Innovation Grants – toolkits and resources
The Money Advice Trust’s Innovation Grants programme funded innovative debt advice projects, aiming to improve the quality and range of money advice in the UK.One of the ways we did this is by sharing successful practice from funded projects.
The Mary Ward Legal Centre - Enabling ESOL clients to improve their financial health
The Mary Ward Legal Centre created and piloted six training sessions and materials aimed at building the financial health of adults who have English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) in 2017-18.
Learning for the sector in working with ESOL clients and further details on project activities, including the evaluation of course impacts, are included in the Mary Ward Legal Centre’s project report. This is particularly helpful for agencies considering utilising the resources and/or already working with ESOL clients.
Mencap Liverpool - Easy Money (#easy£)
Easy Money worked with people who have mild learning disability (PWLD) and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), helping them to tackle their debts and improve their financial health in the long term during 2017-18.
The project developed an eight-week workshop series to build beneficiaries’ capabilities. Alongside the workshops, 1-2-1 support was available to enable individuals to embed the learning and take practical steps to improve their situations.
Citizens Advice Manchester – WhatsApp Money Advice and Casework Development Project
In 2017 & 2018 CitA Manchester tested and developed the delivery of money / debt advice utilising WhatsApp, as a platform for:
- a 24/7 digital access channel;
- a follow-up channel for advice and casework; and
- a ‘keeping in touch’ system to help clients stay on track and keep in contact at their convenience.
An overview of how the service worked is here.
A summary of the project evaluation is here.
As a benefit to the wider sector, the following resources have been developed:
- a learning document, for organisations / managers considering adopting WhatsApp as part of their advice services.
- a user manual and training video, for frontline advisers who will be engaging with clients via WhatsApp.
Behaviour Change – Nudging by Design
Behaviour Change, with input from the Money Advice Trust and partner housing associations, designed and produced client focused tools which aim to enhance the engagement and advice process.
The toolkit presenting the tools, allows other organisations to incorporate the principles of behaviour economics and the physical tools into their context.
The design files to any of the tools within the toolkit can be requested from Behaviour Change.
Affinity Housing, one of the housing associations who tested the toolkit, saw a 20% rise in their clients taking actions as a result of introducing the nudge techniques alongside their telephone support. Our own mini pilot of introducing nudging text messages when our advisers at National Debtline contact people about DROs resulted in a ‘no contact rate’ is down by 7%.
Better Money Behaviours Toolkit
This toolkit aims to help advisers in housing associations frame money advice in a positive way to increase engagement with their tenants. It is the result of research exploring how behavioural insight can be applied to Housing Association work on financial inclusion.
The document is divided into three sections:
- Insights gained into the people they are trying to reach
- 12 general principles for engaging them
- Ideas for practical interventions
The resource has been developed by the London Housing Financial Inclusion Group.
