Chris Nichols, Chief Executive, Enforcement Conduct Board
In my first update I said I was looking forward to spending some time seeing first-hand the work of enforcement agents and to witness their interactions with members of the public. To that end, I welcomed a recent opportunity to spend a day shadowing an enforcement agent from Dukes, knocking on doors in Stoke and Stafford.
The agent I accompanied was really impressive. He was passionate about his work and highly dedicated to both the effective recovery of public money as well as fairly helping people through their debt issues.
Given it was the Easter holidays, I gather it was unusual to see so much interaction, as there were lots of people in when we called. I saw both people facing very obvious and tangible affordability challenges and difficulties, as well as some for whom affordability did not appear to be a major issue. For this latter group, the presence of an enforcement agent on their doorstep resulted in the payment of longstanding debts.
It was encouraging to see people in vulnerable situations being treated fairly but even so, it is clear that the experience is inherently traumatic for many. I am conscious that what I saw was good practice and a far cry from how many members of the public talk about ‘bailiffs’. It is really heartening to see how things can be done effectively and thoughtfully, especially when the dedication and professionalism of enforcement agents carrying out their daily work is something that rarely receives wider attention. In the months ahead, I am sure that I will come across examples that don’t come up to the same standard and this is where the ECB’s main focus will need to be.
It was a busy, tiring and wet day and while we did not receive any threats or intimidation on the doorstep, I could feel the potential for this. I am also conscious that we were paired-up, whereas most enforcement agents tend to work alone. Overall, I witnessed significant public funds being collected, emphasising the important role enforcement agents can play in supporting public services.
My next field visits will be to debt charity Stepchange’s call centre in Leeds, where I will get further insights into the impact of being on the receiving end of enforcement action. This will be followed by another trip out with an enforcement agent in the South East and then a visit to the debt advice service National Debtline in Birmingham. I’ve also benefitted from some insightful visits to enforcement companies and look forward to more of these in the future.
Back at the office, our business plan consultation has now closed. I want to thank those organisations which took the time to respond and give us valuable feedback. We received nine responses, including from industry, the debt advice sector and creditors. We’ll be considering these submissions before putting out our response and publishing our final business plan after our Board meeting early in May.
So we can really hit the ground running once our business plan is agreed, we are seeking candidates for two new roles – a Director of Policy and Oversight and a Policy Manager. Please share these opportunities with your networks. Finally, last week, I was very pleased to see recognition of the role of the ECB in relation to enforcement services in Ofgem’s recently updated code of practice. The energy regulator has set an expectation that energy suppliers should only be using enforcement firms that are accredited by the ECB for any debt enforcement work that they do. We will be following up on this with the energy companies as we prepare to launch our accreditation scheme in the summer.
We’re a fledgling organisation on a steep learning curve but my understanding of the sector and the issues for people facing enforcement action has grown significantly through what I learnt during my day on the doorstep. I will continue to seek out experiences that inform our work and help us deliver on our mission to ensure fair treatment for everyone experiencing enforcement action.