Case Study - Emma Herod
The Money Guiders England Network is a free programme aimed at professionals whose role involves supporting others with money-related challenges. The service provides practical tools, online and in-person events, and discusses relevant financial topics to help organisations or individuals talk confidently about money.
We spoke with Emma, a Tenancy Sustainment Officer. Emma works within the Housing Transition Service, supporting young people whilst they’re still in care to navigate the challenges of settling into a new home. During our discussion, Emma explains how joining the Money Guiders network has helped identify new ways to support her customers and start more meaningful conversations about money.
Emma tells us how she first came about the Money Guiders Network:
“Our manager is really proactive about helping us build our skills so we can deliver the best service to our customers. Everyone in our team is encouraged to do the induction and become a money guider.
“I thought it would be good to try it as I'm continuously trying to develop my skills. The more knowledge we have, the better we can advise young people and our customers in general.”
She comments that the network has been more valuable than she initially expected.
“I’ve been surprised- there’s more to it than I initially thought. All the training courses have been amazing. It’s varied and you capture lots of different aspects of money advice and people's money needs.”
Emma highlights which sessions she’s found most relevant to her role.
“One session was focused on preparing young people to handle money confidently and another explored neurodivergence and money management.
“Quite a high proportion of the young people I work with are diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or other neurodiverse conditions, while others are waiting on an assessment. There's definitely been things from those courses that have been really helpful to advise young people on.”
She adds the importance of conversations surrounding neurodiversity.
“The neurodiversity training I went on was really good as we learnt lots of tips. The speaker explained how neurodiversity is a spectrum- everyone has different characteristics and personality types, but when people are impulsive with money, it's about building in that friction.
“Since the session, I've had a conversation with people about how they can try and make it harder for themselves to spend money quickly and build in time to reflect about whether it’s a good decision or not.”
Emma shares what other guidance she’s taken from the sessions.
"My mindset prior to the Money Guiders courses had been quite focused on maximising people's income and what not to do. Since joining the network, this really opened mind up to the conversations I’m having around savings. If we’re being aspirational and positive around money, that's much more inspiring for young people.”
She explains that she regularly receives emails about upcoming Money Guider events and shares how she decides which to attend.
“I have two thoughts. One, is it something that's particularly on my mind currently, or two is it something that I regularly deal with and would like a refresher on.
"Sometimes it's not something that I come across all the time, but it might be good for me to expand my knowledge on. You never know what could be useful.
“Day-to-day in your role you can get into a routine of approaching things in a certain way and it's good to be reminded that there's different ways of doing things.”
And what does she enjoy most about the network?
“I think it’s feeling a part of something where you feel supported. My team and I are lone working, and even though we share knowledge and advice, it's nice to feel a part of something bigger where you feel like you can get specialist advice or information.
"It’s not for us to tell people what they should or shouldn't do but give guidance to help them to make the best decisions for themselves. It expands your knowledge by sharing ideas and thoughts with people from all different backgrounds with different levels of experience.”
Emma shares her final thoughts on what she’d like to see from the network.
“The only thing that’s sprang to mind is having somewhere that people can go to pose a question and then other people in the Money Guiders Network have the opportunity to answer.”
Since our conversation with Emma, Money Guiders England now run weekly informal online drop-in sessions, providing practitioners with an opportunity to connect, share ideas and experiences, discuss challenges, showcase their work, and learn from fellow money guiders. If you have any ideas you’d like to see from the network, please email the team at MoneyGuiderEngland@Reed.com