Description of the programme

The Ulster Bank’s Community Impact Fund funded the Money Advice Support Programme (MASP), which was managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI). The aim of the programme was to help individuals better manage their money, including improving their budgeting, making more informed borrowing decisions, and learning how to discuss and organise finances in the home. CFNI also developed the programme to assist those in debt or heading into debt, providing people with strategies to manage their debt situation and signposting them to relevant services such as free debt advice.

MASP initially recruited participants from the Debt Action NI project. However, for various reasons (including the 'taboo' of being in debt, concern about others finding out about their debt situation, and being too worried about the immediacy of their current situation) recruitment levels were low, so CFNI offered the programme to a wider audience in order to increase participation.

Advice NI delivered the programme to new groups as well as existing community groups, during one two-hour session a week for four weeks. MASP covered four key units, including ‘Better Budgeting’, ‘Savvy Borrowing’, ‘Coping with Money Problems’ (Debt Strategies) and ‘Talking about Money at Home’.

A ‘Train the Trainer' programme was developed and delivered to 27 potential tutors from the Ulster Bank. MASP recruited and selected from the Debt Advice, Money Advice and Financial Advice fields.

CFNI marketed the programme across Northern Ireland (NI), in newspapers, websites, community papers, radio, and via advice and community networks. The MASP ran throughout February and March 2014, and it supported 143 participants from a diverse population.

The study

Researchers undertook an impact evaluation of the programme in 2014. The evaluators used a multi-method and multi-source approach, including pre and post questionnaires, data tracking, issues logs and observations over a period of 2 months, with a sample of 143 participants.

Key findings

• There was a positive shift in money management behaviour amongst participants with many reporting they had implemented the knowledge learned between sessions. Learners also committed to further changes to the way they manage and talk about money in the future.

• Participants reported an increase in their knowledge and skills in all aspects covered in the programme.

• The well-being and confidence of participants improved as a result of the programme in all units covered including feeling less stressed and worried about financial management.

Points to consider

Demand for the programme was much higher than actual participation due to various barriers including not being able to make the time/date, transport issues and childcare issues. Recommendations to improve the programme including reducing barriers, improving access, increasing up-take and avoiding financial exclusion include the following:

• Offer alternative course structures e.g. over two days rather than four
• Develop an alternative version of the programme to meet different needs e.g. language, literacy, and learning needs
• Develop an on-line version of the programme
• Allow self-selection of units
• Offer a practical, hands-on workshop alongside the budgeting course for participants to implement the learning with support available
• Deliver to existing community groups
• Deliver sessions during the day rather than evening
• A focused approach to delivery e.g. focus on certain locations at a time, not NI wide

Full report

Full research report