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Financial inclusion champions  

In October 2008, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched its £12million financial inclusion champions initiative to help tackle financial exclusion.
 
The initiative builds on the existing ‘Now Lets Talk Money’ campaign, and works with local authorities, social landlords and other key partners to make sure people have access to basic financial services, including home contents insurance.  

Champions will aim to:

Build the role of local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships in financial inclusion.
 
Help develop relevant action plans identifying the most significant issues with the greatest potential for improvement.

Help develop local networks of financial inclusion intermediaries through events and regular stakeholder engagement.

Where new third sector lending, savings and banking provision is required, work with local stakeholders and partners (including the banks) to establish steering groups and develop credible proposals for establishing new provision.
 
Work with housing associations and social landlords in particular geographical areas to increase the supply and take-up of appropriate home contents insurance schemes.
 
Champions teams will be regionally based:
 
Cumbria, East & South Midlands, East Yorkshire, London, Manchester, Bristol
Merseyside, North East, Scotland, South Yorkshire, Southampton/Portsmouth
Wales, West Midlands, West Yorkshire  

Additionally, sectoral Champions have been appointed for Housing and the Rural Community.  

To find out more about the Champions’ work, or to contact your regional / sectoral champion, click here.  

Tenant Engagement Groups  

Alongside the Financial Inclusion Champions initiative, DWP has piloted ‘tenant engagement’ initiatives in North East England, North West England and Scotland.  Working directly with new and changing tenants, as well as tenant and community groups, Tenant Engagement Teams will discuss financial inclusion issues including insurance, affordable credit, savings and banking.     

Training for housing officers

The West Midlands’ and Housing Financial Inclusion Champions have developed a training pack for housing providers in conjunction with the ABI and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The pack is designed to be used by housing providers to help their frontline staff understand the home contents insurance and consider the best ways to promote it to residents.

Using a combination of presentation, discussion, and group exercises it covers the following topics:

• How home contents insurance works
• The benefits to tenants of being insured
• Different types of home contents insurance policies
• The benefits to landlords of having insured tenants
• How to promote HCI – what works, what doesn’t

The pack comprises:

• Trainer notes 
• Powerpoint slides
• Moneymadeclear fact sheet
• Jargon Made Clear fact sheet 
• Guide for housing officers

The full course lasts approximately 2.5 hours, or 1 hour if the exercises are omitted. Alternatively, you can use the materials to suit your own needs and timeframes.

In addition the FSA have published guidelines  specifically for housing providers on financial regulations and the promotion of home contents insurance.

For further information or to discuss these resources contact Sharon Wheeler (DWP Strategic Financial Inclusion Champion for Housing) on sharon.wheeler@cih.org.uk