The Debt School
Driving up knowledge, skills and professionalism in debt resolution, debt advice, collections and recovery.

For those advising, guiding and supporting the over-indebted, programmes will:

• Help learners gain a comprehensive knowledge of key aspects of the debt market thus enhancing professional knowledge and its application when creating equitable solutions for debtors
• Provide training and support to build confidence so that the client experience is significantly improved
• Enhance communication and negotiating skills leading to higher take up rate of advice and longer retention of clients
• Offer learner support for studying professional qualifications to ensure the best chance of success in the shortest time scale.

Programmes for those involved in debt collection and recovery will:

• Increase understanding of client circumstances and the impact of over-indebtedness, creating more opportunities to negotiate successful resolution
• Provide training in new skills and techniques for debt collection / recovery leading to enhanced returns
• Help learners develop negotiating and assertiveness skills, whilst preserving goodwill, so clients are more inclined to be cooperative and sustain agreements
• Assist learners to differentiate between the ‘can’t pay’ versus ‘won’t pay’ clients, which enables good decisions to be made regarding time, resources and effort versus potential reward
• Enhance skills in the creation and understanding of corporate debt policies to provide a strong basis for processes and practices that can be consistently cascaded and applied
• Introduce awareness, benefits and skills in effective working with outside agencies to improve efficiency and effectiveness in collection and recovery
• Provide learner support for professional qualifications thus enhancing capability and status.

Background - The unprecedented current levels of personal debt are set to continue for many years with tens of thousands of people becoming over-indebted every year. Twenty five years of leveraging the credit potential from consumers has now resulted in an average household debt for those with unsecured borrowings of over £18,000 (Source - Credit Action May 2010). The need for professional advice, guidance and support has never been greater as are the demands for effective collection and recovery. Every organisation involved in this critical area is seeking to drive up learning, skills and professionalism and can source this training support from The DSW Academy, acknowledged UK leaders in this field.

The Debt School offers training support to all types of debt advice organisations, including commercial debt management firms, the ‘not for profit’ sector and creditor funded agencies.

We are highly respected for our regulatory knowledge (FSA, OFT, MoJ, DRF) and offer debt advice workshops, short courses and training in support of professional qualifications such as the Certificate in Debt Resolution offered by the Debt Resolution Forum (DRF)*.

Our entry level workshops provide learners with an overview of the debt market, debt solutions and debt regulation and full understanding of court processes and welfare benefits.

More in depth learning programmes cover forms of debt solution in detail such as: Consolidation Loans; Re-mortgages; Debt Management Plans; IVA’s; Bankruptcy; Debt Relief Orders; Sale and Rent Back; Equity Release and Debt Arrangement Schemes etc.

In addition, we offer support and practical training on such subjects as: client enquiry handling; telephone techniques; negotiating skills and servicing client relationships. We also run workshops on treating customers fairly (TCF) and preparatory meetings for OFT visits.

Many of the above courses are also appropriate for those involved in collection and recovery. In particular, learners gain excellent general knowledge of the debt resolution industry and gain practical application skills such as telephone handling and negotiating. Our programmes are closely aligned with the National Occupational Standards for this sector. Through the Debt School we can also provide support in the connection with creation and implementation of corporate debt policy. This is designed to maximise debt reduction whilst maintaining ethical values and social responsibility. Corporate debt policies are essential for both the private and public sector. The Academy has good links to ICM and CIPFA for professional qualifications.

*Certificate in Debt Resolution - DSW has been instrumental in the creation of the fully accredited Certificate in Debt Resolution (Cert DR) offered through the professional body – The Debt Resolution Forum (DRF).