Overview
A client supports Local Authorities, Care Agencies, Deputies, Appointees, and care providers by enabling safe financial management for vulnerable residents. The platform needed to balance safeguarding with independence, allowing residents to make approved purchases while ensuring auditability and control for guardians and authorities.
However, operational challenges slowed delivery: linking wallets to zero-balance cards was complex across schemes, communications lacked consistency, KYC checks created friction, and recurring payment features were missing. Manual interventions increased risk of errors, added operational overhead, and limited scalability.
Client required a partner who could unify its operational backbone with a secure, API-first design while keeping resident experience at the centre.
Solution Brief
We delivered a multi-track operational modernisation for them:
- Wallet-to-Card Transfers: Built secure APIs to link wallets and zero-balance cards, enabling real-time funding and merchant settlement with full audit trails.
- Local Authority Role Expansion: Extended platform APIs to add Wallet Holder, Deputy, and Carer roles, ensuring flexibility without duplicating systems.
- KYC Integration: Created a translation layer to align third-party KYC APIs with internal standards, ensuring compliance without disrupting user experience.
- Subscriptions Management: Introduced subscription controls for residents and admins, with processor integration to support recurring payments on zero-balance cards.
Together, these modules established a scalable, compliant, and resident-first platform.
Approach
- Discovery and Mapping: Identified core operational pain points across wallet flows, role management, KYC, and payments.
- API-First Development: Designed interoperable APIs that abstracted scheme differences and enabled real-time controls.
- Automation and Normalisation: Automated funding, reconciliations, and KYC ingestion, with mapped statuses to ensure accuracy.
- User-Centric Features: Built resident mobile apps and client consoles for carers and authorities, with transparent dashboards and toggles.
- Incremental Delivery: Released functionality in phases to accelerate rollout while ensuring stability and adoption.
Impact
- Operational Efficiency: 80% reduction in manual tasks across compliance and funding flows.
- Speed Gains: 70% faster wallet-to-card transfers, role assignments, and KYC processing.
- Safeguarding & Independence: Residents gained independence with real-time spending controls, while carers and authorities retained oversight.
- Scalability: API-first design supported multiple schemes and roles without adding system complexity.
- Cost Savings: Lower operational overhead from automation and reduced reconciliation work.
- User Adoption: Over 2,600 active users with 60% adoption among Local Authorities, care agencies, and residents.
- Consistency & Trust: Unified processes reduced errors, improved transparency, and built trust with stakeholders.
Technology Stack
- Frameworks: .NET, .NET Core
- Database: Microsoft SQL Server 2017
- APIs: REST APIs for wallet, KYC, and subscription integration
- Frontend: Angular, Bootstrap, JQuery
- Mobile: Android and iOS resident-facing apps
- Architecture: API-first design with audit logging and interoperability across schemes
Conclusion
With Art’s partnership, the client evolved into a secure, scalable, and user-friendly platform for vulnerable residents and their guardians. By combining real-time wallet-to-card transfers, automated KYC checks, subscription enablement, and flexible role management, the client established itself as a trusted solution for Local Authorities and care providers, safeguarding users while preserving independence.
