CDS News

Through feedback from this years contract compliance audit program, the provider assurance team has put together the following guidelines to help providers with their police station claims.

DSCC reference number

This must be noted clearly on files for all police station claims. Please refer to Unified Contract Crime (UCC) part B1.1.13(3) and B1.1.13(4). Unless the exceptions at B1.1.13(4) apply (and are noted on the file), costs cannot be claimed where a matter is not referred through the DSCC, so any files that do not have the DSCC reference noted, may potentially be assessed to nil.

It should also be clear from the file who took the call from the DSCC, or who called the DSCC where instructions are not received through the DSCC. This will enable auditors to establish if, for Duty Solicitor matters, the call from the DSCC was accepted by a suitably qualified person. See UCC part B1.1.8.

Noting times of calls on files

The file should show all relevant times of telephone calls made or received. For example, the time the call was accepted from the DSCC and the time the client was first contacted (either by telephone or in person). This will enable auditors to establish if the client was contacted within 45 minutes.

Please refer to the UCC part B1.1.13(6). If an advice call is claimed, the file should show what advice was given to the client.

Attendance on client

The file should show the name of the person attending the client. This will enable auditors to establish if the attendance was undertaken by a suitably qualified person. See UCC B1.1.7 and B1.1.8.