Customers can face challenges in their financial or personal circumstances that cause them to experience financial difficulties. As cost-of-living pressures continue to affect many Australians and their household budgets, some customers can experience vulnerability.
Customers experiencing vulnerability often require specialised support and the finance industry has a key role to play in supporting people when they need it most. By putting in place systems to support these customers, AFIA members not only assist their customers, but also demonstrate corporate responsibility by championing a thriving finance industry that always acts in the best interests of customers.
Recognising the critical importance of this, AFIA is running a free one-day training course in partnership with Uniting for AFIA Full Members.
Members will gain an enhanced awareness and deeper understanding of the impacts and drivers of vulnerability and financial hardship in the Australian community, upskilling our full membership in supporting vulnerable customers.
Learning outcomes
On completing this course, learners should be able to understand the impacts and drivers of vulnerability and hardship in the Australian community. Including:
the nature of vulnerability (such as mental health, financial abuse, family and domestic violence, or addiction).
how to respond to and support customers, including what is expected and needed, what is appropriate, and when to make referrals.
ensuring resilience in customer support teams, acknowledging the difficulty of this work and the stress and impact on those working with customers.
Course Outline
Module One: Dealing with Difficult Situations:
Builds capacity to respond to the complex needs of customers in vulnerable circumstances.
Build knowledge to understand the causes of mental illness and trauma, addiction, aggression, deal with threats to self-harm or suicide and recognise signs of family violence and elder abuse.
Module Two: Strengthening Resilience
Builds to stress, fosters group cohesion for colleague support, develops self-care planning as well as positive and adaptive thinking to help prevent stress and build team members' ability to cope, recover and thrive in the event of a stressful incident.
Who should do this training?
This course is designed for Full Member representatives (financial services firm employees).
AFIA’s vulnerability training is a one-day course that will be offered to full members across three days in the Sydney CBD:
Day one: Tuesday, 27 August | 8.30am – 4.00pm – Register here
Day two: Wednesday, 28 August | 8.30am – 4.00pm – Register here
Day three: Thursday, 29 August | 8.30am – 4.00pm – Register here