The third category of budget advice (called Total Money
Management) aims to remove the stress caused by financial
problems by the budget adviser taking over the client’s finances. This type of service is offered to those clients who are not able
to manage their own finances because of psychiatric or other
disability or who have demonstrated an inability to grasp the basic
budgeting skills. In this process the client will sign an agreement
to authorise the budget adviser to obtain and disclose personal
financial information. The budget adviser receives the client’s
income and manages the finances according to the agreed budget. The client is provided every opportunity to learn how to take
responsibility for handling financial affairs. The budget adviser’s
work is subjected to regular reporting, monitoring and auditing.
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The Service Offered
all payments. The intent is to help the person understand the
budgeting process in order to be able to take control again in a
short period of time. In extreme cases, a budget adviser may hold
onto the client’s bankbooks/cards and accompany the client when
making withdrawals but the budget adviser will not become a cosignatory or have any liability for the client’s affairs.
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Many advisers are also trained in different specialist techniques. Although not all services will have all specialist knowledge, they
will usually be able to refer you on to one that does. Specialist
advice includes credit contract analysis, creditor pools, summary
instalment orders, and creditor negotiations, help with Work and
Income and IRD entitlements, access to foodbanks, access to
and negotiations with Housing New Zealand, access to special
telecom packages and referrals to help with other problems such
as addictive behaviour, legal issues, and other specialist advice
available in the community.
The aim of the budget service affiliated to the Federation is to
help families and individuals find satisfaction and security that
comes from managing their own financial affairs. This is achieved
by working with the family or individual to develop good money
management skills, to reduce and eliminate debt, to increase
savings, to alter financial priorities and to foster happier family
relationships and a more comfortable life style. In this process
the budget adviser may negotiate with creditors, banks or other
organisations, as required, on the client’s behalf.
The advice given is at no charge to the client (although in some
complex cases the client may be expected to offset some of the
administrative costs incurred by the budget service).
There are four main types of budgeting advice offered. Not every
budget service affiliated to the Federation offers all four options
but the types of service reflect the complexity of the circumstances
presented by the client.
Your local NZFFBS Inc
budget service Is:
SA
The first category of budget advice (called One-off or Crisis) aims
to give immediate assistance to clients in financial crisis. This
may involve the budget service co-ordinator or assigned budget
adviser drafting a budget and having limited contact with creditors
over a short period of one or two weeks. The intent is to satisfy
the immediate crisis only with little in depth or on going support or
education. In some circumstances this level of intervention is all
that is required to have the person resume control of their finances.
The last of the four categories of budget advice (called Community
Education) aims to develop money management skills in the
community. No actual budgeting with individuals is involved but
a presentation or series of sessions on budgeting processes are
delivered to groups, on request. The intention is to enhance money
management skills in the community and promote awareness
among the individuals attending of the need for and benefits of
budgeting. Some cost recovery may be sought by the budget
service, but this will be negotiated beforehand.
The second category of budget advice (called Ongoing) aims
to offer ongoing advice and in-depth support to a client through
regular contact. The client appoints the budget adviser as an
agent, with authority to obtain and disclose personal information
for the sole purpose of assisting the client to manage finances. The client is encouraged to make the decisions regarding
budget priorities and continues to receive all income and make
BUD203 (5/07)
NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION OF
FAMILY BUDGETING SERVICES (INC.)
TE ROPU PENAPENA PUTEA
WHANAU O AOTEAROA
What is
the
NZFFBS?
National Office
NZFFBS
PO Box 24382
Manners St
Wellington
Phone: 04 471 1420
www.familybudgeting.org.nz
The Mission Statement
NZFFBS Inc
PO Box 24382
Manners St
Wellington
The New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services Inc.
is dedicated to the development and education of budgeting
skills through community programmes and free advice from
supportive, confidential and culturally aware services.
© NZFFBS Inc 2007
An overview
Funding
Service ethic
The New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services Inc is
a collective of community organisations that share a common code
of ethics, philosophy and commitment to delivering quality, free
budgeting advice to families/ whanau and individuals.
The Federation is funded at both national and local levels partially
by grants from Family and Community Services and partly by a
combination of other government funding initiatives and national
and community charitable and philanthropic trusts. The level of
support varies from member to member and depends on the nature
and volumes of the work carried out. Commonly the funding is the
subject of annual application and appropriation.
In selecting a member of the Federation to provide budgeting help,
a person can expect to:
At a national level the funding is used to:
•
Maintain the national office,
•
Meet the governance costs of the volunteer National Board
members,
•
Reimburse the costs of the volunteer District Representatives,
•
Reimburse the members for some costs of meeting regionally,
•
Provide standard procedures, manuals, newsletters, stationery
and other information,
•
Be offered non-judgemental help without discrimination
•
Have total confidentiality in the dealings with the budget service
•
Have co-operation, integrity and accountability from the budget
adviser and the budget service
•
Be assisted by a budget adviser who has received Federation
approved initial comprehensive basic and ongoing training.
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Each member service democratically elects a district representative
from each of 22 districts. From these and immediate past district
representatives, seven regional representatives are democratically
elected to serve on the Federation’s National Board. Two Maori
representatives also sit on the National Board along with a
Secretary, Treasurer, and co-opted specialists. The role of the
National Board is to decide policy and priorities, to monitor the
standards of service provided by affiliated members, to promote the
benefits of budgeting skills and to represent the interests of those
providing and those needing budgeting.
Be treated with respect and understanding of individual needs
and lifestyle
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The organisation
•
•
Provide a national standard of professional training to budget
advisers, office co-ordinators, budget services’ management
committees, and community educators complemented with
standard resources and training subsidies,
•
Conduct annual quality assurance programmes involving
checks on and re-affiliation of budget services and the
re-accreditation of tutors,
•
Develop policy and national accords and advocate on issues of
national concern, and
•
Promote and publicise the availability and values of budgeting
and preventative education.
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The National Board is advised by the Chief Executive Officer
and staff in the national office in Wellington and by the district
representatives. These staff members implement the decisions
of the National Board and administer the Federation’s policies,
processes and procedures. They consult with the district
representatives and directly with affiliated services. The staff
are also tasked with the co-ordination of training, procedural
instructions, financing of resources and support to the affiliated
members. The district representatives annually audit the quality
of the work being done by affiliated members, step in to
trouble-shoot any local problems and assess the need for and
recommend acceptance or otherwise of organisations wanting to
join the Federation.
In order to qualify for full membership of the Federation an
organisation must be able to demonstrate it can meet the
prerequisites for affiliation and agree to work in accordance with the
Code of Ethics, philosophy and policies of the Federation. These
require a budget service to meet certain standards of management,
have continuity of service, have advisers who are properly and
regularly trained, follow the best practices agreed by the Federation
and report on their activities as part of the Federation.
At the local level the funding is used to:
•
Meet the administrative operating costs of the budget service,
•
Meet the cost of a paid part or full-time Budget Service
co-ordinator and sometimes other staff,
•
Reimburse the costs incurred by the volunteer budget advisers
and other volunteer helpers,
•
Pay for the costs of engaging a Federation accredited tutor for
budget adviser training.
•
Be given advice that takes into consideration Te Tiriti o
Waitangi and your cultural background.
The training
The Federation has developed the ‘Budget Adviser Introductory
Course’ which is delivered to new prospective advisers by tutors
accredited by the Federation. The course is made up of twelve
modules, most of which run for between two and three hours. The
Federation has also developed a correspondence version of
this course to cater for those in need of a distance learning
option, being unable to attend a scheduled course. Supervised
practical work is an integral part of the Initial Training Course
and is completed in addition to the twelve modules. A Federation
Certificate of Competency in Budget Advising is conditional on
satisfactory completion of the practical work.
The practical work involves working with at least two clients
while being supervised by an experienced budget adviser who is
attached to an affiliated budget service. This normally spans a
period of three or more months involving up to fifty hours.
The content of the Introductory course covers
items such as:
•
all about budgeting;
•
understanding clients;
•
drafting, balancing and monitoring a budget;
•
checking benefits;
•
applying consumer rights;
•
handling debts and arrears;
•
effective communication and negotiation;
•
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and putting it all together.