How we helped Mind in Camdenfulfil their automatic enrolment duties

Mind in Camden: a case study

Mind in Camden is a mental health charity providing support, training and consultancy to people of all ages who struggle with mental health problems. They have six full-time and 11 part-time employees.

Employee Benefits Manager Andy Campbell managed the project on behalf of Lucas Fettes & Partners, and guided Mind in Camden through the automatic enrolment process.

Resources Director, Rowena Dean, and Finance Director, Mylva Sukumaran from Mind in Camden attended the Lucas Fettes & Partners automatic enrolment workshop at NCVO headquarters in London, on 13 November 2015. After the workshop, she contacted Lucas Fettes & Partners and requested a meeting to discuss fulfilling their automatic enrolment duties.

How it started…

During the initial discovery meeting by telephone, Andy discussed with Rowena:

How it started…

• Current situation;• the project objectives;• their duties as an employer;• the profile of their workforce;• their payroll arrangements;

• their existing pension arrangements;

• pension contributions; and• the project timeline.

It was agreed that Lucas Fettes & Partners would full provide support and guidance with the initial planning, delivery and implementationof any new schemes and processes necessary to comply.

Managing the project

Following an assessment of the existing pension scheme, a pension supplier review was conducted. This identified a solution that fulfilled automatic enrolment requirements and potential for greater member outcomes for Mind in Camden employees.

After the pension supplier review and consultation, a new pension scheme was implemented for Mind in Camden employees, which would be fully compliant with their automatic enrolment responsibilities.

Pension supplier review

Pension supplier review

“Our previous pension scheme had higherannual management charges than the pension scheme

recommended by Lucas Fettes. Our new pension arrangementsare fully compliant, and represent a better deal for our employees.”

Mind in Camden

Payroll is managed internally by Mind in Camden. Before their staging date the payroll system was upgraded to include a module designed to manage a number of the automatic enrolment compliance functions, such as worker assessments.

Lucas Fettes assisted in configuring the module, ensuring that the automatic enrolment rules were in place ahead of the first assessment.

Getting ready

Automatic enrolment compliance processes that must be performed each pay period include:

Getting ready

• assessing the workforce;• calculating pension

contributions;• handling opt-in and joining;• handling opt-outs and refunds;• producing and issuing statutory

notifications to workers;

• keeping records and; • providing reports to the

workplace pension supplier;• paying contributions into the

workplace pension scheme.

Lucas Fettes supported with guidance on all aspects and provided oversight on the first two assessments to ensure that the processes were properly followed and staff were enrolled correctly.

Getting ready

Organisations have a duty to inform staff about automatic enrolment. Lucas Fettes & Partners created a communications plan to raise awareness of automatic enrolment and the implications for employees. Communications were sent to staff to tell them about:

Keeping staff up to date and aware

• the impact of automatic enrolment;

• the change of pensionsupplier;

• information about the new pension scheme;

• information about pension contributions.

One to one sessions were also provided for employees atMind in Camden headquarters.

The first worker assessment was completed during the pay period in which the staging date fell. Mind in Camden employees were then enrolled into the new pension scheme. Where applicable, pension contributions were deducted from staff pay and pension reports were compiled, checked and uploaded to the pension supplier.

Lucas Fettes & Partners completed the Declaration of Compliance on behalf of Mind in Camden to confirm and submitted this to The Pensions Regulator.

Staging date

Staging date

“The whole process was managed smoothly andefficiently by Lucas Fettes. I wouldn’t hesitate to

recommend them”.

Mind in Camden

Staff who participated in the former workplace pension scheme were given the option to transfer their pension saving from the old scheme into the new arrangement. Information comparing the two schemes was provided to enable staff to make an informed decision.

This was an exercise sponsored by Mind in Camden and managed by Lucas Fettes.

After the staging date

There is lots of useful information about automatic enrolment on our Easy as AE website – click here to visit the site.

We can help guide you through the automatic enrolment journey – get in touch to see howwe can help.

Call: 0345 357 8910Email: easyasae@lucasfettes.co.uk

Need help?

Call: 0345 357 8910Email: easyasae@lucasfettes.co.uk

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