Supporting Vulnerable Clients, Family Violence and Financial Hardship Policy | Master Builders Insurance Brokers

1. Introduction

This Supporting Vulnerable Clients, Family Violence and Financial Hardship Policy (Policy) has been developed to comply with National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) Insurance Brokers Code of Practice (the Code) and sets out how Master Builders Insurance Brokers (MBIB) identifies and supports vulnerable clients, including those affected by financial hardship and family violence.

For the purposes of this Policy, any reference to “clients” includes clients of MBIB as well as any other individual entitled to financial hardship support under the Code. This could include individuals who we are seeking to recover money from as we believe they have caused damage to an insured Client.

MBIB is committed to exercising greater care when dealing with vulnerable clients. A person may be vulnerable due to a range of factors, including:

• age;
• disability;
• mental health conditions;
• physical health conditions;
• family violence;
• language barriers;
• cultural background;
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status;
• remote location; or
• financial distress.

2. Policy Statement

MBIB has a long-standing commitment to conducting its business with honesty and integrity and remains committed to full compliance with the Code and informing clients, and employees about information and assistance available to vulnerable people, including those experiencing financial hardship and family violence.

This policy and the MBIB internal policy and training programs assist employees to:

1. identify and understand if a client may be vulnerable;
2. determine how best, and to what extent, they can support a vulnerable client;
3. take account of a client’s particular needs or vulnerability; and
4. engage with a vulnerable client with sensitivity, dignity, respect and compassion. This may include arranging additional support and referring the client to specialised people or services.

MBIB may need to be flexible and vary the approach based on individual circumstances, including providing more personalised support to help navigate our processes.

The support of clients experiencing family violence and their family is the highest priority. Clients who indicate or disclose family violence can access support from 1800 RESPECT that is appropriate to their circumstances.

3. Assisting Clients

MBIB can assist vulnerable clients, including those experiencing financial hardship or family violence by:

• ensuring safe and confidential communication in light of individual circumstances;
• helping to set up new insurance policies;
• helping to arrange access to financial hardship support; and
• referral to specialist support services.

In circumstances where the issue is complex or unable to be dealt with by the primary person who took the call, it is to be immediately referred to the Compliance Committee for consideration.

The client must be informed of this action.

4. Third Parties

If MBIB are advised, or we identify that a client or potential client requires support from a third party (e.g.: lawyer, interpreter, or friend), we will make reasonable accommodations to allow for this.

5. Family Violence

In Australian law, ‘Family Violence’ is defined as:

“violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person’s family or causes the family member to be fearful.”

Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), section 4AB.

Family violence means much more than physical violence. It includes:

• emotional abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial or economic abuse; and
• damage to property.

The way employees deal with clients who may be affected by family violence should facilitate, rather than act as a barrier to identifying family violence and improve the experience of those affected by family violence.

The aim of the Policy is to ensure that whenever family violence is identified or suspected, the safety of the client affected by family violence and their family is protected.

MBIB recognises that family violence is unacceptable in any relationship and clients experiencing family violence will be treated with dignity and respect.

6. Financial Hardship

Financial hardship occurs when clients experience difficulty in meeting their financial obligations to MBIB. The MBIB defines Financial Hardship to mean a situation where:

• a client is unable to discharge the financial obligations owed by the client or otherwise discharge the financial obligations owed by the client, due to illness, unemployment or other reasonable cause; and
• the client believes that they are able to discharge those obligations if the relevant payment arrangements or other arrangements relating to financial obligations are changed.

However, the situation defined may not be the only reason a client cannot discharge their financial obligations. Other reasons may include:

• the client is experiencing temporary financial difficulty due to a number of competing financial commitments that fall due at the same time, restricting their ability to meet existing financial commitments in a timely manner;
• the customer may face financial hardship as a result of family violence, and
• the customer is experiencing entrenched financial hardship due to ongoing physical, mental, economic or cultural barriers that limit their ability to manage their financial commitments.

The support MBIB can offer does not include support with paying the premiums under an insurance policy we have issued.

If a client informs MBIB, or we identify, that they are experiencing financial hardship, we will provide them with:

• if appropriate, contact details for the National Debt Helpline – 1800 007 007.

7. Training

Training is tailored to all employee roles within the business and the degree of contact they have with clients.

MBIB will aim to ensure that all employees have been trained and receive ongoing training so that they:

• are aware of MBIB policies and procedures when they are engaging with vulnerable clients;
• identify vulnerable clients, including those affected by family violence;
• deal appropriately and sensitively with vulnerable clients; and
• apply the Supporting Vulnerable Clients, Family Violence and Financial Hardship policy and related policies and procedures relevant to their role in dealing with clients.

Training is aimed at assisting employees to reduce the impact of vulnerability and family violence on clients. 

8. Reporting

Any notification of vulnerability or financial hardship received by a member of staff must be recorded in Zoho CRM and INSIGHT, in line with PROC-016 Supporting Vulnerable Clients, Family Violence and Financial Hardship procedure.

9.Support Services and ResourcesAgency

 POL-013_Supporting Vulnerable Clients, Family Violence and Financial Hardship Policy_v1