Supporting Vulnerable Customers when Recovering Debt

Course Outline

We live in unprecedented times! Due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, many people cannot even afford the basics, such as food and heating, and a record number of households in the UK now depend on food banks and are struggling with unmanageable debt. This is causing a rise in mental health problems and affecting the most vulnerable customers within our communities.

This course will ensure that you and your staff have the skills to identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances, as well as meet your legal responsibilities.

By adopting a supportive and ethical approach to recovering debt, you’ll help your organisation to recover more debt in the long term. You’ll also help to boost your reputation and prevent worsening the mental wellbeing of your customers.

What you'll Learn

By the end of this course you will be able to understand:

• .What we mean by customers in vulnerable circumstances.

• How to support customers with mental health problems and addictions (i.e., alcohol and substance use, gambling, etc.)

• How to recognise appropriate and inappropriate language around suicide.

• How to offer support to suicidal callers and understand the risk factors.

• How to look after our own mental health

• How to apply the TEXAS protocol for handling disclosure of sensitive personal information.

• How to effectively signpost vulnerable customers to obtain free, independent legal and financial advice.

• How to help vulnerable customers to obtain a debt respite under the Breathing Space Regulations.

 Topics Covered

• The Scale of Vulnerability

• Defining Vulnerability

• Recognising and recording when someone is vulnerable

• Covid pandemic – how has this impacted on vulnerable clients?

• Language around suicide- what is appropriate and what is not appropriate language?

• Samaritans – ‘Small Talk, Saves Lives’ campaign, with 2 short videos

• The connection between Mental Health and Debt

• Self-care. How do we look after our own Mental Health?

• Talking techniques

• The TEXAS approach for supporting Customers

• Understanding ‘High Priority Debts’

• Options for clearing debts

• Referring customers to support services

• Breathing Space regulations