It is hard to believe that it is now over nine months since I started at the ECB, and that 2023 is drawing to a close. It’s been a fast-paced year and I’m looking forward to a little break over Christmas to recharge and get ready for an action-packed 2024.
As I reflect on this year, I am extremely grateful to all the people and organisations that have given their time, support and expertise, both to me and to the entire team.
We’ve been out with enforcement agents, spent time with enforcement firms all over the country, met with frontline debt advisers and listened to calls into debt advice charities, and spent time listening to creditors to better understand the pressures that they are facing. There have also been many conferences that we have taken part in– a brilliant opportunity to discuss our workplan and approach. And that word again: listening. Throughout it all, we’ve listened to, and sought to reflect people’s views and feedback on what we should be doing and how.
With every meeting, and every visit, the more enthusiastic I become about the ways in which we can make a real difference to the experiences of those facing enforcement action.
Enforcement is important to the public, to the administration of justice and to delivery of public services. It also has a large and profound impact on people’s lives. It needs and deserves proper independent oversight – to provide assurance that these high stakes powers are being exercised fairly. Through our oversight, we will put the sector on a new footing and help to shape its future.
And through 2023 we’ve taken a number of steps forward. We published our first ever business plan (for 2023/24). We’ve built a skilled and experienced staff team to drive our work forward. The 2023/24 levy has been collected from over 40 firms and we’ve launched our accreditation scheme, achieving over 95% coverage of the market. On the creditor side, we’ve secured an increasing number of commitments to only work with ECB accredited providers, including all Local Authorities in Wales.
We feel as if there is a real momentum as we begin the next phase of our work and really start to get into the detail of building our oversight framework.
So, after the last of the mince pies have been eaten, and the decorations are down, when we return in January, work will be starting on these key areas:
- Agreeing our draft strategic plan for 2024-27, business plan and budget for 2024/25 and consulting on this from February
- Consulting on proposals for our quarterly data returns from accredited firms
- Appointing a research company to undertake the planned research into doorstep practices – through reviewing a large sample of body worn video
- Engaging widely on development of our new standards for enforcement work
- Scoping our work to develop our own ECB complaints handling processes.
I am really looking forward the coming year and to working with all stakeholders to deliver these key projects.
For now, I hope that you have a wonderful festive season and all the very best to you all for 2024 from me, and the entire ECB team.
Until next time,
Chris