The document summarizes a workshop focused on improving communication and collaboration between creditors and debt advisers, highlighting the progress made in bridging the divide between the two parties. Key themes include the importance of dialogue, mutual understanding, and the impact of regulations on their relationship. Despite advancements, challenges such as inconsistent practices and communication remain, necessitating ongoing efforts for standardization and partnership.

1. Creditors and advisers do now
talk together - job done then?
Peter Munro, Head of Business Development - Creditors,
PayPlan
David Easterby, Head of Consumer Servicing, Idem
Servicing
Presenters:
Darryl Matthews, Group Head of External Relations,
Harrington Brooks
Facilitator:
Phill Holdsworth, Proprietor of Phill Holdsworth Consulting
and representing MALG’s North East Discussion Forum
Scribe:

2. Workshop Overview
• Welcome and housekeeping - Darryl Matthews
• Adviser perspective - Peter Munro
• Creditor perspective - David Easterby
• Open discussion - All
• Job Done Then? - Vote

3. Adviser Perspective
• Talking IS progress - reflections on ‘bridging the divide’
• Working with Creditors - the Payplan experience
• Job Done? - thoughts for the open discussion

4. Talking IS progress
• ‘Bridging the divide’ no longer a distracting issue
• MALG / Roundtables / Working Parties breaking down barriers
• Regulation has encouraged positive dialogue
• Doing the right thing for consumer a shared objective

5. Working with Creditors (1)
• 900K creditor accounts under management
• 26K creditor letters handled per month
• 5K creditor phone calls handled per month
• 92K creditor online interactions per month
• 35 creditor meetings per month
• 8 industry events per month
• Disbursing £18m a month to creditors

6. Working with Creditors (2)
• Dedicated debt advice managers now more common
• Specialist Teams to deal with vulnerable customers
• Exchange visits to improve relations
• Mutual auditing to improve trust
• Sharing of consultation thoughts / responses
• Pro-active and targeted referrals replacing generic signposting
• Data exchange proving the benefits of debt advice
• More diverse creditor types now engaging

7. Job Done?
• Engagement and attitude varies by creditor type
• Inconsistent policies and procedures cause confusion
• Communications around debt sale could improve
• Communications around DCA use could improve
• Service levels vary considerably

8. Creditor perspective
• Historical creditor perspective
• The need for change
• Our journey
• What’s next?

9. Historical creditor perspective
• Advice sector seen as a barrier between creditor and
customer
– Lack of trust
– No real dialogue
• Limited working relationships
• Lack of understanding on both sides – were customers
always put first?
• All advisors “tarred with the same brush” – and perhaps
all creditors!

10. The need for change
• Recognition of the importance of the advice sector
• More customers were seeking debt advice
• Advice providers operating in the UK increased dramatically
• Treating Customer Fairly
• Changes to the regulatory environment

11. Our journey
• Invested in understanding the industry
• Embarked on an engagement exercise
• Developed working relationships based on understanding
and trust
• Created a specialist department
• Built a bespoke system
• Moved from reactive to proactive approach

12. What’s next?
• Continue to communicate
• Share best practice
• Identify areas to learn from each other
• Encourage uniformity / standard practices
• Support each other through the regulatory changes

13. Open Discussion
• Do both sides talk but neither truly listen?
• Are there enough opportunities for dialogue?
• Is opinion still too polarised to ever reach compromise
positions?
• Are both talking but using a different language?
• Why are messages so inconsistent from both sides on the
same issues?
• Do both have the consumer at the heart of this dialogue?
• What have we learned from converting conflict into dialogue?
• How can we turn talk into positive actions for the future?

14. Vote