Understanding the regulatory requirements – and putting them into practice to support better customer outcomes.
Supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances remains an important regulatory priority for firms. But understanding the requirements is only part of the challenge. Firms also need to ensure colleagues can recognise vulnerability, respond appropriately and translate regulatory requirements into good outcomes in day-to-day customer interactions.
Delivered by Money Advice Trust, this practical two-part course brings together the regulatory framework – including FCA Vulnerability Guidance and Consumer Duty – with the skills and approaches colleagues need to apply it in practice.
Through discussion, practical exercises and real-world application, delegates will explore how vulnerability can present, why it can sometimes be missed and how to move confidently from identifying a potential vulnerability to understanding and responding to a customer’s individual needs.
15–16 September 2026 | 1.30pm–5.00pm each day | Online
Before the course, delegates will be asked to complete a Money Advice Trust webinar introducing the FCA’s guidance on vulnerable customers.
Part One – Recognising vulnerability and understanding need
The first session establishes the regulatory and practical foundations for identifying and understanding vulnerability.
Delegates will explore:
- what vulnerability means in financial services and how the regulatory approach has developed;
- relevant FCA expectations, including the Vulnerability Guidance and Consumer Duty;
- the relationship between vulnerability and potential customer harm;
- key drivers of vulnerability and how these may affect customers;
- why vulnerability can be missed or remain unidentified;
- the barriers that can prevent colleagues moving from identification to conversation; and
- practical application through the Know Your Customer Harms (KYCH) exercise.
Part Two – From understanding to effective support
The second session focuses on the skills and approaches needed to respond effectively once vulnerability has been identified.
- Delegates will explore:
- techniques for engaging customers who may be vulnerable;
- how to understand a customer’s individual circumstances and needs;
- applying the IDEA framework;
- managing and recording customer disclosures appropriately;
- GDPR considerations when recording vulnerability;
- applying the TEXAS framework;
- the role of empathy in effective customer conversations;
- what “reasonable support” means in practice;
- vulnerability and the Equality Act; and
- developing appropriate support, from business-as-usual adjustments through to more complex support plans.
Bespoke In-house Training
If you would like to run this course for your own organisation, the FLA can deliver Lease Accounting and Taxation as a tailored in-house workshop for your team. Whether you want to build core knowledge in a specific department or support a wider training programme, the content can be shaped around your objectives and internal policies.
To make an enquiry, simply complete the in-house training form on the FLA website and the training team will contact you to discuss options and next steps.
- What will you take away?
- By the end of the course, delegates will be better equipped to:
- recognise indicators and drivers of vulnerability and understand the potential for customer harm;
- understand the regulatory and legal framework for supporting vulnerable customers and what it means for firms in practice;
- have effective and empathetic conversations with customers about vulnerability;
- use practical frameworks including IDEA and TEXAS to understand and record customer circumstances;
- make informed decisions about appropriate and reasonable support; and
- apply regulatory expectations in ways that support better customer outcomes.
Bespoke In-house Training
If you would like to run this course for your own organisation, the FLA can deliver Lease Accounting and Taxation as a tailored in-house workshop for your team. Whether you want to build core knowledge in a specific department or support a wider training programme, the content can be shaped around your objectives and internal policies.
To make an enquiry, simply complete the in-house training form on the FLA website and the training team will contact you to discuss options and next steps.
- This course is designed for colleagues who interact with customers or have responsibility for how vulnerable customers are identified and supported.
- It is particularly relevant for:
- customer-facing teams;
- collections and complaints teams;
- specialist vulnerability and customer support teams;
- managers responsible for customer journeys and outcomes; and
- colleagues looking to build or refresh their practical understanding of vulnerability and FCA expectations.
Bespoke In-house Training
If you would like to run this course for your own organisation, the FLA can deliver Lease Accounting and Taxation as a tailored in-house workshop for your team. Whether you want to build core knowledge in a specific department or support a wider training programme, the content can be shaped around your objectives and internal policies.
To make an enquiry, simply complete the in-house training form on the FLA website and the training team will contact you to discuss options and next steps.
Colin Trend
Colin Trend is an experienced practitioner and trainer specialising in debt, vulnerability and supporting customers in difficult circumstances.
His career spans the private, public and voluntary sectors, including debt collection and the independent advice sector. He has established two advice centres in Plymouth and is lead tutor for the Money Advice Trust’s debt and mental health training programme.
Alongside his training work, Colin’s experience as both a manager and practitioner gives him a strong understanding of the realities of working with customers experiencing financial difficulty and vulnerability.
Colin holds a Certificate in Money Advice from the Institute of Money Advisers and is a qualified trainer.
Developed in partnership with Money Advice Trust
This course has been developed and is delivered in partnership with Money Advice Trust, a national charity helping people across the UK to tackle their debts and manage their money with confidence.
Through its work supporting people in financial difficulty and helping organisations improve the way they identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances, Money Advice Trust brings extensive practical insight into vulnerability and customer support.
Combined with the FLA’s understanding of the regulatory environment and finance industry, the partnership ensures the course is grounded in both regulatory expectations and the realities of supporting customers in practice.
Bespoke In-house Training
If you would like to run this course for your own organisation, the FLA can deliver Lease Accounting and Taxation as a tailored in-house workshop for your team. Whether you want to build core knowledge in a specific department or support a wider training programme, the content can be shaped around your objectives and internal policies.
To make an enquiry, simply complete the in-house training form on the FLA website and the training team will contact you to discuss options and next steps.
