Advice NI training courses gain full Money Advice Service accreditation

Advice NI has introduced a core cluster* of Wiseradviser courses to help advisers meet these minimum requirements, while the charity continues to recommend that advisers across the UK complete all the courses within the Wiseradviser learning programme as part of their professional development. 

 Emma Murphy, Head of Training at Advice NI, said:

 “We are delighted to have achieved full accreditation from the Money Advice Service for our core Wiseradviser courses.   This will give money advisers across Northern Ireland further confidence that our training can help them deliver the highest standard of debt advice, to help turn their clients’ financial situations around.”

 Julie Smith, Head of Adviser Support at the Money Advice Trust, who enable us to run Wiseradviser training, said:

“The accreditation will also help advice agencies demonstrate to the Money Advice Service that their advisers meet the minimum standards required.”

Advice NI’s vision is of a society of confident, informed and active citizens who can access their rights and entitlements. Our DETI funded Debt Action project supported over 5,200 clients dealing with £62.3 million of debt in 2013/14. We are the main delivery partner of Wiseradviser in Northern Ireland, delivering all the MAS accredited training. Wiseradviser is the industry-leading debt advice training programme run by the Money Advice Trust. The Trust provides Wiseradviser services free of charge to charities which provide free debt advice to their clients. 

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For more information contact our training team  on 028 645919 or email [email protected]

About Advice NI

Advice NI is a charity (limited by guarantee). We support 68 members who provide free advice, information, and advocacy services to those in need.  In 2013/14 we dealt with 270,710 advice queries, dealing with over £20 million of business debt and £62.3 million personal debt. We deliver high quality, award winning training to equip the independent legal advice sector with the knowledge and skills required to deliver confident and competent advice. Our recent training awards include a prestigious Regional Training Award and AONTAS star award.

About the Money Advice Trust

The Money Advice Trust is a charity which helps people across the UK tackle their debts and manage their money wisely. The Trust’s main activities are providing free advice through National Debtline, Business Debtline and My Money Steps; supporting advisers through Wiseradviser and Innovation Grants; and improving the UK’s money and debt environment through policy, research and awareness raising campaigns.

Advice NI ‘s *Wiseradviser’s core cluster of courses for Northern Ireland

The Money Advice Service accredits organisations delivering debt advice training and qualifications against their Quality Framework.  This Framework sets out the minimum knowledge and skills that debt advisers need, mapped against National Occupational Standards (NOS).  The Framework consists of six debt advice activity sets, with Wiseradviser core courses in Northern Ireland, now fully accredited in areas corresponding to the first five: initial contact, support work, advice work, casework/specialist and court representation and plans to accredit a sixth in supervision.

Initial Contact & Support Work Core 

• Introduction to Providing Debt Advice

Initial Contact & Support Work recommended options

• Selecting Appropriate Advice Methods and Tools

• Giving Effective Advice by Email

• Giving Effective Telephone Advice

• Budgeting Skills and Tools for Debt Advisers

• Boost Your Own Development

Advice work Core

• Good Practice: Providing High Quality Debt Advice (formerly Good Practice Dealing with Debt)

• Negotiation & Communication Skills for Debt Advisers

• Insolvency Options: (Includes)

• Individual Voluntary Arrangements: The Essential Guide

• Bankruptcy: The Essential Guide

• Credit Referencing: The Essentials

  Note: DRO Approved Intermediaries – The First Steps and Workshop are required as a pre-requisite for Insolvency Options.

• Tailoring Advice: Strategies & Options for Dealing with Debt 

Advice work recommended options

• Debt Relief Order Approved Intermediary: The First Steps (Pre-requisite)

• Debt Relief Orders: Approved Intermediaries (Pre-requisite)

• CASHflow: How to Use The Tool Effectively

• Hire Purchase, Bills of Sale and Car Finance

• Payday Loans: The Facts

• Introduction to Student Loans

• Getting Started with The Common Financial Statement

• What You Need to Know About The Consumer Credit Act

• Using the Consumer Credit Act in Practice

• Effectively Challenging Utility Debt

Casework/Specialist Core

• Getting to Grips with Your Personal Caseload: Effective Recording and Management

• Rates: Enforcement and Liability

• Skills for Effective Advocacy

Casework/Specialist recommended options

• Understanding Charging Orders and Orders for Sale

• Understanding Banking Law

• Understanding Debt Liability

• Mental Health: Good Practice for Debt Advisers

• Prevention of Homelessness as a Consequence of Debt

• Debt Relief Orders: Dealing with Complex Cases

Court Representation Core

• Skills for Effective Advocacy

  Note: Understanding Debts and Courts in Northern Ireland or Court Action for the Enforcement of Judgments Office are required as a pre-requisite for Skills for Effective Advocacy.

Court Representation recommended options

• Understanding Debts and Courts in Northern Ireland (Pre-Requisite)

• Court Action for the Enforcement of Judgments Office (Pre-Requisite)

• Time Orders

• Time Limits for Recovering Debts Through the Courts

• Advanced Mortgage Possession

• Business Debts: Self-Employed Clients and Directors of Limited Companies