Changing Behaviour to Provide Innovative Debt Advice Services

• Description of the programme
• The study
• Key findings
• Points to consider

Description of the programme

The project’s aim was to understand if introducing behavioural changes when giving debt advice made a positive difference to client services, while supporting employees.

Behavioural change was chosen as the best way to address areas identified by MaPS research as needing improvement because of the potential long-term benefits.

Three initiatives were rigorously selected as being the most promising for interventions. The objective was examined by developing behavioural change service prototypes for each initiative. Each service prototype was selected using the Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW) method, which systematically identifies fruitful interventions for behaviour change.

The prototypes were then tested with 12 carefully recruited service providers (participants). The impact on clients and staff was rigorously evaluated, from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. A fundamental part of the project was also to assess the implementation process, informing the best ways to scale up the service prototypes across the debt advice service sector.

The study

This research involved the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis to evaluate the implementation and impact of each prototype.

The research was commissioned and co-ordinated by MaPS. Interventions were designed by the MaPS innovation team and carried out in partnership with 12 debt advice services across England.

External agency, Revealing Reality, was appointed to carry out an independent process and implementation evaluation (qualitative staff and client interviews). MaPS used this research on lessons learned to generalise how to scale up the implementation of the prototypes across the sector and make recommendations.

A quantitative evaluation (monitoring forms and online surveys) sought to understand the impact of the prototypes on the target behaviour, encompassing both clients and staff. This was conducted internally by MaPS and, for the Savings Prototype, alongside external agency BVA BDRC. For all case studies, MaPS conducted a final round of visits with interviews.

Key findings

The report is structured around it’s five key findings:

This research provides insights and best practice when implementing behavioural changes within debt advice service organisations. Seen together, the initiatives highlight the need for a pre-implementation phase to pilot the service prototype before rolling it out, engaging staff at all levels as early in the process as possible and for strong governance and clear communication throughout the intervention.

The research also offers specific findings for each initiative put into practice:

• The New Communication System (NCS) significantly reduced the number of missed debt advice appointments (no-shows) by almost a quarter (24%). It was also an effective approach when adapted for use in other parts of the debt advise service process, encouraging the return of client information to progress cases.
• Using administrative support was proven to be a critical resource in helping debt advisers to better manage un-booked emergency cases, a common challenge in the sector.
• The most effective ways to encourage clients to save using the Standard Financial Statement (SFS) or its equivalent form were identified. Building financial resilience against financial shocks and saving for a specific goal in a specific time resonated most with clients as messages.

Points to consider

• Methodological strengths/weaknesses: In the qualitative strand of research delivered by RR, it was noted that clients who agreed to interview may not be representative of the general client population as they are likely to be more motivated and proactive people generally.
  • Impact evaluation across all three interventions were small scale and and limited by comparability between groups so results should be read with caution
• Relevance: This report will provide debt advice service providers across the UK with the knowledge needed to try out one or more of the initiatives for the benefit of their staff and clients.