with the responsibility of locating and ensuring the call out is covered. By using TAAS the police or social worker only ever has one number to ring. All referrals are made through this number, and the person taking the referral is charged with the task of locating and sending the relevant member of staff. TAAS is responsible for organizing and maintaining the rota system, and guarantees to have sufficient staff to cover any referral to the service, and cope with any unexpected sickness, holiday or unexpected increase in demand to the service. One phone call ensures that the referral process is as easy as possible, and that the minimum amount of time is wasted.

 

Guarantees

TAAS guarantees to meet every referral made to the service, whether for appropriate adult, triage, reparation or bail support. We have staff trained, vetted and ready to work in most areas of the country. We can supply evidence of our attendance record, and impressive response times. We currently have an average national response time of 40 minutes for appropriate adult attendances, this far exceeds both YJB and NAAN standards of a 2 hour response time.

 

Company Standing

TAAS has £10 million public liability insurance, £10 million employers liability insurance as well as £2 million public indemnity insurance. We are professionals and therefore have a duty of care to ensure that all duties are carried out to a very high standard.

 

The company has been in operation since 2001, and has sound financial standing and management experience in providing these services and developing new ones.

 

Cost effectiveness

We offer a pay as you go service, meaning costs are only incurred when the services are actually used. In practice our cost scheme is usually up to 40% cheaper than fixed price schemes. Our prices are fully inclusive and we do not expect to use any resources from the commissioning authority.

 

With an annual fixed price scheme, the service is paid for regardless of the level of cover you receive. The price for the contract will be agreed and usually paid for in advance. In practice this means that even if as many as 50% of the referrals are not met, there is little the purchaser can do as the service has already been paid for, and money will not be refunded.

 

There is no chance of this happening with a “pay as you go” scheme as there is never a charge unless the request is honoured.

 

Feedback

TAAS encourages involvement and feedback from service users.

 

TAAS can insert a feedback form into the referral form, for the custody sergeant to complete and send back directly to the YOT or Adult Services Team, ensuring that all feedback, good bad or indifferent is known to the purchasers, and not only the things we want you to hear!!

 

Because we do not insist on a member of our staff being placed within the purchasing organisation, those who use the service get a real idea about how the service operates, and how easy it makes their jobs!!! If there is a member of TAAS staff within the purchasing authority co-ordinating the service there is a chance that bad feedback or failures in the service could be hidden, and the purchasers would remain unaware that the service they are paying for is not delivering what it promises. We actively seek feedback from all those involved in the service provision, service users, commissioners, young people, police officers and staff.

 

Flexibility

Every one of the services we offer is designed to be as flexible as possible to meet the exact needs of the purchasing authority. We do not operate a one size fits all approach to the delivery of our services. The purchasers tell us what they need, and we adapt and deliver a service to meet these needs. The flexible approach is in respect of times of operation, monitoring information, feedback or reporting.

 

Other Features of our Service

Monthly Invoicing

TAAS is able to offer the convenience of monthly invoicing, thus collating the monthly cost of the service for budget holders, and also reducing on the amount of administration and paperwork for finance departments. The details of every referral made, which date, length of contact period, and name of client will be attached with every invoice, if required.

 

The provision of monthly invoicing is always done on an initial three month trial basis, as this does require a strict fourteen day payment period.

 

Electronic Remittances & BACS payments

TAAS welcomes and encourages the use of electronic remittances and prefers all payments to be made via BACS, this is in line with our Environmental and Sustainability Policy.

 

We have a Complaints Procedure

Because we are a ‘Quality’ company we have ensured that we have a customer-focused approach to our services.

We design our services around our client’s needs and we listen to our clients to make improvement to our services. We also offer full complaints procedure to ensure those who use our services can seek a satisfactory outcome following any incident.

 

We are a Quality ISO 9001 Registered Firm

We thought it essential to become a quality company to ensure our clients know that we are a professional company - committed to providing a quality service.

 

Gold Exor Accreditation

We have achieved a Gold Accreditation Level through Exor Management Solutions

 

We have full Public Liability Cover

As we often work in difficult situations with people who may present difficulties, we offer a fully professional service. We have comprehensive insurance cover, which includes £2 million Professional Indemnity, £10 million Public Liability and £10 million Employers Liability insurance.

 

Secure Transfer of Information

TAAS is a registered user on the CJSM system, so is able to send and receive information securely through this portal.

 

Professional Membership

We are full members of the National Appropriate Adult Network (NAAN). A national organisation of service providers of Appropriate Adult schemes. The organisation has close links within the Home Office, and membership ensures that we are fully up to date in any changes to legislation or practice. We have a representative helping to develop a set of National Minimum Standards for Appropriate Adult Schemes.