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Specialist Support Feedback Report 2022 -2023

Background

The NI Specialist Support (SS) Service offers free, confidential second tier expert support to money and debt advisers on complex cases.

SS also offers Ask the Expert sessions and Shadowing opportunities to enhance learning. Ongoing support and information, including relevant podcasts and vlogs, is accessible through the Specialist Support Email Forum.

The survey was to evaluate if the Service met the expectations of the advisers, to help identify any gaps in the service and to address any improvements that could be made.

The response rate for the survey was 72.5%.

 

Findings

96.5% respondents indicated that they were aware of the services offered and how to contact the SS service, with 87% saying they had used the SS service.

All respondents who have used SS for second tier support on debt cases and stated more than one reason for using the Service:

  • 71% for a second opinion
  • 63% to help source further information to support advice giving
  • 63% say SS provide expertise on areas they are unsure about
  • 34% state SS has better contacts in key organisations to find the answers needed
  • 29% to provide clarification on legislation
  • 9% to carry out research on their behalf
  • 4% state SS help by reviewing/writing a letter
  • 17% list all of the above.

 

All respondents (100%) have attended Ask the Expert sessions, and 94% found the session good or very good. When asked to rate the quality of the service,

  • 89% respondents said it had improved their client’s outcome,
  • 93% were satisfied with the service,
  • 96% said they would recommend the service to other debt advisers.

 

Recommendations

Advice NI has analysed the feedback, which was mainly positive. Based on the findings from the survey, SS will focus on delivering the following recommendations going forward;

  1.  SS will develop a welcome pack for new advisers and this will be sent to them. The adviser will follow this up with a call to discuss in detail way the service can provide. 
  2. SS will consider the topics of the Ask the Expert and incorporate some of these into future events.
  3. Advice NI will develop a complaints procedure for the SS service, which will be circulated to the debt advisers to ensure quality of advice is maintained.