Walsall College

Walsall College Transforms Payroll with Celcat Staff Pay Claim

Having evolved from manual, paper-based payroll systems to semi-automated methods, Walsall College sought a smarter, more integrated solution to handle the growing complexity of pay claims. Facing the upcoming discontinuation of their legacy system and a pressing need for improved accuracy, transparency, and seamless integration, the college found a timely and transformative solution in Celcat’s Staff Pay Claim software.

The Challenge

Before implementing Celcat Staff Pay Claim, Walsall College used VT2000. While this was a step up from fully manual methods, it still came with major limitations. The integration with the timetabling system depended on fragile scripts, either written in-house or by the vendor, depending on the issue, that frequently broke when timetable data changed. This led to discrepancies, required manual fixes, and created ongoing inefficiencies.

Compliance issues, duplicate entries, and manual claims for non-timetabled work (such as learner support assistants supporting SEN students) were common. The process also relied heavily on emails, further increasing the risk of mistakes and overpayments.

One of the biggest bottlenecks was the approval workflow. Line managers approved sessions based purely on preset timetables, so staff had little responsibility to initiate their own claims. Combined with inconsistent data transfers between systems, this made the whole process vulnerable to breakdowns.

The Solution

Celcat’s Staff Pay Claim software was officially rolled out at Walsall College in August 2024 after some groundwork. Walsall College worked collaboratively with Celcat consultants to customise the system to meet their internal compliance and payroll structures. Crucial to the successful launch was a dedicated payroll team member who brought a deep understanding of the legacy system and guided the development.

Key elements of the solution included:

• Timetable-based automation that minimised manual claims.
• Staff-initiated claim submissions, with single sign-on access.
• Custom training materials, including video walkthroughs and user guides for both staff and line managers.
• Integrated multi-position handling, ensuring correct pension allocations and claim separation.
• Flexible pay period windows, allowing more time for accurate submissions.

Results & Benefits

Celcat’s Staff Pay Claim software has proven to be a reliable, scalable, and user-friendly solution, significantly improving accuracy and reducing errors for Walsall College. By largely resolving issues like duplicate sessions and overpayments, the college has achieved a new standard in payroll processing.

The system has also streamlined the workflow, allowing staff to submit claims directly and enabling line managers to approve them with minimal effort. Before August 2024, the payroll team spent a lot of time on numerous emails to sort out hours not pulling through and claims that weren’t being paid. Since August 2024, the process has become much clearer: if a timetable isn’t present, staff won’t get paid, which has eliminated the past issue of avoiding responsibility by assigning it to someone else and has sped up the entire process. The payroll team that works on this now only spends three to four days finalising the payroll file once a pay period has closed, a dramatic improvement over the days or even weeks previously spent on queries and manual claims.

Because the pay claim and timetabler systems are now unified, data mapping errors have been eliminated, leading to stronger internal alignment among MIS, payroll, and department heads. The enhanced reporting features provide payroll staff with a suite of standardised reports on authorised claims, cost centres, sickness, and absences, ensuring confidence before payroll upload. The system can also easily deal with tricky situations, like staff who have more than one role, timetable changes for students who need extra support, and extra pay for overtime.

Reflections & Key Takeaways

Parminder Sidhu, Payroll Manager at Walsall College, highlighted that the transition wasn’t without initial cultural resistance, especially with the shift to staff-initiated claims. However, consistent communication, proactive training, and system readiness led to a smooth launch.

“The biggest test was our first major payroll in October 2024, and we passed it. That confidence has carried through each pay period since,” she shared.

Sidhu also emphasised that Celcat’s Staff Pay Claim flexibility and the support from the team were critical to success. “What we were given was a shell. What we have now is a fully tailored solution that fits our college’s unique structure.

From a personal perspective, the transition to Celcat was the right way forward. Even without prior hands-on experience, I was able to manage submissions and approvals, generate the file, and upload it to the payroll system when a colleague was away. The system is easy to use, and managers and staff now find it very easy to submit and approve claims with just the click of a button.”

For Walsall College, Celcats’s Staff Pay Claim software has proven to be a reliable, scalable, and user-friendly solution. With greater accuracy, reduced admin workload, and fewer financial discrepancies, the college has achieved a new standard in payroll processing.

After a year of live use, there are over 100 staff members on the Celcat Staff Pay Claim system, and the payroll team is confident in its performance. They consider the investment to be both worthwhile and future-proof.