PayPlan continues to act on its commitment to improving its services for customers with low numeracy levels after a second wave of staff became Plain Numbers practitioners.

Plain Numbers help firms support their customers by presenting numbers and data in a new way to increase engagement with debt advice, while also improving levels of understanding for its customers.

Plain Numbers have worked with The Bank of England, and the trials showed that their approach doubled the number of people who understood the information.

Three members of PayPlan’s communication team became practitioners after completing the six-week training course.

Hannah Shipman, Senior Marketing and PR Executive, said: “I’m delighted PayPlan put me forward to become a Plain Numbers practitioner. I work in the marketing and communications team so it’s our responsibility to ensure that we are communicating with our customers in the most effective way.

“When someone approaches us for help with their debts, they’ve already taken a huge step, so the last thing we want to do is overwhelm anyone with information which is difficult to digest. If anything, what someone needs at this point is clarity and a clear plan to help them move forward, not to be bombarded with incomprehensible terminology and confusing messaging.

“We know debt problems can have a negative effect on someone’s mental health and wellbeing, so we want to make sure we are always approachable, friendly and easy to communicate with. Ultimately it’s all about getting that customer on the road to becoming debt-free, and keeping them informed sensibly and effectively every step of the way.

“The training sessions provided by Plain Numbers were great – Ben, James and Mike skilfully guided us through the process and were there to support us not just throughout our training but also beyond as we move into our new roles as practitioners. We know this is going to come in really handy for the future, especially in light of the new Consumer Duty coming into place in July.”

Connor Thompson, Marketing and PR Executive, said: “I’d like to echo Hannah’s comments and highlight how the Plain Numbers training has changed my outlook when writing communications and content for our customers.

“While we already tailored our communications to fit the target audience, I didn’t realise just how widespread the issues surrounding numeracy were in the UK. From now on, we’ll be able to ensure our communications are engaging, effective and easily digestible no matter the numeracy level of the reader thanks to the Plain Numbers training.

“We are currently working with more partners than ever before to provide the best possible service to our customers and being a Plain Numbers practitioner will benefit the work we do not just internally but externally as well.”

Ben Perkins, Head of Partnerships and Services at Plain Numbers, said: “It’s been a real privilege to work with the PayPlan team in their first year as a Plain Numbers Partner. The practitioners we have trained have shown huge passion for our Approach and helping more customers understand key communications. This will ensure that PayPlan’s vital work takes into account vulnerable customers who struggle with numbers. I’m looking forward to seeing the work that PayPlan and Plain Numbers have been doing together making a real difference to customers and to continuing our Partnership.”