Money and Debt Advice Manager

About Perennial

Perennial is passionate about building better futures for horticulturists and their families. Established in 1839, Perennial is needed more than ever, helping anyone who makes or looks after gardens, sport grounds, woodlands and other green spaces.

At Perennial we believe that every horticulturist and their families, should have access to the services and support they need. We are entering an exciting period of growth and development to enable us to meet current demand and develop a range of preventative services.

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone.

Join us

We are now looking for a Money and Debt Advice Service Manager to join our team following the promotion of our current Manager to the Head of Service.  You will be passionate about delivery high quality advice services that create better futures for people working in horticulture. We are looking for an experienced manager who is person centred and confident in the delivery of debt advice and money guidance services regulated by the FCA.

Culture

Our strategy is underpinned by the following cultural principles and values:

The Perennial Journey

Each and every relationship that we have with people accessing our services is unique to that individual and their family. We want to continue engaging with people across horticulture ensuring that their entire Perennial journey is based upon trust, reliability, integrity and compassion. As we grow it is essential that the person-centred approach is at the heart of all we do.

The Perennial Family

Wherever you go in the horticulture sector, you encounter people who have known each other and indeed been friends for many years. Many of the companies that operate within the sector are family businesses. This quality of friendship and family is unique to the sector. We view all of our stakeholders as members of a family – the Perennial Family. At the heart of this family are the horticulturists whom we work with and their own families. We will grow and strengthen this network of relationships which brings such benefit to us all, but especially to those we serve.

Ambition

Perennial is in a uniquely powerful position to deliver life changing support for all horticulturists in need and their families; we are the only charity that covers the whole horticulture sector; we are well established; we are well managed; we are well resourced. Whilst we deliver excellent services, there is much more for us to do, much unmet need to meet and new approaches for us to take. We commit therefore to delivering our purpose and advancing on our vision with the ambition to make sustainable, measurable and brisk progress.

Innovation

We live in a rapidly changing world and the effects will be felt across all aspects of our work. Parts of our sector will be profoundly affected by technological changes such as robotics and new propagation and cultivation methods; advances in I.T. will be constantly changing the way we operate and communicate. In order to survive in this environment, we will need the capacity to change. In order to thrive we will need to anticipate, embrace and even lead change. Therefore, we will develop a culture of innovation that ensures that we are constantly looking to the future, that we encourage fresh thinking and ideas and that we are ready to implement new and better ways of operating.

Easy to do business with

We will make ourselves easy to do business with for everyone that comes into contact with us, internally and externally – horticulturists and their families, trustees, staff, volunteers, partner organisation, horticultural professionals, donors, volunteers and supporters. Success will depend on a combination of what we do and how we do it and will be achieved through ensuring that our processes, systems and communications are clear and simple and that our behaviour and our personality is warm, welcoming, inclusive and trustworthy.

Data Driven and Evidence Based

We will base our decisions on sound data, analysis and evidence.

The Role

As the Money and Debt Advice Services Manager you will manage the operational delivery of services across the UK in liaison with our Head of Money and Debt Advice Services.

You will operationally manage our free, confidential and expert debt advice and money guidance services which is regulated by the FCA.

You will be responsible for fostering a positive working culture whilst ensuring a high quality, multi-channel service is provided to service users covering the full range of debt issues. Support people working in horticulture, helping them address their money worries, recommending a range of debt solutions to fulfil our purpose of creating better futures.

You will manage the quality and service development of our money and debt service and programme delivery across the UK in line with Perennial’s help and prevent strategic objectives. You will identify and support the implementation of debt and money advice service initiatives that improve quality, efficiencies and impact. You will be responsible for overseeing and operationally supporting Perennial’s FCA compliance and reporting requirements. Ensuring that quality standards are consistently met, that staff are effectively managed and that service are inspired and supported to build strategic, long-term and sustainable services.

Working with our Director of Services and Head of Quality and Development to develop, track and measure interventions that deliver long term financial wellbeing outcomes for our service users. Working alongside our prevent teams you will ensure that preventative and early help money services and financial capability models are embedded across service delivery.

About you

We are looking for a motivated, experienced and inspirational manager to provide operational management and support to our talented Money and Debt Advice team.

You will be passionate about ensuring that we become ever more responsive to changing needs, offering a wider range of support that is relevant to emerging needs.

Key Duties

• To lead and manage a geographically dispersed remote team and facilitate effective staff and resource management and team working, to achieve all relevant objectives by the specified timescales
• Undertake line management responsibilities including, planning and allocating work, monitoring achievement of deadlines, and supporting staff as appropriate
• Recruitment, induction and management of the Money and Debt Advice team
• Ability and knowledge to understand and advocate the support people experiencing a wide variety of financial crisis need and the learning and guidance which can help prevent re occurrence in the future
• Working with Head of Quality, compliance partners to ensure Perennial’s regulatory compliance for FCA regulated and associated activities across strategy and operational practice and policies and procedures
• Responsible for analysis of impact of applicable legislation and regulation to existing operating processes, policies, procedures and standards and ensuring compliance as appropriate
• Working with other service areas to provide compliance advice, and guidance to support business objectives
• Ensuring that all team members work within these and the Risk and Governance framework and to be responsible for any comply with the Company’s Training and Competency Scheme requirements
• Manage, monitor and report operational risks appropriately on a regular basis, minimising reputational damage and costs; including up to date Business Regulatory and Continuity Plans as well as relevant risk registers
• Maintain with the Head of Quality a constructive and open dialogue with the FCA and any other appropriate authorities and to ensure that any regulatory reports or enquiries are handled appropriately and promptly
• Prepare the appropriate reports for the board, demonstrating the effectiveness of the risk management and regulatory compliance framework
• Ensure that senior management are kept fully informed of all regulatory matters and also that any developments are included within the compliance and risk framework.
• Maintain an excellent understanding of the latest developments of social policy and working collaboratively to effectively communicate the critical issues affecting the sector, both internally and externally
• Oversee the review and development of existing regulated debt and money services
• Provide support and guidance to teams when dealing with challenging and complex cases
• Attend and arrange relevant team meetings and support sessions, encouraging peer reflection, group learning and sharing of good practice
• Keep up to date on best practice systems and processes in advice delivery to ensure that services are responsive, flexible and agile to changing needs
• To understand and advocate the support people experiencing a wide variety of financial crisis need and the learning and guidance which can help prevent re occurrence in the future
• With Heads of Service ensure that the quality of operational service delivery meets regulatory and internal standards
• To work closely with wider teams, to ensure that help, reach and prevent strategies are joined up and impactful
• To retain if required a small caseload of Debt Advice cases
• Ensure teamwide compliance with organisational policies and procedures
• Ensure the widespread sharing of learning and effective models of support with a critical focus on quality and continuous improvement
• Ensure that service users are able to plan ahead and manage life events
• Delivery of person-centred interventions that are outcome focused
• Ensure consistent quality standards through undertaking and overseeing regular case checking, file reviews and observations
• At all times to maintain the professional integrity and reputation of the Charity and represent their main interests in any dealings with colleagues, volunteers, professional bodies, partner agencies, groups and individuals
• To carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required in line with your main duties or in response to changing needs

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Certificate in Money Advice Practice or equivalent

Your skills

• 3 years’ experience within a money and debt service delivery environment
• Significant evidence of working with adults or families with complex needs to provide outcome-focussed money advice interventions that support resilience and achieve long term change
• Technical debt counselling and money advice knowledge
• 2 years’ experience of working within an FCA regulated environment and managing quality and compliance of money and debt advice services
• 2 years’ experience of line managing a team and understanding or how to effectively manage a dispersed remote working team
• Ability to assess the operational impact of regulations and policies and work to implement new processes seamlessly
• A good understanding of organisational systems and frameworks, line management and project management
• Knowledge of risk and needs assessment, and support planning procedures as well as how this is delivered in practice
• Demonstrate an ordered and disciplined approach to managing challenging caseloads, meet targets; plan and prioritise work in the face of competing demands
• Ability to proficiently use IT packages and systems to a competent level
• Ability to quickly and easily assimilate and understand information
• Evidence of a commitment to continuous learning and professional development
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as work effectively as part of a team, naturally supportive of colleagues
• Self-motivated, positive, open minded to change
• Creative project management skills
• Able to influence others, with ability to tailor communication methods as required
• Ability to respond positively to changing priorities
• Strong business perspective

Key Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions are provided for information only and in no way represent a contract. In the event of an appointment if there is an anomaly between the contract and these terms, the contract is deemed to be the correct version.

Full information on terms and conditions are contained within a Staff Handbook, issues upon appointment. Enquiries on specific matters are welcomed – the following are the key issues.

Location: Home based with travel across the UK

Salary: c£40,000 per annum

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week – including some weekends and overnight stays.

Pension: Perennial operates an auto-enrolment pension scheme and will match employee contributions up to the statutory amount. Details of the scheme will be available following a formal offer of employment.

Holidays: 25 days per annum, plus bank holidays (with increases for long service)

General: Sick Pay, Death in Service Benefit (3x salary). Perennial has a number of well-established, family-friendly policies, including ‘buying’ extra (unpaid) leave, time off for dependents, variations to normal working hours. Further details available on request.

General Considerations: All Perennial jobs are subject to a probationary period (6 months) and a periodic review.

Smoking: In the interests of health and safety, Perennial operates a non-smoking policy on its premises and expects staff not to smoke in company vehicles.

The outline of terms and conditions are provided for information only and do not represent a contract.

Closing date: Midnight on 30 April 2025

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive sufficient applications.