Debt Advice Quality Accreditation Scheme

Tender description

The Money and Pensions Service's vision is 'Everyone making the most of their money and pensions'. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is an arm's-length-body, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, with a joint commitment to ensuring that people throughout the UK have guidance and access to the information they need to make effective financial decisions over their lifetime. MaPS provides people in England with information and advice on debt and is the biggest funder of free-to Customer debt advice. In 2019/20 MaPS worked with delivery partners to provide customers with free and effective advice while driving up the quality and providing training and support to advisers on the ground. MaPS Debt Advice Quality Framework (DAQF) provides a single mechanism; against which Third-Party Standards/Codes and Third Party Training/Qualifications can be mapped against and assessed. Where third-party standards/codes are in compliance with the DAQF, they are awarded MaPS Quality Framework accreditation, and this subsequently allows organisations holding these accredited quality standards/codes to deliver MaPS funded debt advice services. Many of debt advice services in the UK adhere to one or more quality and membership codes (''Third-Party Standards/Codes'') issued by various organisations. The further details of the accredited standards/codes can be seen at debtquality website. Organisations that hold an accredited standard are expected to focus on consistent quality measures in delivering debt advice services. Debt advisers within both the 'free to client' and 'fee charging' sectors will undertake a range of training/qualifications to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge required to provide advice. These training programmes/qualifications ("Third-Party Training/Qualifications") are provided by various organisations. MaPS requires a single independent external organisation with skills, knowledge and experience in assessment and auditing to map Third-Party Standards/Codes and Third Party Training/Qualifications against all the criteria encompassed in the DAQF. MaPS requires the Supplier to provide support and guidance to all applicants throughout the process and raise the profile of the accreditation scheme with relevant stakeholders.