Letters in Casework

A letter sent from a case should do three things at once: go out, be evidenced, and satisfy the deadline it exists for.

Where to find it

These features have no dedicated Architect Panel section of their own. They are configured through their datastores, opened from All Datastores, and most of what a caseworker sees appears on the record itself rather than on an admin screen.

Evidence the despatch

Record the document as sent, the address it went to and when it was despatched. Keep the document as sent rather than the template — regenerating it later shows the current wording, which is not what the recipient received.

Deemed service

Where the regime deems service a set period after posting, derive that date from the despatch date rather than typing it. In working days where the rule says working days.

Close the obligation

If the letter discharges an obligation, closing it should follow from the send rather than being a separate thing somebody remembers. An obligation left open after the letter went is a false breach, and a service chasing false breaches stops trusting the escalations.

Returned mail

Letters come back. Have a route for recording that the address is wrong, because an address you keep writing to after it bounced is one you will be asked about — particularly where the correspondence carried legal consequence.

Choosing the channel

Do not post everything because some things must be posted. Post what requires it and what the recipient needs, and use cheaper channels for the rest. A service that posts every routine update spends a great deal on paper and buries the letters that mattered.