Housing Rights nominated for UK Money Advice Award

Housing Rights debt advisers have been nominated for the Debt Team of the Year at the Money Advice Awards in Manchester on the 6th May. Organised by the Institute of Money Advisers, the award ceremony's role is to celebrate excellence and reward good performance. The awards are open to everyone working in the free-to-client sector and covers both individuals and organisations who deliver money advice.

To win the award, the judges are looking for a team of advisers who have raised standards, achieved high performance levels and provide evidence of high levels of customer satisfaction.

Housing Rights fit the bill

Housing Rights employs 11 full time staff who specialise in the provision of debt advice. The team includes a mix of skills and backgrounds including benefits advice, law and financial services.

Despite regularly working under pressure, with complex issues, high stakes and imminent deadlines the team has shown a remarkable ability to remain calm, focused and customer centered.  This is regularly reflected in the positive and often heartfelt feedback which the members of the team receive.

“The staff were so helpful and kind.  They understood how debt can get to you and creep up on you”

“Calm, sensitive, measured advice.  Staff who did what they said they would”

“ We are now debt free and, more importantly, stress free.  Fantastic great service”

“I cannot thank you enough. You gave my daughter her mother back”

A complex and challenging workload 

A high percentage of the Housing Rights debt team work is of a complex nature.  Legal action has already commenced in 50% of the debt cases assisted.  Helping people to achieve a positive outcome in this type of crisis situation requires not only expert knowledge and negotiating skills but also an ability to be flexible and to effectively and quickly build a relationship of trust with the client.

The work of the team on the recent strategic case (Bank of Scotland PLC and Rea, McGready & Laverty) demonstrates both their in depth knowledge and the high quality of their work.  This case has attracted favourable comment from beyond NI.   Speaking on Radio 4 on the  “Money Box“ programme, in December 2014, a specialist in financial services disputes with the London based firm Collyers Bristow commended the Housing Rights debt team for their “very good understanding of law and very good understanding of complex bank accounting systems”.

“The borrowers here were very lucky to have Housing Rights Service” (Janine Alexander @ Collyer Bristow sols in London: Paul Lewis: Money Box 19th Dec 2014 )

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