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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

Recording PIP interviews IAS (ATOS)

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Wensleyfoss
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Please see directive, for recording interviews in relation to IAS.

UKI-PIP-AE-8087 Version 1.0
Recording an Assessment
There are three key stages to the audio recording of assessments:
- Claimant informs Atos Healthcare of their intention to record their assessment
- The recording of the assessment
- The management and control of the assessment recording

It is the responsibility of the Scheduling Team to inform the Assessment Centre of the claimant’s intention to record the consultation. If the HP is unwilling to be recorded, an alternative HP who is willing to be recorded must be arranged.
The following rules apply to audio recordings of assessments:

- The claimant must bring their own recording equipment
-The equipment must be capable of recording onto audio cassette or standard CD only.
- Two copies must be produced simultaneously – one for the Claimant and one for Atos Healthcare.
- The equipment is prepared to record the moment the consultation commences.
- The equipment is of sound working order.
- The Claimant (and any third parties) are prepared to sign an agreement form prior to the consultation.
- The recording is not to be used for any unlawful purposes by the claimant.
It is the Claimant’s responsibility to provide all recording equipment and appropriate media. A complete and accurate copy of the recording must be provided to the HP at the end of the consultation.
Upon receipt of one of the recordings the HP will complete the second half of the Audio Agreement Form along with any other appropriate parties present at the consultation. The HP then writes the Unique Identifier (this can be obtained from the Scheduling Team on the day of the consultation) upon the media and places it, along with the completed Audio Agreement Form in the BRE.
This is then posted at the earliest opportunity.
The Business Reply Envelope is C4, double sealed and addressed:
FAO Audio Media SPOC
Atos Healthcare
PO Box 1006
Stockton on Tees
TS19 1U

BC Welfare Rights
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Can you tell me where that comes from please? I have a client who is asking about this…

All I can find is the FAQ page of the ‘company formerly known as Atos’ website https://www.mypipassessment.co.uk/faqs/

Sessions can be recorded. There are a few important points to note if you wish to do so:

Try to give us 24 hours’ notice - this lets us confirm that the Healthcare Professional in question has given their consent for you to record them.
We will ask you to sign a recording agreement. This tells you how you can later use the recording, and helps us keep your details confidential.
You will need to use your own recording equipment. To protect all parties, DWP restricts approved devices to those that produce two identical recordings simultaneously. Please note that this does not include laptops, tablets, smartphones or MP3 players.
For more information on recording your assessment, please contact our Customer Service Centre. You’ll find the telephone number on your appointment letter or on our Contact Us page.

Wensleyfoss
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Hi Billy, from the escalation contact I have at Atos. This is the updated information that was sent to me yesterday. if you email me, I can give you the escalation numbers, obviously only for advisers and not clients. Plus the file that was also sent to me from IAS

[ Edited: 23 Jun 2017 at 10:47 am by Wensleyfoss ]
ClairemHodgson
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can one get audio tape recording devices these days? and really, this means people will also have to fetch the tech to enable them to immediately make a copy - and these days, that usually means it had to have been digitally recorded…..

which all goes to show that government IT is still in the dark ages…..

Benny Fitzpatrick
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I would have thought most claimants would find it difficult (and prohibitively expensive)to find a machine that produces 2 recordings simultaneously onto CD or cassette.

Didn,t ATOS used to claim to be able to provide recording facilities when they did ESA assessments?

Ruth_T
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Dual deck recorders are routinely used in Interviews Under Caution.  A decent model will be expensive, but they are available from specialist suppliers.

Mike Hughes
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So, let’s be clear then. Clients can record their appointment if they pay for a dual cassette recorder which will usually be around £100. Add in at least £7 for a pack of 5 C90s from Clas Ohlsen. Go for a dual CD recorder and the costs are similar.

A number of observations around that:

1) Cassettes are alleged to be making a comeback. So is vinyl, and yet, despite year on year increases, it still accounts for only 4% of the market. Cassette doesn’t even come near that. How very reasonable of DWP/ATOS/IAS. Not even a cassette Dictaphone is admissible as the length of time they record for probably won’t cover it. Cassette players are not available from specialists so much as Ebay, Amazon etc. Good luck to a physically disabled client carrying a twin cassette recorder; cassettes; cabling and their own bags!

2) Get them to record it rather than the claimant and get either a typed transcript or a CD. Solves the whole problem except of course for those claimants for whom recording their own is related to an element of their mental ill health. 

3) It strikes me that now the Garageband app on iOS can record multiple tracks simultaneously one can record the same thing onto 2 tracks and export one at a time by email, text or whatever to whomever is required at the end of the appointment. A number of other audio recording apps do exactly the same thing. What exactly is the problem with them? 

4) As per the recent helpful Mesher decision on PIP, which suggests in passing that people with a sight impairment can score points for budgeting when someone else needs to repeat information to them even when there’s no cognitive loss… it strikes me that some people should be able to ask for amendments to the recording process as a reasonable adjustment to allow them full access to the process.

[ Edited: 26 Jun 2017 at 04:37 pm by Mike Hughes ]
ClairemHodgson
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Ruth_T - 24 June 2017 12:41 PM

Dual deck recorders are routinely used in Interviews Under Caution.  A decent model will be expensive, but they are available from specialist suppliers.

and how many benefit recipients/appellants are going to have the funds to buy, even if they can find said specialist supplier?

Mike Hughes
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ClairemHodgson - 27 June 2017 07:12 AM
Ruth_T - 24 June 2017 12:41 PM

Dual deck recorders are routinely used in Interviews Under Caution.  A decent model will be expensive, but they are available from specialist suppliers.

and how many benefit recipients/appellants are going to have the funds to buy, even if they can find said specialist supplier?

I suspect it’s more useful to have a template letter ready for clients with paranoia issues who are going to want a recording. Beyond that I actively encourage clients to not bother. Mostly kicking at an open door with tribunals on the quality of HCP reports so long as you don’t upset the medical professional; pick apart the really obvious stuff and actively make a case for which points are scored.

 

Stuart
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Issue submitted for debate in House of Commons via an Early Day Motion yesterday - just the one signature so far but a start though….

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2017-19/71

Mike Hughes
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Excellent. Now we need to get out there and tweet that to opposition MPs and encourage the asking of questions.

Mike Hughes
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Just to resurrect this from a slightly different angle. What’s the problem with a client taking pictures at the assessment? Outside of the building; corridors; waiting area; assessment room; assessment room equipment.

Indeed, what’s to stop them videoing their walk right up to the assessment room?

Obviously confrontational if the photos include people/HCPs etc. but otherwise… ?

Wensleyfoss
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I am still trying to find out, if recording of assessments will be allowed, anyone know please? The charity I work for will purchase two separate cheap recorders and record simultaneously, The HCP can choose which one to keep, the other will be sealed and sent by recorded delivery to our HO and not opened, unless required at appeal.

stevenmcavoy
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“claimant was able to reach into bag for recorder, open and put in tapes and press button”
“claimant able to use computer to purchase recorder and tapes. was able to search for the cheapest deal”

therefore claimant can…..cook a meal, have a bath, change their clothes, read and budget.

I’m being sartirical but…...

shawn mach
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From the BBC today -

The government tried to get his recording thrown out before his appeal at tribunal.

But exceptionally, in his case the judge agreed a transcript could be entered into evidence. He went on to win his case ...

Why I secretly taped my disability assessment

BC Welfare Rights
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Has anyone had any experience of getting a tribunal to accept an unauthorised recording of the PIP consultation as evidence? I may have this issue coming up..