Vulnerability Matters

Steve Donovan from Ovo Energy talks with Chris Fitch about a tool that everyone working with customers will use every single day, but which most of us probably don’t give enough attention, care, or love to: our voice. Steve walks Chris through the Ovo training team’s ‘tone of voice’ model (covering pitch, pace, volume, energy, and articulation), talks about using this with vulnerable customers, an...

Rose walks our host Dr Chris Fitch through the science, experience, and impact of ‘being cold’. Explaining how the cold affects us in physical, mental, financial, and social terms, Rose outlines the actions that staff can take to help customers likely to experience detriment from colder temperatures and fuel poverty. Inclusive designer and researcher for a fair, low carbon energy future, you can f...

Elizabeth discusses her own experience of chronic pain, how it affects millions of customers in the UK on a daily basis, and how organisations can work to support customers living with it. Advocate, policy specialist, and writer, you can find out more about Elizabeth at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethblakelock/

Phil shares new research data on what essential service firms are saying their biggest themes, fears, and challenges are for consumer vulnerability in 2023/2024. Senior Training Consultant at the Money Advice Trust, Phil can be found at: https://www.moneyadvicetrust.org.uk/vulnerability

Sarah talks about working more effectively with trans customers, life as a transwoman, and how she is bringing about change herself. Co-founder of Simply Equality and Joint Head of Equality and Diversity at Oxford University, Sarah can be found at: https://www.simplyequality.com/

Back in February, The Financial Conduct Authority published its finalised vulnerability guidance. As firms continue their work to translate these expectations into practical action, it is made clear by the FCA that firms need to be able to evidence that their outcomes for vulnerable customers are as good as those of other customers. So, just what is an 'outcome' and how do we decide which outcomes...

‘Expert by experience’ is increasingly recognised as an approach to help ensure markets are inclusive, especially for customers in vulnerable circumstances. Charities and people with a lived experience of vulnerability want to increasingly shape the thinking and practice of organisations. Most regulators (including the FCA) recognise this and expect firms to consider such an approach. However, jus...

To mark the release of the finalised FCA vulnerability guidance, the Money Advice Trust held a special webinar to discuss what the guidance means for firms and how you and your organisation can change the regulator’s expectations into reality for your customers. Joining Vulnerability Lead Consultant, Chris Fitch for a very special discussion on the content of the FCA guidance are: - Sarah McKenzie...

There is an increasing focus on inclusive design from industry regulators and firms themselves. But what does ‘inclusive design’ really mean? How can firms – and regulators - translate this concept into practical action to make sure that products, services and markets work well for all? Marking the launch of two new, practical guides on inclusive design for firms and regulators by the Money Advice...

To mark the launch of new GDPR guidance from the Money Advice Trust and Money Advice Liaison Group Ltd (MALG), we discuss how firms can meet data protection regulation and support customers in vulnerable circumstances. You will hear from two of the authors of the guide, Chris Fitch – Money Advice Trust Vulnerability Lead Consultant – and Robert Bell – a data protection expert. They will be joined...

Part 2 of the vulnerability and identity conversation: As we now focus on the move from identification to conversation with customers in vulnerable circumstances, our expert panel discuss how firms can start these important conversations, the techniques that exist for doing this and – most critically – how do we get customers to welcome our intervention? Joining Chris Fitch in the identification c...

Identifying when someone is vulnerable is rarely simple, every consumer is different and their cues, clues, and signs of vulnerability will differ too. As technology and the way creditor staff communicate with customers continues to evolve, identification is no longer exclusive to voice-to-voice, or face-to-face settings and now includes communication platforms via digital channels, in-app chat, t...