The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has appointed award winning social research agency M.E.L to lead a new evidence gathering research project.
There is a pressing need for high quality evidence on the realities of enforcement for those who have experienced it. This research will give the ECB a clearer picture of the doorstep practices of enforcement agents.
Fieldwork for the project will start in the Spring and will involve a review of randomly selected Body Worn Video (BWV) footage taken during enforcement visits. The footage will be assessed against rigorous criteria developed in partnership with experts across the debt advice sector and enforcement industry on key areas such as failing to respond to vulnerability or misrepresentation of powers.
A full report will be published in the Summer, and the ECB will use the outcomes to inform the development and implementation of its oversight regime.
Commenting, ECB Chief Executive Chris Nichols said:
“We are delighted to have appointed M.E.L to lead this exciting research project.
‘’ Building up a reliable and objective evidence base is of vital importance to our work and will help us to design standards and an oversight model for enforcement which is targeted, impactful and proportionate. By finding out what is currently going wrong on the doorstep, when and how often, we can design targeted responses that eradicate any bad practice that we encounter.
“And in so doing, we will get one step closer to ensuring all those experiencing enforcement action are treated fairly. ’’
Notes to Editors
The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) is the independent oversight body responsible for overseeing the enforcement industry.
The ECB aims to enhance industry standards and ensure those experiencing enforcement action are fairly treated.
The webpage on our research project can be found here:
https://enforcementconductboard.org/research/