Duncan Poulson has been ASIC’s Northern Territory Regional Commissioner since 2005. Passionate about consumer protection and improving financial wellbeing, Duncan completed the Diploma of Financial Counselling with ICAN Learn to broaden his skill set and understand the issues facing vulnerable consumers. We spoke to Duncan about his student journey.
I’d considered completing the Diploma of Financial Counselling for some time as I’m very interested in financial literacy and inclusion, and have always had huge admiration for the work that financial counsellors do to help alleviate the financial stress of their clients. Completing the diploma would provide me with another skill set I could use in that way.
I started my Diploma with ICAN Learn during COVID, so the classes were all live online. The trainers do a spectacular job delivering the units in an engaging way through online study groups, full of rich conversation. I always looked forward to these groups; they were one of the course highlights. Like many people, I found it hard to balance work, family, and study, especially during COVID, but studying was incredibly rewarding and the effort was definitely worth it.
The modules we completed about vulnerability in Australia really surprised me. For a bureaucrat who’s worked for a long time with one government agency, I felt I had a bit of knowledge about homelessness, domestic violence, and addiction issues. However, delving into them so deeply really opened my eyes.
As part of my diploma, I completed 220 hours of work placement with Anglicare NT in their Nhulunbuy and Darwin offices.
I took six weeks off work and spent the first three weeks in Anglicare’s Nhulunbuy office in Arnhem Land, about 1000km from Darwin. It was perfect because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. It’s a pretty remote place and hard to get to, but I packed up my car, threw my tent in the back, and arrived about 15 hours later. I’ve always had a strong interest in Anglicare’s Nhulunbuy office, which has done great work for decades, particularly with First Nations peoples and consumer groups.
Nhulunbuy is a fascinating place with an incredibly strong connection with First Nations peoples. English is often the second or third language for the residents and surrounding communities. The Anglicare office was a fascinating place to work. The financial counselling team is just one small team within a very busy office. Sitting close to the front door gave me a sense of everyone who walked in and the type of help they were looking for. Conversations and care are at the heart of community work, and Anglicare has created a beautiful office environment, where community members feel welcome and safe, and confident to share their challenges. The time I spent there really opened my eyes to a different world.
The work placement experience gives you a great understanding of real-life situations and the importance of the right communication style when relating to your client. I learnt so much watching and listening to Anglicare’s highly experienced financial counsellors, in Nhulunbuy and Darwin, who have worked in this space for a long time.
This hands-on experience is just one of the reasons I chose to study with ICAN Learn. Their trainers are all qualified financial counsellors who can share invaluable insights from their incredibly diverse experience, particularly in dealing with vulnerable cohorts of the Australian population. I also liked the fact ICAN is an Indigenous led organisation and what I would learn about financial counselling in this space. I am strongly interested in improving financial literacy and inclusion, and the challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers in accessing and engaging with financial services and communities, so I was keen to develop my understanding further.
The financial counselling profession is very under-resourced and needs more well-trained, caring people to do the work, especially in the current economic climate. We also need a diverse financial counselling profession representing the population it serves, including First Nations or newly arrived migrant communities.
Completing the diploma has been incredibly rewarding and has given me greater insights into some sections of the community that ASIC’s jurisdiction covers. I’m also continuing to volunteer with Anglicare and still have clients I’m helping outside of my ASIC work hours, so I’m maintaining that strong connection with the organisation where I did my placement.
I would encourage anyone considering doing the Diploma of Financial Counselling to go for it. The diploma will put you in a great place to join the profession and start doing the work that will help the people in your community. I greatly admire the financial counselling profession. It’s incredibly important and valuable work.
