The document outlines Money Advice Service's proposed framework for debt advice standards and quality assurance. It proposes: 1) Establishing organizational and individual standards for debt advice based on existing frameworks like National Occupational Standards. 2) Developing a quality framework that existing standards can be assessed against for accreditation. Standards owners would work to map their standards to the framework. 3) An accreditation process where standards, qualifications and trainings can be regularly reviewed and mapped against the framework. Organizations would need to adhere to an accredited standard to receive funding. The document provides details on the proposed standards, workshops to gather feedback, and next steps of consulting stakeholders before finalizing and publishing the response

1. Achieving consistent and high
quality debt advice
An approach to Standards and Quality Assurance for the debt
advice sector - consultation event
1

2. Welcome
• Welcome and introductions
• Housekeeping arrangements
2

3. Agenda
10:30 Welcome
Proposed Money Advice Service framework and accreditation
10:45
process
11:00 Proposed organisational standards
11:15 Workshop 1 - organisational standards
12.15 Lunch
13:00 Proposed individual standards
13:15 Workshop 2 - individual standards
14:15 Next Steps and questions
14.30 Close
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4. Caroline Siarkiewicz
Head of UK Debt Advice Programme
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5. Proposed Money Advice Service framework and accreditation process
Aim for debt advice standards
 MAS co-ordination role
 Consistent, high quality debt advice across the sector
 To provide a best practice framework to enable organisations and
individuals to transparently demonstrate the quality of their advice
delivery and good client outcomes
 To build on standards and processes currently used extensively in
the sector
 To provide a highly visible accreditation of the standards that
advice organisations have attained.
 To maintain a register of standards that meet our framework
and/or verify compliance with each standard using independent
5 third party auditing

6. Draft Quality Framework
 To introduce a new Quality Framework against which existing quality
standards and membership codes can be assessed.
 To incorporate individual and organisational components into the
single Framework
 To accredit quality standards and membership codes the meet the
Framework
 To use the National Occupational Standards as the basis for
assessing competence against our Framework for individuals against
debt role profiles
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7. Draft Quality Framework
 To work with standards, qualification and training owners to identify
and develop their quality marks, qualifications, and courses so that
they meet our Framework
 To work with funders to encourage the use of the Framework in their
funding decisions for debt advice
 To require organisations that we fund to adhere to a standard that
meets the Framework
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8. Accreditation Process
Proposal
• To establish a process whereby new and existing standards, codes
qualifications and training can be mapped against our Framework
for accreditation
• Regularly review the accredited standards, codes, qualifications and
training to ensure they continue to meet the requirements
• Work with standards owners to examine their audit process when
assessing the quality of individuals within their accredited
organisations and encourage this practice to enable a transparent
validation process for individuals
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9. Accreditation Process
Proposal
• Work with standards and membership code owners to implement a
formal process of sharing information on organisations that gain,
maintain or lose their quality mark
• Organisations should be able to demonstrate that their staff are well
trained and competent and that they hold one of the recognised
accredited qualifications or can demonstrate that staff have attended
a programme of training that has been mapped against the NOS
role profiles
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10. Tiana Pathmanathan
MAS Lead on Standards and Evaluation
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11. Organisational standards
Clients’ needs
Governance Learning
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12. Quality Areas
 Meeting clients’ needs
 Well governed
 A learning organisation
 A series of aims and associated requirements for each section
 Each would be assessed to establish if they are being
addressed and evidenced across the organisation
 Consultation invites quality standards owners and membership
bodies to provide evidence on how the Framework is met.
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13. Overview of proposed approach
The Money Advice Service will accredit all standards and codes
which are able to demonstrate they can fully meet the Quality
Framework
We will seek to work with standards owners who do not fully meet the
Framework currently to see how these can be developed to enable any
gaps to be bridged
We will support and encourage the organisations we fund to work
towards one of the standards that meets the requirements of the
Framework.
We will work with other funders of debt advice to encourage them to
adopt our Framework as a funding requirement
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14. Meeting client’s needs
Section 1
Quality requirement Purpose
1.0 Delivers appropriate client outcomes through effective advice, To facilitate improved client outcomes
appropriately tailored to meet individual needs of clients
1.1 Provides appropriate support To ensure clients’ needs are met with the right tools and resources
1.2 Define and understand clients’ needs To ensure services are targeted, designed and promoted appropriately
LE
1.3 Service is easily accessible To maximise reach of service.
1.4 Effectively communicate & promote services to potential clients To build awareness of the service and encourage usage
P
AM
1.5 Act and be seen to act with integrity at all times Building and maintaining clients confidence in the objectivity and
impartiality of advice
1.6 Builds strong partnerships S
To facilitate effective and timely referrals
Illustration of 1.0 – Meets the Money Advice Service Evaluation Illustration of 1.6 - Referrals are made in the client’s best
Framework. interest. Skills and diligence of adviser and/or organisation is
taken into account.
Illustration of 1.3 - Language needs of clients are assessed and
provided for.
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15. Well governed
Section 2
Quality requirement Purpose
2.0 Financially viable To provide a consistent and sustainable service to clients
2.1 Manages resources well To maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of its service
2.2 Well led To provide vision and clarity of purpose
2.3 Compliant with legislation – Health & Safety, Charity, EDI, To deliver a quality service to meet clients’ needs free from legal
Company, Regulatory, Employment, DPA, Consumer Credit challenge.
LE
(including standards set out by regulator in rules/guidance)
2.4 Have well documented procedures that demonstrate client focus To ensure consistency of purpose and delivery of service
P
2.5 Staffed by competent people who are appropriately trained
AM
To deliver high quality and appropriate services across the
organisation S
2.6 Gathers monitoring data To enable the assessment of performance against service aims and
objectives
2.7 Sets out clear plan and timescales To provide transparency, accountability and longevity of the service
2.8 Challenges and scrutinises monitoring data To drive and enable continuous improvement of the service
2.9 Identifies and seeks to mitigate risks To ensure a sustainable organisation
2.10 Demonstrable internal quality assurance process including To maintain and improve quality of advice
appropriate/effective centralised systems and controls
Illustration of 2.5 - Individuals trained / qualified to NOS role profiles
identified in the Quality Framework.
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16. A learning organisation
Section 3
Quality requirement Purpose
3.0 Monitors and reviews delivery of service To ensure it meets aims and objectives and continuously improves
3.1 Conducts self-evaluation when appropriate To identify the opportunities to develop the organisation and the
service
3.2 Shares evidence on social policy issues
LE
Improve the policy and practice or organisations the over-indebted
people interact with P
3.3 Shares evidence based good practice with peers
S AM
To improve the quality of advice and delivery across the sector
3.4 Responsive and adaptable To innovate and improve service delivery internally
3.5 Identify environmental changes & responds effectively To maintain appropriate service delivery and staff skills
3.6 Facilitates learning and development To improve the quality of advice and skills levels of advisors
3.7 Gathers & responds to client feedback To improve service delivery and improve client focus
Illustration of 3.1 - Evaluation of service to consider: reach, target Illustration 3.2 - Social policy issues identify poor debt
audience, waiting times, channel mix, equality & diversity. collection/bailiff practices, loan sharks, utility behaviours re:
tariffs
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17. Workshop 1
Organisational standards
11.15 – 12.15
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18. Workshop 1 - Questions
1. Is there additional value in using a Money Advice Service logo
linked to the relevant Quality Standard badge, that is publicly facing
so that it is widely recognisable to the public?
2. Are there any quality requirements that should be included or
excluded from the Framework? Please explain why.
3. Currently different standards owners use a variety of accreditation
processes. How often is it appropriate for standards owners to
monitor and review compliance against their standard?
4. How often should the Money Advice Service review standards
against our Quality Framework.
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19. Lunch
12.15 – 13.00
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20. Individual standards
 We will seek to implement a consistent and recognised benchmark
for individuals giving debt advice at various levels
 Interim work on standards highlighted that National Occupational
Standards (NOS) provide a suitable vehicle for identifying individual
competence
 Created a set of debt advice role profiles which will form the
Framework for individuals.
 A set of NOS have been grouped to each role to illustrate the
minimum range of skills, knowledge and competencies.
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21. Debt advice role profiles
 Debt support worker
 Staff working at this level should be able to relate to a client in a
professional manner and work with them to identify their debt
advice needs. They should be able to refer on to appropriate
materials for self-help or internal/external debt advice colleagues
for more detailed advice if required
 Debt adviser
 In addition to the above, a debt adviser should be comfortable
liaising with all types of creditors on their clients behalf in writing
and over the phone. They should be able to explain all relevant
solutions to a client and explain clearly which is most appropriate
and why
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22. Debt advice role profiles
 Specialist debt adviser
 In addition, a specialist should be an expert in their field, with in-
depth, up-to-date knowledge of all aspects of personal
indebtedness including relevant case law. They should also be
able to provide leadership and support to a team of advisers
 Debt advocate
 In addition, a debt advocate should be able to competently and
confidently represent a client at Court or a tribunal regarding any
debt issue
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23. Workshop 2
Individual standards
13.15 – 14.15
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24. Workshop 2 - Questions
1. Are the role profiles identified correct and reflective of best practice
across the sector?
2. Have the appropriate NOS been used within the role profiles?
Please explain any suggested changes.
3. Are there other requirements that a sole debt adviser should
evidence?
4. Do you agree that this is the appropriate approach to evidencing
the quality of individuals delivering debt advice? Please provide
any details of any suggested alternative processes.
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25. Next Steps
 Consultation events
 4th February 2013 – Cardiff
 11th February 2013 - Birmingham
 19th February 2013 - London
 27th February 2013 - Belfast
 28th February 2013 – Edinburgh
 Please also submit written responses
 Consultation closes 15th March 2013
 Work in partnerships with Standards, Code, Qualification and
Training owners during and post consultation
 Publish response – late Spring
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26. Questions
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