Ready-to-Go Projects - Debt - Community Money Advice

DEBT AND MONEY MANAGEMENT
Community Money Advice (CMA)

Summary
Community Money Advice can provide you with the basic legal and practical steps to set up a Debt Advice Centre in your community, and will help you through each stage of the process.

Brief Description of organisation
CMA provides training, set-up, and ongoing support services for independent, affiliate, community debt advice centres. CMA Centres provide unconditional debt advice free to anyone in need. In October 2010 CMA gained the Charities Commission endorsed PQASSO Quality Mark - demonstrating the quality of CMA’s operations and services.

Start date of Organisation
2003, as a registered charity

No. of churches/ groups supported
98 (@ 10/2010)

Brief Description
CMA provide you with the legal and operational framework for running an effective advice centre, plus a range of benefits, services and direct support, in the context of a national community of advice centres.

Expected Results
CMA’s view is that ‘success’ comes with helping each individual in need, regardless of overall numbers, but typically a ‘mature‘ centre will have a ‘live‘ caseload of between 40 and 100 cases at any given time, with the clients’ debts being paid back, learning how to manage their money correctly for the future, relieved from stress and fear. It’s transformational work.

Advantages to church
The CMA model allows the flexibility to work according to resources available and the local community need, while having the support and credibility of being affiliated to a respected, national organisation.

Services provided by national organisation
We provide recognised training, policy and procedure formats approved by the Legal Services Commission, a free phone Adviceline (for your advisers’ use), case management software, support for CMA centres, free and automatic membership of AdviceUK giving access to a
free debt advice licence, discounted insurance, and free ongoing training. We also provide sector news, updates on legislative requirements etc, along with a range of web and paper based resources to support your work. Then through our local mentors, regional meetings, and national annual conference, you can meet others undertaking the same work, and feel part of an extended community with a shared vision.

Financial cost to church
Joining CMA costs (@ 2010/11) £775, with an annual renewal fee of £275 (by BACS or Standing Order).

Our two part (two day) Generalist Debt Advice Training course costs (@ 2010/11): £35 per head per day (phpd) for CMA members; £60 phpd for non-members. If you have more than eight people to train, our trainers will come to you (no travel costs for your team).

CMA’s Setting Up a Debt Advice Centre booklet includes a breakdown of likely total costs: Up to £3,000 to set-up from scratch, and approx. £1,000 to £1,500 pa thereafter, being
typical (including the CMA costs detailed above).

Non-Financial Requirements for church
Full requirements are detailed in CMA’s Setting Up a Debt Advice Centre booklet. Key points: Be sure you have the vision to do it and the commitment to follow through (it is a long-term commitment: a client may be with you for up to five years). There should always be more than one member on the team; we recommend a minimum of three. The average in a CMA centre is currently eight. You need a welcoming ‘meeting’ room in which to see clients, and office space for administration. The CMA model can also apply to a home-visit service, as required (Advisers must always visit in pairs).

If you are a church, we believe the support of the leaders/ministers is essential, and you need committed prayer support too.

CMA members must comply with all current debt advice legislation, and their service must be unconditional and completely FREE to clients.

Contact Details
John Franks, Operations Manager
Community Money Advice, c/o Illuminate, 18, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY1 1XB
01570 480584 john@communitymoneyadvice.com    www.communitymoneyadvice.com