INTRODUCTION TO DEBT COUNSELLING
The Perspectives of Professional Money Management
This seminar is for housing staff who are increasingly involved in giving people advice on debt and money
management. The day will give you a good understanding of the risks and pitfalls of debt, the typical
causes, tips on how you could minimise the problems and will also identify the ways that your advice can
help people to help themselves. We will look at the licensing requirements for staff who offer Debt
Counselling. At the centre of the seminar is the financial statement and how it recognises the priorities of
debt, deals with the running costs of the household and calculates how the bills can be paid. The aim is to
make sure that income is maximised and that some surplus is available to re-pay creditors. The seminar
will introduce the pro-rata formula and apply it to some case studies. Barry Marlow’s experience and
knowledge of arrears and debt, will allow the issues to be put into wider financial perspectives that deal
with your corporate ambitions as well as investigating why people still feel obliged to pay doorstep
lenders rather than talk to you.
This seminar will look at:
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The state of debt and the pressures on your customers
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Customer behaviour and how you can deal with it
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Appreciating the causes of debt
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Money management, debt advice and the context of counselling
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The corporate ambition, codes of practice and the way you compete with others
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The debt counselling process and its framework
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Maximising income
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The financial statement and its aims
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Priority and non-priority debts
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Negotiation with customers and creditors
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Offers of payment and pro-rata calculations
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The service you offer, how people might react to you and potential conflict of interest
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The potential of enforcement advice for non-compliance
Please see full course programme on Page 2
Trainer: Barry Marlow
Barry has over 35 years experience in local authority and housing association management.
Since 1996, Barry has become one of the UK’s most prominent and popular housing trainers. A
Member of the CIH and the Professional Speakers Association, Barry’s credentials include a
dynamic and challenging perspective of public sector housing. Barry is a motivational and
passionate public speaker often bringing audiences to life with his messages. Barry’s passion
for housing remains his biggest asset. The courses he delivers always have the key objectives of
being challenging and enjoyable, allowing change to be created and developed by people with
a natural enthusiasm for the role and the business.
INTRODUCTION TO DEBT COUNSELLING
The Perspectives of Professional Money Management
Seminar Programme:
09.30 SESSION 1 - The Context of Debt Counselling and Money Management
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Corporate ambitions and standards of practice
The way debt is handled by people
How your counselling service is shaped
Causes of debt
The competition for your customer’s money
11.30 SESSION 2 - The Debt Counselling process
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Case study – the conflicting priorities
The way we communicate and negotiate
The perspective of the service
The perspective of the customer in debt
Responsibilities of you and the customer
13.45 SESSION 3 - The Financial Statement
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Maximising income
Identifying the household expenses
Identifying the debts
Prioritising debts
The strategy to deal with creditors, including yourself
15.15 SESSION 4 - Payment
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Negotiating with creditors
Pro-rata payments
Token payments
Non-payment
Persuasion and enforcement conversations
Case studies and discussions
Tea and coffee breaks will be at 11.15 and 15.00 with lunch at 13.00 until 13.45