During 2021-22 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.

Agency’s contribution

  • Exceeded benchmark over the long term (10 years) for customer investments and within 0.2% of benchmark for equities.
  • Development of a new CRM system to manage customer information, contact and transaction history and improve workflow    and technology to support improved service to customers.

Key Objective

Agency’s achievements

People

  • Completed a project where all desktop assets have been successfully replaced with laptops and tablets to support work flexibility.
  • Transitioned the staff recognition program to electronic delivery to adapt to the COVID environment.
  • Continued to focus on employee engagement via pulse surveys.
  • Continued an ‘Experience Your Role’ initiative that allows executive first-hand experience of operational roles.
  • Participated in the State Government’s Workforce Rejuvenation Scheme resulting in the creation of 14 opportunities for new employees.

Technology enabled Business Improvement

  • Commenced implementation to transition from the existing PeopleSoft CRM system to a new CRM system that will improve customer interactions.
  • Commenced planning for the replacement of the ageing Customer Financials system (PeopleSoft Financials) with the build to commence in 2022-23.
  • Conducted an internal review of ICT functions to strengthen ICT and cyber security capability.

Customer Experience

  • Developed   a welcome pack for new personal financial administration customers to outline   what to expect, how to revoke an administration order, an explanation of fees   and charges and simple case studies to help people understand the   administration process.
  • Collaborated with the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit on the repayment of customer fines and debts to determine appropriate regular payment plans and in some cases write off debts. Repayment plans were arranged for 385 mutual customers.
  • Improved responsiveness to customer incidents through liaison with other agencies to support customer safety.
  • Collaborated with the Department for Human Services (DHS) for a combined procurement for customer Funeral Services.
  • Held case conferences with the Department for Correctional Services to improve the sharing of information regarding customers entering or leaving periods of incarceration and access to funds.
  • Collaborated with the DHS and the Office of the Public Advocate to develop an information sharing agreement with the NDIA to enable the Public Trustee to have visibility of NDIS funding to ensure customer funds are optimised.
  • Established regular meetings with SACAT to improve communications and responsiveness to SACAT hearings.
  • Continued to deliver all services during the COVID 19 pandemic.
  • Conducted 2021-22 Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Governance & Financial Sustainability

  • Achieved Charter and Performance targets.
  • Reviewed delegations for operational effectiveness.
  • Implemented a new cloud based organisational internal control   self-assessment tool.

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

2021-22

2020-21

 
  • New Wills

162

192

 
  • Revised Wills

316

343

 
  • New & revised Power of Attorney documents

45

29

 

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators

2021-22

2020-21

 
  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 with   Will making services

4.9

4.9

 
  • Wills customers who would recommend the   Public Trustee

100%

97%

 

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

2021-22

2020-21

 
  • Administration of new estates

465

439

 
  • Administration of new trusts

72

83

 
  • Finalised deceased estates

593

628

 
  • Finalised trusts

149

134

 

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2021-22

2020-21

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

3.6

4.2

 
  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 with   trust administration services

3.5

3.9

 

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              

2021-22

2020-21

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

464

528

  • Active financial administrations as at 30   June

4 847

4 749

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2021-22

2020-21

  • Customer satisfaction rating out of 5 by   customer representatives

3.7

-

  • Net Promoter Score for Personal Estate   customer representatives*

+10

-

*New in 2021-22

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              

2021-22

2020-21

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

3 128

2 815

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

312

164

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

3

11

 

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                  

2021-22

2020-21

 
  • 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              

2021-22

2020-21

 
  • Appointed as litigation guardian - new customers

25

43

 
  • Matters on hand at 30 June

111

112

 

Effectiveness/Efficiency Indicators                              

 
  • Customer satisfaction data not collected   due to small sample size

Program name

Performance

Aboriginal Traineeship Program

During 2021-22 two trainees engaged under the Aboriginal Traineeship Program were successful in obtaining ongoing employment with the Public Trustee.

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 a Performance Review during the year.

93% of all staff as at 30 June 2022 are recorded as having had at least one performance management review in 2021-22*.

*This figure excludes staff on long term paid leave.

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.

Workplace Consultative CommitteeThe Public Trustee has an active Workplace Consultative Committee that enables staff to discuss issues with management constructively and on a collaborative basis.

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


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

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.