L to R: ICAN Financial Counsellors – Unaisi Buli, Bettina Addo & Melanie Noble
ICAN’s Financial Counselling services has an extensive network base with a number of key stakeholders working across the community. These organisations provide professional support to ICAN, offer IDR / EDR and handle investigations and complaints. Over the years, ICAN staff have represented on a number of stakeholder advisory boards and steering committees. We’ve recently made some changes to our representation on these groups and committees. Meet our new Reps!
ICAN Financial Counsellor Melanie Noble is joining the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) Consumer Liaison Group (CLG). The Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) provides an opportunity for FOS to share ideas and information with consumer representatives from across Australia and who may have a significant number of disputes with FOS. ICAN is one of eleven members of FOS’s recently launched Consumer Liaison Group (CLG). The CLG is made up of consumer representatives and advocates from around Australia and was established to improve the flow of information and ideas between FOS and those who represent the most vulnerable Australians. Melanie Noble will be taking over ICAN’s representation to FOS from Unaisi Buli who has been an active liaison group member since 2012.
Bettina Addo, ICAN’s Services Manager will be the new representative for Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) Consumer Advisory Panel. The role of the Panel is to advise ASIC on current consumer protection issues and give feedback on ASIC policies and activities. ICAN has represented to the ASIC CAP since 2007 and has brought a number of issues affecting remote Indigenous communities to the table, which have led to significant outcomes for Indigenous people, through ASIC investigations.
Unaisi Buli, ICAN’s Senior Financial Counsellor is the ICAN representative to the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Steering Group, which advises on and plans the ATSI Workers Forum at the annual Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) conferences. The ATSI Steering Group comprises representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander financial counsellors and financial capability workers from across Australia.
ICAN’s financial counselling service has utilised these partnerships effectively, particularly in the areas of: Indigenous representation, utilising resources, consumer complaint handling and identifying relevant consumer issues within Indigenous communities. Bettina Addo, Unaisi Buli and Melanie Noble have all successfully graduated through ICAN’s “Indigenous Financial Counselling Mentorship Program” and hold a Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling).
Source:
FOS, The Circular
http://www.fos.org.au/the-circular-13-home/fos-news/postcards-fromfar-north-queensland/
ASIC’s Consumer Advisory Panel
http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/ASIC%27s+Consumer+Advisory+Panel?openDocument