Money and Pensions Service – Raising the Standards of Advice and Guidance

Our mission is to ensure everyone in the UK can easily access the information they need to make the right financial decisions for them throughout their lives, making the most of their money and pensions.

We believe that it is important for people who seek advice and guidance to have the assurance that both the service they access, and the practitioner they engage with, are operating to the highest standards.

The MaPS Standards set out the core principles for the effective delivery, quality and performance requirements of MaPS’ Debt Advice, Pensions Guidance and Money Guidance functions.

To hear more about the MaPS Standards please watch the short video below.

Jump to the resources you need below

Latest quality updates

The latest news from the MaPS quality team.

Sector wide: adviser resources and guidance

MaPS have worked collaboratively with the sector to develop a range of resources and services to support debt advisers to share good practice and provide advice to a high quality. There resources are available to all debt advisers (not only those currently providing advice through MaPS funding).

Sector wide: organisational resources and guidance

MaPS strive to work with the debt advice sector to drive improvements, innovations and efficiencies in debt advice services. A range of initiatives and projects have been developed and MaPS are keen to continue to engage with the sector.

Guidance for MaPS Funded Organisations and Advisers


Sector wide: adviser resources and guidance

MaPS has worked collaboratively with the sector to develop a range of resources and services to support debt advisers to share good practice and provide advice to a high quality. These resources are available to all debt advisers (not only those currently providing advice through MaPS funding)



Specialist Debt Advice Service

The Specialist Debt Advice Service (SDAS) is delivered by Shelter and provides advice and support to advisers. The service provides debt advice professionals with support on specific queries relating to a specific client case as well as a range of resources.

Digital Debt Advice Handbook

MaPS are delighted to be working in partnership with the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) to provide a digital version of the latest Debt Advice Handbook (14th Edition). It will be hosted on AskCPAG and will be accessible to all, for free, from any computer or mobile device.

Learning Pathway Hub

Provides up to date information on training courses and qualifications that have been accredited against the Money and Pensions Service Individual Debt Advice Quality Framework. It is designed for users from across the debt sector including advisers, quality assessors, learning and development professionals and others with a need to understand the current learning landscape.

Activity sets: This provides a definition of each of the six-debt advice activity sets in the Money and Pensions Service Quality Framework for Individuals. These can be used as a guide by supervisors, debt advisers and assessment professionals to help identify appropriate training courses.



Sector wide: organisational resources and guidance

MaPS strive to work with the debt advice sector to drive improvements, innovations and efficiencies in debt advice services. A range of initiatives and projects have been developed and MaPS are keen to continue to engage with the sector.



Debt Advice Quality Framework

MaPS have worked together with the debt advice sector and key stakeholders to create a Debt Advice Quality Framework which not only focuses on driving up standards within debt organisations but also through the individuals supporting clients on the frontline. Click here to find out more on Standards and Codes Accreditation and Training and Qualifications Accreditation.



Continuous Improvement

By utilising the data that MaPS already collect (or where it is sent in as part of a CI resouce request by our delivery partners) we can highlight potential improvement areas, the Money and Pensions Service is committed to working work with those on the front line of debt advice, alongside subject matter experts, to create improvements for both the client receiving debt advice and the advisers providing it.

Advice and Guidance Service Innovation

The Debt Advice Service Innovation (DASI) describes a workstream led by the Innovation Team at MaPS which focuses on transforming evidence and knowledge into operational insights for the overall improvement of the impact and efficiency of debt advice, and is equally as relevant for money and pension guidance services. Their work combines behavioural science and service design principles and methods.


Guidance for MaPS Funded Organisations and Advisers

 

Debt Advice Quality Framework

MaPS require the debt advice providers we fund to:-

a) Hold and meet a quality standard that has been accredited against the MaPS Debt Quality Framework (Organisational Framework) and

b) Ensure that their Debt Advisers are trained and qualified in line with the MaPS Debt Quality Framework (Individual Framework)