Introducing the telephone toolkit September, 2016 This presentation can be used as a foundation for your own; please feel free to add more slides and amend as you wish.

Why use this toolkit? This toolkit was developed as part of a pilot around identifying financial capability needs to clients that contact Citizens Advice over the phone. This approach is a light-touch model of financial capability, and aims to build broader knowledge and expertise to those advisors already engaging with clients over the phone. This toolkit is provided to support any local offices who wish to add this to their service offer. Clients that contact Citizens Advice via the phone are – by definition – engaging with us on a channel with very different strengths and weaknesses to face to face advice. Traditional methods of delivering financial capability no longer apply, and so resources have been developed to take this into account.

What is so different about clients over the phone? Strengths: Clients are contacting us in real-time, so can answer questions immediately. Clients can take on board new advice straight away as the advisor discusses it with them. Weaknesses: Call times can be targeted, and so providing extra advice or in-depth questioning can be difficult. It can be hard for advisors to identify what can be considered a need for financial capability.

The approach in the telephone toolkit Clients that contact us over the phone will often reveal certain basic facts that betray a lack of financial capability on their part. The toolkit lists 18 clear and obvious triggers that an advisor may notice, and offers two different ways to respond to them. Advice during the call – Short call scripts are provided which an advisor can use to address any obvious gaps in a clients financial capability. Advice after the call – The same short scripts are actually arranged into 6 different factsheets. The advisor can – if the option exists – offer to e-mail the appropriate factsheet to the caller after the call. Identifying the right advice for each trigger – The toolkit contains a clear flowchart explaining what factsheet and scripted piece of advice applies to each of the 18 triggers.

Tips to keep in mind The advisor isn’t expected – at this stage – to ask any probing questions to establish if there’s a need for financial capability. If the client doesn’t provide evidence of this during the call, the advisor is not expected to use the toolkit. If a local office offers financial capability sessions - or has a local partner that does – then they are encouraged to recommend this in any suitable call. The toolkit contains a one-page quick-reference guide that those advisors who are regularly on the phone can print out and keep easily accessible. This should speed up their responses to callers. The factsheets are available individually on the website; advisors can email them to clients, or email/text them a link to the relevant sheet.

Some examples Knowing the total cost of an item   Karen bought a second-hand car recently, which is now faulty. ‘How much was the car?’ ‘I paid £500 cash, and then my old car in part-exchange.’ ‘How much did they give you for your old car?’ ‘I’m not sure really.’ ‘Well, what was the total price of the car you bought? For example, what did the windscreen sticker say?’ ‘I don’t know.’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet A to inform Karen of the importance of this.

Some examples The difference between credit and debit cards   Joseph has bought a television which has gone faulty. ‘And how did you pay for the television?’ ‘By card’. ‘Was that a debit card or a credit card?’ ‘I’m not sure what the difference is?’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet B to inform Joseph of the difference.

Some examples The type of finance Carlos bought a car recently.   Carlos bought a car recently. ‘How did you pay for the car?’ ‘It’s on finance’ ‘Do you know what type of finance it is?’ ‘Isn’t all finance the same?’ ‘They can vary quite a bit: do you have your paperwork there?’ ‘Sure, but I don’t understand any of it.’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet C to inform Carlos of the various details related to finance paperwork.

Some examples Lacking a debit card   Mohammed bought a TV but can’t find a receipt for it. ‘Is there any other proof of payment you might have?’ ‘Like what?’ ‘For example, if you paid by a debit or credit card it would be on your bank statement.’ ‘I don’t have any type of bank card. I don’t trust them and prefer to use cash.’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet D to inform Mohammed of the benefits of this banking feature

Some examples Understanding Direct Debits   Jezrah has paid a trader for a regular window-cleaning service via his bank. ‘And are you paying him from your bank?’ ‘Yes, straight from my bank.’ ‘So is that a direct money transfer?’ ‘I don’t think so. It’s a regular thing where it goes out every month.’ ‘Okay, is it a Direct Debit then? Or a Standing Order of some kind?’ ‘They both sound familiar but I don’t really know the difference.’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet E to inform Jezrah of the difference.

Some examples Using ATM’s   Sandra has an issue with a trader and needs proof of the payment. She has lost her bank statement. ‘I’ve lost my bank statement.’ ‘Could you go into the local branch and ask them to give you a copy?’ ‘The branch is closed till Monday, and I need this proof now.’ ‘You could print off a mini-statement from a cash-machine?’ ‘Can you even do that? I didn’t know that was possible, or how to do it.’ In this instance the advisor should use Factsheet F to inform Sandra of her options.

Recording on Petra Each factsheet in the toolkit has some recommended AIC codes for them. These codes are not on the factsheets themselves, but are on the adviser’s Quick Reference guides, as indicated. Advisers do not have to use these if they feel their particular intervention did not cover the recommended areas, but generally these codes will accurately reflect the intervention. Further advice on Citizens Advice evaluation methods is also included in the toolkit. The recommended AIC code is here

What happens next? The telephone toolkit is designed with the transition of the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in-house very much in mind. However, the Toolkit is provided for all local Citizens Advice and partner organisations to use, but is still very much a ‘work-in-progress’ and should be used as such. New versions will be uploaded online at regular intervals, in response to continued feedback and practical testing. For those local offices interested in new and innovative models, which are catered to address the differing channels and needs of our clients, they can see the various toolkits available in the Resource Toolkits tab of the financial capability section of the Citizen Advice website. Further toolkits will be added as they leave the testing stage of their respective projects.

For any further information or feedback, contact us at Financial For any further information or feedback, contact us at Financial.Skills@citizensadvice.org.uk

The Financial Skills for Life team Christy McAleese Team manager 03000 231 209 David Mahon Forums / Training & resources 03000 231 582 Hannah Luck Forums / Communication & information 03000 231 581 Also… Basam Diablos Financial capability development consultant Basam is attached to the FSfL team, but also works across other teams and divisions equally.

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