Dealing with bereaved customers

To mark National Grief Awareness Week (2 to 8 December 2020), we are sharing our short “Dealing with bereaved customers” video which we have researched and produced here at Insolvency Support Services. It aims to assist our fellow insolvency professionals in meeting the challenges they and their staff face in dealing with bereaved customers. It is also applicable to others in many other lines of work. We cover the main challenges and common concerns, then propose a three-step approach to dealing with bereaved customers, offer advice on how to support staff and conclude by providing some sources of assistance.

This practical learning video forms part of our Vulnerability Awareness training module, which has been designed to ensure that all staff, in particular those who operate at the frontline, have the appropriate skills and capability to treat vulnerable customers fairly, in line with Financial Conduct Authority guidance.

We hope you find it useful in your work, particularly at this especially difficult time.

Insolvency Support Services participates in Australian insolvency system review

As part of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s inquiry into the country’s insolvency system, several insolvency frameworks from countries that function under a similar justice system to Australia’s were reviewed. This included pre-packs in the UK. That’s where Insolvency Support Services came in. Our director Eileen Maclean took part in a virtual round table discussion with the Ombudsman’s team and members of the IPA’s SERL Committee (Standards Ethics and Regulatory Liaison) to provide information and offer perspectives and advice.

We’re very pleased to see that the resultant Insolvency Inquiry Report recommends a suite of changes to current insolvency practices that aims to achieve the best possible outcomes for small and family businesses in financial trouble in Australia. See pages 41 to 42 of the report for the review of UK frameworks.

New series of Insolvency Insider adverts

Insolvency Support Services is partnering with Insolvency Insider to run a series of banner adverts in its weekly e-newsletter to the insolvency profession and related sectors. Look out for our adverts in the coming weeks! Below are some examples.

If you would like to receive the Insolvency Insider weekly e-newsletter free of charge, click here to subscribe.

TRI Awards 2020 shortlist success for ISS Training

ISS Training, Insolvency Support Services’ training division, has been shortlisted in the Education/Training Provider of the Year category in the UK TRI (Turnaround, Restructuring and Insolvency) Awards 2020.

Independently judged by a panel of leading industry professionals, these prestigious annual Awards recognise the range, variety and best practice of work undertaken by TRI professionals UK-wide.

Eileen Maclean, Insolvency Support Services’ founding director, commented: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for this TRI Award and greatly appreciate the judges’ recognition of our commitment to UK insolvency training. Thanks very much to all our clients, delegates and partners for their invaluable support and fantastic feedback over the past year. Many thanks too to our amazing team for their hard work and dedication.

It’s been another busy 12 months for ISS Training. In addition to significantly enhancing our online learning offering with a new dedicated training website and our new ISS Moodle School, we pivoted successfully in response to Covid-19 to deliver all our courses online instead of in person.

Particular highlights for us in the past year have been achieving Partner in Learning status with ICAEW, partnering with IPA to deliver training to members throughout the UK, and supporting several R3 learning events.”

TRI Awards 2020 winners will be announced in a Credit Strategy digital broadcast from London on 9 December 2020.

Consistently excellent feedback on our insolvency training courses

We very much appreciate the consistently excellent feedback on ISS Training courses and trainers that we receive from clients and delegates. Here’s just a selection of comments from the past year:

Webinars (all course streams)

“ISS Training courses are presented by knowledgeable and experienced people in a clear and practical manner. The range of courses available fits the budgets of different sized firms and helps greatly to complete my CPD requirements.”

“I enjoyed the course and it was very clear. Access to good guidance for a reasonable price in the insolvency field is in my view exceptionally limited. ISS Training gives good relevant courses.”

“Reasonable cost, flexible attendance, good quality and highly relevant information delivered.”

Face-to-face courses (all course streams)

“The session yesterday was really informative and helpful. Eileen is really enthusiastic, and it comes across throughout the day which makes the sessions enjoyable. The handouts are really good too.”

“These were two very informative and productive days for me. I truly appreciate the trainer’s time, effort and patience.”

“Eileen was very engaging and made the course interesting, enjoyed the small group as it made it easier to speak – answering/asking questions.”

“Great overview of insolvency! Very informative.”

“Great way of learning. Speaker was very clear. Happy with overall training.”

“Really good and informative. Excellent handouts.”

Exam training

“I found that the course was really engaging, despite having to change the process part way through and have virtual training sessions (due to Covid-19) instead of in a classroom setting, I still found that I was receiving the same quality of training as I first received at the start of the year.

The presentation slides were easy to follow, and it also helped to have dates to stick to in terms of where I should be up to with the modules to help keep me on track, along with regular meetings to cover each module.

After each block of 3 modules, there was a re-enforcement day in which we covered the previous modules and worked through practice exam questions, these would then get marked and we would discuss the answers afterwards. I found these sessions particularly helpful in preparing for the exam.
Overall, I felt well equipped for the exam and couldn’t fault the training that I received. I would definitely recommend the course for CPPI training.”

“We would not have passed the CPI/CPPI exams without you!” 

“You made it an enjoyable course and I appreciate the ways you helped us understand all the different
elements.”

“Thank you for all of your efforts in keeping the JIE training as close to normal as possible in what has been an extremely difficult time during Covid-19. It is greatly appreciated.”

“A huge thank you for all your help over the last 7 or so months. I know with Covid it wasn’t how any of us expected this year to go but I thought everything was adapted so well and I certainly felt supported in the run up to the exams.”

Compliance Awareness Online Learning

“Using ISS Training’s course has meant that we have been able to meet necessary staff training demands with an approach that has allowed our staff to gain the essential knowledge at their own pace working around the ongoing demands of their ‘day job’. The internal feedback I have received has all been very positive, complimenting in particular the clarity of presentation and ease of assessment.”

“I have enjoyed working with ISS Training and greatly appreciate all the effort you have put in for us.”

“The podcast was excellent, well placed, good content and excellent diction which makes it so much easier to follow.”

“You managed to deliver with perhaps the clearest voice I have heard used – without becoming monotonous and boring – a challenge and well done for achieving that.”

Find out more

Our training is organised into eight streams: Compliance Awareness, Exam Training, Foundations, Masterclasses, One Hour Series, Personal Development, Practice Management and Technical Updates.

Explore all our courses on our dedicated training website.