We recently published an article in the Breaking Down Barriers magazine on the ‘national shame of bereavement in the UK’ (page 34), covering a subject we are all impacted by at some point in our lives. This highlighted the benefits of the free Death Notification Service (DNS) that allows users to notify member organisations of a person’s death, at the same time, thereby aiming to address some of the administrative nightmare surrounding bereavement. The DNS has changed the way banks deal with death notifications and Equiniti continues to challenge other sectors to follow suit.
Shortly after this publication we finalised Equiniti’s own Breaking Down Barriers Impact Report, that focuses on Equiniti and the areas where we are ‘purpose driven’. This report was compiled through Equiniti employees discussing the topic with the Purpose Coalition through a series of workshops. The report focuses on how Equiniti approaches 15 of the Purpose Coalition Goals. Goal 10 focusses on Closing the digital divide and here we talk about the role we play through the DNS and how Equiniti is closing gaps in bereavement administration, demonstrating how thoughtful innovation can remove barriers at life’s most difficult moments.
The statistics within the report speak for themselves: 610,000 notifications to date; over 2 million minutes of call time saved; we validated 88% of all deaths submitted without the need for a death certificate. In aggregate these are large improvements to the death notification process, but it is the impact on an individual that explains why we do what we do, and why we constantly strive for improvement. The personal case study on pages 32-33 is a powerful reminder of this and how we can make a difference to an individual who can be experiencing a difficult life event.
We now give you an insight into the perspective of one of our Equiniti colleagues on what working to deliver the DNS means for them, and their role. Introducing Claire Holland, Head of Processing Operations, UK Shareholder Services.
I’ve been working in Equiniti for almost 35 years and have a strong affinity for people. Doing the right thing, at the right time has always been so important to me – put simply, I love to help.
Having experienced the pain of losing both parents at a young age, and in more recent years - close friends, I recognise that bereavement is without question one of the most traumatic events any of us will experience. My personal experience drives my desire to support.
I lead the Processing Operations team; we are responsible for updating clients share registers following the death of a shareholder.
Processing Operations is a globally dispersed team with colleagues working in the UK and India. Together they share over 1100 years of operational experience. A global team supports diverse perspectives. Individuals with varied backgrounds, skills and experience lead to a more comprehensive support for our customers. Creating value through a rich and deep understanding of varied customer needs.
The role of the Processing team has transformed significantly over the past few years. No longer simply a back- office function, repetitively processing high volumes of paper, today the team is using valuable customer feedback, insight from google and speech analytics to make decisions led by data, to enhance customer journeys and to deliver positive customer outcomes at every interaction.
Put simply, at the centre of the approach is the focus on serving customers and doing the right thing. This is so important when dealing with bereavement.
Equiniti continues to work hard to lighten the administrative burden of bereavement – or ‘Sadmin’ as it’s often referred to.
A lack of customer knowledge, coupled with ambiguous and complex process often results in additional customer effort, at an already difficult time
Equiniti has worked hard to simplify their bereavement process. Forms have been redesigned, improved sign posting, correspondence has been simplified and the end-to-end journey has been made more efficient. Live chat has been introduced to support the dedicated bereavement lines and help videos have been created to offer support 24/7.
In addition to the above, the quickest and easiest way to notify Equiniti of a death is through using the Death Notification Service (DNS).
Designed by Equiniti, the Death Notification Service (DNS) is a free and simple service, which allows customers to notify a number of member organisations of a person’s death, at the same time – mirroring the Government’s ‘Tell us once service’ in the private sector.
Not only does this reduce the time taken to make notifications, it supports customers who may be resident outside of the UK and removes the emotional impact of repeated difficult conversations. Supporting customers both mentally and physically.
As we make the broader shift to digital solutions that make our services more accessible and responsive to real-life-challenges, we remain committed to providing personalised interactions that support our varied customer needs.
Whilst keen to support digital pathways, Equiniti remains committed to inclusivity and in helping customers who may be at different stages of dealing with bereavement.
We deliver this through an omnichannel approach offering postal support, a dedicated help line and live chat which complements our digital service, demonstrating our focus on a seamless, consistent and positive customer experience.
We constantly look for ways in which we can continually improve, and we look forward to delivering more initiatives to further support our role in easing the administrative burden of bereavement.