Debt Counselling Training Course
So You Want to be a Debt Counsellor?
The National Credit Act (NCA) makes provision for the Debt Counselling Process or Debt Review to assist over-indebted consumers repay debts to creditors. Debt review needs to be done by debt counsellors who are competent and registered with the NCR. No one other than a Debt Counsellor can offer the services of a Debt Counsellor. If you would like to register as a debt counsellor you have to attend a 10-day training course (and pass a written exam). The Law Clinic at the University of Pretoria will soon be holding a Debt COunsellor training course.
WHEN
The next course is going to be soon on the 2nd – 13th of March 2015
It is a ten day programme. The 10 days includes a day for study and a day for the exam. Attendance of the course is compulsory. Registration happens on the first day and lectures are presented daily from 08:30 to 16:00.
WHERE
The course will be presented at the University of Pretoria, main campus.
HOW MUCH
The course fee is R8,000.00 per person (including all course material and lunch daily).
REQUIREMENTS TO REGISTER WITH THE NCR AS A DEBT COUNSELLOR
You have to be over the age of 18 must have a Grade 12 certificate (or equivalent NQF level 4 qualification), and a minimum of two years working experience in any of the following fields:
Legal or Para-legal services.
Educating or training of individuals.
Counselling of individuals.
General business environment. (this is the easy one)
In addition to the above, applicants must also display the ability to provide counselling or transfer skills, and demonstrate the ability to manage his or her own finances.
Being a Debt Counsellor is not for everyone and a person MAY NOT register as a debt counsellor if he/she:
- Is listed on the register or excluded persons in terms of section 14 of the National Gambling Act.
- Has been removed from an office of trust on account of misconduct.
- Has been a director or member of a governing body or entity that has been involuntarily de-registered or brought the consumer credit industry into disrepute.
- Has been convicted during the previous ten years of theft, fraud, forgery, perjury or any offence under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt activities Act (Act 12 of 2004) or comparable legislation.
- Was convicted of a crime involving violence or an offence where the sentence was imprisonment without the option of a fine.
- Is subject to an Admin order.
- Is engaged in, employed by or acting as an agent for a person who is engaged in debt collection, operation of credit bureau or credit provision.
You can still do the course but you can’t register with the NCR and practice as a Debt Counsellor. That said you can have all the training and know all about the NCA etc.
.
After completing the course, you should then be able to:
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the NCA ( you don’t have to know absolutely everything);
Identify when and how a consumer can apply for debt review or whether a consumer is over-indebted or not;
Read and interpret credit bureau reports; and
Demonstrate an understanding of reckless credit.
You will also be able to restructure debt, draft a consent order, monitor consumer payments, issue a Clearance Certificate and offer ongoing support services.
After successful completion you can then apply to the NCR for registration as a qualified debt counsellor. Be warned that this does take some time. (Contact the NCR for more info about that.)
EXAM
Exams are a little scary and in this case there will be an exam written at the end of the course. What’s more is, you need to get a mark of at least 80% in the 3-hour written exam to pass. This may sound intimidating but those completing the course say that the training more than prepares you for the exam and the time is generous. Those who pass the exam get a certificate of successful completion from the University of Pretoria and the NCR.
FOR MORE INFO ON THE COURSE
http://ce.up.ac.za/Course?tabid=58&Course=699659b6-1b43-e011-a944-0050569b0004
THE LECTURERS
Frans Haupt, director of the University of Pretoria Law Clinic, has lectured and published on the NCA locally and internationally. He provided the very first training course for aspiring debt counsellors back in 2007 and has ever since been involved in training of debt counsellors. He has served as a consultant for the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Credit Regulator, credit providers, debt counsellors and consumer organisations. Frans was admitted as an attorney in 1980 and co-drafted the review of the government consumer credit policy in 2013.
Charlotte van Sittert, an attorney and head of the research department at the University of Pretoria Law Clinic, is a registered debt counsellor. She was involved in various research outputs on the National Credit Act and also acted as lecturer of the NCR debt counsellors training course since 2011. She was involved in the drafting of the current study material for the NCR debt counsellors training course and is also the drafter of the national exam for debt counsellors. She is an admitted attorney, notary and conveyancer.