About us

We are a market leader in the field of software design and development. We have been providing successful IT solutions to our prestigious client base since 1989. We have established firm relationships with our users, so much so, that many of our clients have come to regard us as partners rather than just suppliers.

In our experience we realise that many computer applications can seldom be met by shrink wrapped ‘off the shelf’ solutions. This is why we develop and tailor systems to your precise specification, ensuring that the best is made of your total project. We are committed to making it our business to understand yours, not only at operational level but also in terms of your overall strategy and goals.

It would be impossible to offer this level of service and expertise without the most highly trained professionals. Our programmers, consultants and trainers are recruited directly from the business areas in which our customers operate. At a senior level we have over 40 years IT knowledge and experience.

Our company’s philosophy is to deliver excellent products, meet deadlines and provide a personal service by listening to you – our customer. Whatever project you challenge us with, we guarantee to deliver the best possible service and a commitment that we are proud to say always impresses our clients. Contact us now to find out how we can help you.

Our Products

Carer Payments

is one of the four Child Care Payment modules (Care Leavers, Direct Payments and Agency Payments), which together provide a complete solution for all Child Care needs.

Detailed information is maintained on both Carers and Clients, with placement records linking them for the duration of a placement. Comprehensive background tables and rule settings ensure that every aspect of this application can be customised and tailored to meet the precise payments requirements of the users. It has been designed to cover all types of placements , including short term respite placements, without the need to close the main placement, if one exists. System rules handle to overlapping payment, if necessary.

Additional forms give maximum flexibility in dealing with additional payments either as one off payments or payments designed to cover a short fixed term period.

A full payment run utility allows the regular periodic run, together with a payment run procedure that can be run to deal with ‘urgent’ payment requirements. Both of these procedures are designed to produce an output file that can be used by the corporate creditors system to generate the necessary payments.

History of all payments authorised is maintained within the application and this can be viewed either by client or by provider, thus enabling the user to effectively deal with any queries that may arise. A full overpayments calculation and recovery system is included. The user will be able to determine the levels of recovery and a full reporting facility on overpayments allows the user to keep track of recoveries.

A further selection of reports and the ability to analyse data using external software packages ensures that the users remain in full control of expenditure and commitments.

Care Leavers

and Through Care Payments module has been designed as a comprehensive solution to the payment of allowances to Care Leavers and Through Care Clients. Detailed information on clients includes:

· Full personal details

· Bank Account details for direct payments

· Creditor reference details for linking to corporate creditors

· Detailed payment schedule for all regular payments

This client group in particular, needs a payments module that can be flexible. The Softbox Care Leavers and Through Care solution provides just such flexibility. Any payment made though the application can be paid:

· Direct to the Client

· To any Third Party

· Payable by BACS, Cheque or Cash

In addition to the regular weekly payments the Care Leaver and Through Care Payments module handles all single or one-off payments, including those payments which form part of a Leaving Care or Setting Up Home Grant. Each client can have a designated ‘budget’ and the application will monitor expenditure against that figure.

Throughout the application all expenditure has Budget Codes recorded against it, so that at the beginning of each week, when the weekly payments are made, this information is transferred to the corporate general ledger and service budgets are updated with the expenditure. This weekly process includes:

· Checking individual payment amounts

· Authorising payments

· Producing information for creditors system

· Remittance advice letters

· Summary reports

Personal Budgets

has been designed as a comprehensive solution to the needs of clients in receipt of Direct Payments. Core information maintained in the software includes:

· Client Details

· Relatives

· Third Party Suppliers/Providers

Through a series of individual payments which can be directed to any individual, client, relative or third party, a comprehensive picture is complied of all the regular payments to or on behalf of the client. These form the basis of a ‘standing’ payment, a set of instructions that will remain in place until it is necessary to amend them.

Additionally the application provides the facility for single or one-off payments. These take the form of Adjustments which can be entered during the current payment cycle and will be paid in the next run. The frequency on which payments are generated is a user controlled feature.

Throughout the application all expenditure has Budget Codes recorded against it, so that at the end of each period, when the payments are made, this information is transferred to the corporate general ledger and service budgets are updated with the expenditure. This weekly process includes:

· Checking individual payment amounts

· Authorising payments

· Producing information for creditors system

· Remittance advice letters

· Summary reports

The application can be fully integrated with the other Child Care Payments modules which provides for respite and day care payments to approved carers, without any necessary interruption to the Direct Payments.

Agency Payments

handles all out of LA placements, typically paid by invoice although the option is included to allow a supplier to be paid automatically, via a self invoicing process. Placement types covered by this package:

· Residential Placements

· Private Fostering Agencies both in and outside the Local Authority

· Other Local Authority placements

When an invoice is received, the application generates an expected invoice. This allows the user to reconcile the contents of the invoice with the known commissioned services, before approving the invoice for payment. This ensures that all invoices received are fully reconciled, a key to maintaining tight control of expenditure. Periodically, at a time set by the users, invoices waiting for payment are released via a transaction file, which will generate a file that can be loaded by the Local Authority Creditors package. Detailed remittance advice notes can be created for sending to the supplier.

History of all payments authorised is maintained within the application and this can be viewed either by client or by provider, thus enabling the user to effectively deal with any queries that may arise. A full overpayments calculation and recovery system is included. The user will be able to determine the levels of recovery and a full reporting facility on overpayments allows the user to keep track of recoveries.

A further selection of reports and the ability to analyse data using external software packages ensures that the users remain in full control of expenditure and commitments.

Child Savings

has been designed to complement the current Carer Payments and Agency Payments Modules by providing a direct link with Child Savings Accounts. The savings contributions are calculated directly from the existing placement records for all eligible children.
This new Savings Module is fully integrated into our Child Care Payments software and works with placement records created either in:

• Carer Payments

• Agency Payments

It has been designed to pick up periods of care even when the client moves across modules or has a number of placements in any given savings period, for example short break moves or respite.
The module contains:

• Savings amount table

• Indicator, ‘Client eligible’ for savings

• Full details of account, reference and type used for client savings

• User defined eligibility days or waiting period before savings begin

• Details of savings agencies used to hold client accounts

• User defined date periods for transfer of savings funds

• Transaction files for payments via Accounts Payable

• Summary of client savings

• Statements

• Ability to record withdrawals and other deposits

• Ability to ‘accrue’ savings even when no savings account has been setup with automatic transfer at a later date

• Remittances for savings holder as part of comprehensive savings payments transfer run

Money Management

is a new application intended to be a key service to Safeguard service users, as part of a Safeguarding Plan for Adults.

It has been designed to enable the Local Authority to work in partnership with service users, their representatives and other agencies to protect the financial interests of vulnerable adults.

Safeguarding those

At risk of Financial Abuse
Unable to manage their financial affairs

It includes

A complete Money Management software solution for the administration of client finance and case management, for both Appointee and Deputy duties
Monitor income and expenditure
Bank reconciliation
Create and maintain property records
Production of Deputyship Report for the Office of Public Guardian
Production of standard documents

Providing

A service by which service users financial affairs can be managed independently and transparently, with minimum additional cost to the local authority

At the centre of this Money Management system is a comprehensive client record which includes

Comprehensive personal details
Details of all accounts including individual High Street Bank Accounts and centralised or individual Authority accounts
Income and Expenditure details
Property information
Taking care of pets
Funeral arrangements

In addition to a comprehensive range of standard reports, as with all SoftBox products users can

Utilise the Quick Query facility built into our products, to create user-defined SQL Queries

Use external report writing tools such as Crystal Reports and Business Objects

Download data from standard reports to Excel for further analysis

About us

Why us?

Implementation

The successful implementation of any project depends greatly upon a number of factors including staff awareness, effective procedures and effective software. We at Softbox have tried and tested implementation procedures that will ensure the success of any project.

Support

Training

We offer a wide range of courses designed for end-users, managers and administrators to assist with the implementation of any of our products.