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<p>The role of Child Maintenance Options is not to provide advice, but to provide
impartial information to support parents in making the most appropriate maintenance
arrangement for their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Child Maintenance Options agents
complete a comprehensive training programme and have supporting guidance available
to ensure they provide complete and unbiased information to customers, including information
about how a child maintenance calculation is worked out and what information is taken
into account.</p><p> </p><p>Child Maintenance Options agents are trained to identify
circumstances where a variation to the child maintenance calculation may be considered.
If any such circumstances are discussed during the Child Maintenance Options conversation,
the agent will tell the customer to raise it with the Child Maintenance Service when
they make their application and to ask for a variation to be considered.</p><p> </p><p>The
nature of the variation is specific to each individual customer, and representations
are required from both parties (Receiving and Paying Parent). Therefore, specific
details are best dealt with at the point where the variation is applied.</p><p> </p><p>Child
Maintenance Service caseworkers who take applications to the statutory scheme are
trained on the detail of the variations system so, in cases where a declaration is
made the variation can be applied appropriately.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the Compliance
and Arrears Strategy the department is reviewing its approach to variations. Appropriate
additional training and guidance for Child Maintenance Options and Child Maintenance
Service staff, and additional material to raise customer awareness of the variation
process, will be considered as a result.</p>
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