The authors
This Handbook has been planned, developed and written by the members of the MATRICS team.
Funded by the Scottish government, MATRICS (Money Advice Training, Resource, Information and Consultancy Service) is a partnership between Money Advice Scotland (MAS) and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). For almost 20 years, MATRICS has provided the free-to-client money advice sector with training, consultancy support, information and resources to help ensure quality services for people with unmanageable debt throughout Scotland. As money advisers face increasingly complex cases, the MATRICS partnership provides second-tier support to ensure that the people working on the frontline of money advice have somewhere to turn for guidance, help and support.
‘MATRICS learn’ is a learning platform to train advisers on all aspects of debt and debt solutions. It currently has 54 e-learning modules and 12 face-to-face digital learning courses. This Handbook is designed to complement and add to other learning opportunities.
Pauline Allan began her career as a social worker in Ayrshire and West Lothian, moving into debt advice in the late 1990s. She was the manager of the Edinburgh City Council debt advice team and became coordinator of the MATRICS team in 2010, providing second-tier advice and training to advisers and support to the MATRICS team.
Martin Barr has worked in various debt advice roles over his 30 years, primarily as a debt adviser at Cunningham District Council and Inverclyde Council, before joining MAS where he helped develop their first training programme alongside delivering the SVQ in advice and guidance. After a spell working with an insolvency practitioner and being self-employed, Martin returned to MAS where he helped to deliver the Certificate in Money Advice Practice throughout Scotland. He now works for CAS within the MATRICS team delivering the MATRICS learn programme.
Danna Higgins has worked in debt advice for 28 years. She was a frontline debt adviser in Edinburgh from 1996–2016 before joining the MATRICS team as a money advice consultant in 2016. She was involved in developing the MATRICS learn programme and delivers training and consultancy to debt advisers. Danna continues to contribute to the ongoing work of the MATRICS team.
Estelle Kerr worked as a money adviser in Ross and Cromarty CAB, providing face-to-face debt advice and financial education from 2013 to 2019. She became a housing adviser with Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey CAB. She joined Money Advice Scotland in 2021 as a digital adviser before moving into the MATRICS team as a money advice consultant.
Lorna Maisey has worked in debt advice for nine years. She was a frontline debt adviser in West Lothian before joining the MATRICS team as a money advice consultant in 2022.
Ken McEwan has been involved in giving and training on debt advice since 1985, starting as a debt adviser with Strathclyde Regional Council and five years moving to provide debt advice training with the Money Advice Training and Resource Unit. He also spent a term delivering the Diploma in Welfare Benefits and Money Advice at Glasgow North College. He has worked with MAS as a trainer since 2001 and is one of the original members of the MATRICS team.
Ged Mulvey has over 12 years of experience in debt advice. He has worked as a debt adviser for West Lothian Council and Perennial and is currently the training development lead at MAS. He has been a money advice consultant with MATRICS since 2018.
Joanne Porter is a welfare rights adviser at CPAG in Scotland.