1. Knowing your customer | The Money and Pensions Service

This domain is about understanding who the customer is and their needs – which they may or may not be aware of – and draws on many of the cross-cutting behaviours and skills that underpin practice. It requires the practitioner to develop an understanding of their customers, including background, circumstances, expectations and goals.

Tier 1

1.1.1	Ask questions and listen carefully to the customers’ responses, clarifying when appropriate, to determine the complexity and urgency of need
1.1.2	Awareness of the holistic nature of money guidance, and that many areas are linked (e.g. debt and benefits; homes and mortgages and borrowing etc.)
1.1.3	Awareness of the ways in which life events can affect an individual’s circumstances, for example: Illness Having a baby or child, including adopting and fostering New job, moving jobs, redundancy Bereavement Divorce, separation and relationship breakdown Major purchases
1.1.4	Awareness of the ‘red flags’ indicating urgent need and/or vulnerability, and how to identify them: Risk of self-harm/safeguarding risk No food Risk of homelessness Bailiff/sheriff officers and/or enforcement action Economic and financial abuse
1.1.5	Awareness of Power of Attorney and third party access
1.1.6	Awareness of scams and what to do if a customer has been the subject of a scam

Tier 2

1.2.1	Ask detailed and probing questions, listening carefully to: Understand customers’ own awareness of their need and their level of prior understanding Understand if customers’ circumstances have recently changed or if they are likely to Explore options, their pros and cons and whether alternatives might be more suitable (e.g. saving instead of borrowing) to the customers’ circumstances Identify any additional problems or needs
1.2.2	Ask detailed and specific questions about customers individual circumstances which may include personal data and sensitive information
1.2.3	Help customers to identify their own issues, goals and priorities, including any potential challenges or barriers
1.2.4	Check customers’ understanding of their options, assessing their level of understanding through questioning
1.2.5	Clarify customers’ goals, expectations and, where appropriate, an understanding of the service and its policies
1.2.6	Conduct research: Into local, regional and national agencies for signposting and referrals To identify up to date information concerning the customers’ need or issue To find out, understand and use evidence and insight that relates to delivering money guidance
1.2.7	Understand how much information should be provided for different types of customers/what type of information is suitable
1.2.8	Understand how to address concerns about fraud or identity theft
1.2.9	Facilitate customers to act on their own behalf, where appropriate with the aim of empowering them to manage their own affairs and change behaviours.

Further information

Here you will find further information to help meet the competencies in the framework and in doing so your customers too.

It includes relevant training and qualifications to the particular domain (identified by a mapping exercise carried out in 2019). These links are provided for your information and should not be interpreted as approval or endorsement of the materials.

It also includes links to further information on a range of relevant domain topics. Many of these links go to the MoneyHelper website, where you can get up to date information on most of the topics along with links to other organisations and sources of support.

This information is by no means exhaustive but our intention is that it will strengthen and grow over the course of the future programme.

We have put together a directory of further information to help you meet the competencies in the framework that will also support the people you help too.

It includes relevant training and qualifications for each domain (identified by a mapping exercise carried out in 2019).

The links to training and qualifications are provided for your information and should not be interpreted as approval or endorsement of the materials. Before signing up, it is important to check the credentials of the organisation if you are not familiar with them.

Things to think about include:

Will you get professional or recognised accreditation?
Can you get recommendations from your network?
Could you negotiate discounts by grouping together with other practitioners?

There are also links to further information on a range of relevant domain topics. Many of these links go to the MoneyHelper website, where you can get up to date information along with links to other organisations and sources of support. You can signpost people to these sources or use them as a basis for direct guidance. This information will be very useful for supporting your skills and knowledge in Tiers 1 and 2 technical domains.

Bear in mind this information is intended as a starting point and we plan to add further resources as we become aware of them to create a comprehensive database that will strengthen and grow as the programme develops.

Please do let us know of any training, qualifications or information resources that you use and think would help other practitioners by contacting us.