Employ a financial counsellor
If you are a non-for-profit organisation, you may want to consider employing a financial counsellor to assist your clients in financial hardship.
Employ a financial counsellor
Financial counsellors are highly skilled, qualified, paralegal professionals who provide assistance, advocacy, and information to those who are experiencing financial difficulty or who have problems with debt.
Financial counsellors offer their services free of charge to their clients and provide advocacy impartially.
Providing a financial counselling service
A financial counselling service must always be free, confidential, independent and without conflict.
There are a number of other requirements that an agency must comply with to deliver a financial counselling service:
- All practicing financial counsellors must hold the Diploma of Financial Counselling, or be enrolled and currently studying the diploma with appropriate supervision from a qualified financial counsellor.
- Financial counsellors must also be members of their state peak body. In Victoria, that is FCVic.
- Members must comply with professional development and professional supervision requirements in order to remain eligible for membership and in order to maintain their profession.
Compliance with these regulations is the only way to protect your ASIC exemption which is the legal framework that enables you to employ financial counsellors.