Performance at a glance

During 2020-21 the Public Trustee continued to provide financial and administrative services to the people of South Australia. The following tables reflect outcomes and performance on each of the services in addition to achievements against the Public Trustee Strategic Plan.

Key objective

Agency’s contribution

Better Services

  • Exceeded CPI targets over the medium to long term for customer investments.
  • Improved the timeliness and efficiency of payment processes for customer accounts by using BPAY.
  • Implemented a new service delivery model within Personal Estates to triage customer enquiries, prioritise and manage timely responses.

The following table provides an overview of what has been achieved.

Key Objective

Agency’s achievements

People

  • Continued the staff recognition program.
  • Initiated regular workforce planning meetings to apply resources to address priorities.
  • Created a structured leadership program tailored to Public Trustee Leaders.
  • Continued to focus on employee engagement via pulse surveys.
  • Continued an ‘Experience Your Role’ initiative that allows executive first-hand experience of operational roles.
  • Continued inter-branch forums to exchange information and discuss ideas.

Continuous Business Improvement

  • Developed a real estate tracking system to provide oversight of the status and progress of property sales.
  • Continued the ongoing review of policies.
  • Introduced product/procedural training forums for staff.
  • Developed a plan to transition from the existing PeopleSoft CRM system to a new CRM system.

Customer Experience

  • Conducted 2020-21 annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.
  • Continued the Customer Experience Committee to improve interactions with customers.

Governance & Financial Sustainability

  • Achieved Charter and Performance targets.
  • Reviewed delegations for operational effectiveness.

Agency Program - Writing Wills & Powers of Attorney

Will and Power of Attorney drafting services were provided for all eligible South Australians who nominated the Public Trustee as their executor, attorney or substitute attorney.

Activity Indicators

2020-21

2019-20

  • New Wills*

192

270

  • Revised Wills*

343

700

  • New & revised Power of Attorney documents*

29

163

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators

2020-21

2019-20

  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 with Will making services

4.95

4.80

  • Wills  customers who would recommend the Public Trustee

97%

94%

*Note: Lower Will and Power of Attorney numbers are representative of new eligibility requirements introduced 1 July 2020.

Agency Program - Deceased Estates & Trusts Administration

The Public Trustee acts as executor of an estate where named executor in the Will, or as administrator when a person dies intestate (without a Will).

The Public Trustee manages court-awarded trusts, trusts established by a Will and trusts under deed for minors, as well as perpetual charitable and scholarship trusts.

Activity Indicators

2020-21

2019-20

  • Administration of new estates

439

470

  • Administration of new trusts

83

134

  • Finalised deceased estates

628

573

  • Finalised trusts

134

180

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2020-21

2019-20

  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 with deceased estate administration services

4.24

3.76

  • Deceased estate administration customers who would recommend the Public Trustee

64%

57%

  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 with   trust administration services

3.98

3.92

Agency Program - Personal Financial Administration

The Public Trustee can be appointed legally responsible for making all, or some, of a person’s financial and legal decisions where that person has lost capacity.

Activity Indicators              

2020-21

2019-20

  • Appointed administrator or manager of financial and legal affairs - new customers

528

466

  • Active financial administrations as at 30 June

4 749

4 621

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2020-21

2019-20

  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 by customers and their representatives

3.69

3.63

Agency Program - Monitoring Private Financial Administrators and Managers

The Public Trustee is required annually to examine and report on activities of private financial administrators and managers appointed by SACAT and the courts.

Activity Indicators              

2020-21

2019-20

  • Review of financial statements of private administrators, managers and executors

2 815

2 353

  • Matters referred to SACAT for non-compliance with reporting requirements

164

274

  • Information sessions held for newly appointed administrators to explain their   responsibilities

11

10

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2020-21

2019-20

  • Feedback from information sessions

Excellent/very good

Excellent/very good

Agency Program - Litigation Guardian

The Public Trustee may be appointed by a Court to act as ‘Next friend’ for customers unable to conduct their own legal proceedings.

Activity Indicators              

2020-21

2019-20

  • Appointed as litigation guardian - new customers

43

36

  • Matters on hand at 30 June

112

94

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                              

  • Customer satisfaction data not collected due to small sample size

Employment opportunity programs

Program name

Performance

Aboriginal Traineeship Program

During 2020-21 Public Trustee engaged two trainees under the Aboriginal Traineeship Program.

Agency performance management and development systems

Performance management and development system

Performance

Performance Management is captured using the ELMO Performance Management System. Public Trustee aims for a compliance rate of 100% of all active staff having Performance Reviews during the year.

*90% of all staff as at 30 June 2021 are recorded as having had at least one performance management review in 2020-21.

*This figure excludes staff on long term paid leave.

Work health, safety and return to work programs

Program name

Performance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

All staff have access to a confidential EAP offering a counselling service to support and assist staff with both professional and personal issues.

AGD Health and Safety Committee

The Public Trustee has manager and employee representation on this committee, which provides a consultative forum to support and continuously improve work health, safety and wellbeing systems and practices.

Work health and safety Inspections

As part of the commitment to the safety of employees, six-monthly inspections are conducted to identify any hazards or risks with corrective action taken as needed.

The Public Trustee Health & Safety Committee

The Public Trustee Health and Safety Committee provides a proactive consultative forum for continuous improvement to Public Trustee work health, safety and injury management.

The Public Trustee Staff Culture & Wellbeing Initiatives

Staff are encouraged to participate in a range of social and wellbeing initiatives. As part of this, the Public Trustee staff raise funds to give back to the community through specially selected local charities and organisations.

Work health and safety and return to work performance statistics for the Public Trustee are included in the Attorney-General’s Department Annual Report.

Executive employment in the agency

Executive classification

Number of executives

SAES1

2

SAES2

1

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/organization/attorney-general-s-dept

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.