Professional development activities for financial counsellors have been continuing this quarter. In-depth webinars on ‘Commercial leases and small business issues’, ‘Small business: negotiation options where legal protections are limited’ and ‘How the TIO can help your small business clients’ have been delivered and the final webinar for 2021, ‘Small business – legal framework dive’, is scheduled for 16th December.

Overall, 140 learners are engaged with the Foundations of Small Business Financial Counselling e-Learning Series, with 21 completions so far! In addition, we currently have 75 inter-state participants in the e-Learning.

Recognising the contribution of the wider financial counselling community to small business support, and in line with the FCVic Interim Small Business Guidance Note, we have been delivering sessions on ‘Assisting sole traders in your practice’ during November. Ably presented by Sandra Blake and Geoff Browne, these sessions have been well received and further deliveries are planned in January 2022 for those who missed it.

We have also produced a factsheet providing contact information related to small business financial counselling, please click here to access this resource. Victorians can choose from a number of types of assistance –

• Small Business Debt Helpline, a phone or chat service
• Partners in Wellbeing, an intensive phone service which also pairs business advice and wellbeing coaching
• Local financial counselling providing face-to-face support, and
• Rural financial counselling services.

Each service can refer or consult with the other to facilitate ease of entry and ensure clients receive the support they need.

The government has produced a series of videos to showcase the support clients have benefited from through the Partners in Wellbeing program. Please see an example video below, or click here to view the series on YouTube.