Consumer Friend Academy

Train as a Consumer Vulnerability Champion. A 12-week programme of four live online sessions that equips people in customer-facing roles to identify, understand and respond to consumer vulnerability with empathy, clarity and inclusive service.

At a glance

Four live online sessions of 2 to 3 hours on Microsoft Teams
9 hours of interactive training
Weekly homework and reflection between sessions
Peer support and accountability from your cohort
Aftercare and continued learning after the course
Certified Consumer Vulnerability Champion on completion

Aim

To train professionals to become Consumer Vulnerability Champions: equipped to identify, understand and respond to consumer vulnerability with empathy, clarity and inclusive service, and to put vulnerable consumers first across their organisation.

Why?

Make a real difference by improving services for the people who need them most. Gain a recognised UK certification, and futureproof your organisation with better compliance, stronger trust and higher customer satisfaction.

Learn with industry leaders Louise Baxter MBE and Adam Carter, who bring decades of experience in consumer protection and scam prevention.

Who is it for?

People in customer-facing roles across sectors such as housing, finance, utilities, retail and health.

Whether you work on the frontline or in management, the Academy empowers you and your organisation to put vulnerable consumers first.

What's covered

Session 1: Consumer vulnerability. Meet the trainers, explore vulnerability in the UK context and start identifying how it affects your consumers.
Session 2: Effective communication. How language, tone and format affect understanding, and the art of plain English and inclusive communication.
Session 3: Providing inclusive services. Meeting diverse needs, managing expectations, delivering effective redress and spotting blind spots in your service delivery.
Session 4: What's next and graduation. Review your learning, share success stories and identify actions for long-term improvement.

Learning objectives

Identify consumer vulnerability and understand how it affects the people you serve
Communicate in plain English, in the language, tone and format that helps people understand
Design and deliver inclusive services that meet diverse needs and provide effective redress
Spot blind spots in your own service delivery and plan long-term improvements
Apply the learning in your workplace with tools to review and redesign policies and procedures

Training options available

Live online: four sessions of 2 to 3 hours over 12 weeks, on Microsoft Teams
Group and individual support throughout the programme
Aftercare: regular email insights, check-ins and 1-to-1 or group support
Organisational implementation tools for your policies and procedures

What you get

12 weeks of support and learning. Structured over four live online sessions of 2 to 3 hours each, delivered on Microsoft Teams, with engaging content and hands-on activities.
9 hours of interactive training. Group discussions, practical exercises, creative tasks, case study reflections and real-world scenario analysis.
Weekly homework and reflection. Activities between sessions that help embed the learning: personality assessments, policy reviews and case study reflections.
Continuous peer support and accountability. Your cohort becomes your network, with opportunities to share insights and challenges in a safe, supportive space.
Aftercare and continued learning. We stay with you beyond the course, with regular email insights and check-ins, and 1-to-1 or group support if needed.
Organisational implementation tools. Apply the learning directly in your workplace, using our tools to review and redesign internal policies and procedures.
Certification. On completion you become a certified Consumer Vulnerability Champion, recognised for your commitment to inclusive, person-centred service.

Why join the Academy?

Make a real difference. Improve services for the people who need them most.
Boost your career. Gain a recognised UK certification.
Futureproof your organisation. Ensure compliance, improve trust and increase customer satisfaction.
Be inspired. Learn with industry leaders Louise Baxter MBE and Adam Carter.

UK based and delivered online, with group and individual support. Join the movement and champion change where it counts most.

Other courses

Practical, plain English training built around real customer interactions. Pick the course that fits your team, or combine them.

All training

1 to 3 hours

Vulnerability & customer support

Consumer vulnerability awareness

Learn about the different aspects of consumer vulnerability. An interactive training course for businesses or organisations who support consumers. It will provide practical awareness and tips on how to identify and support your consumers who are experiencing consumer vulnerability and how to provide inclusive services.

1 to 3 hours

Communication & customer experience

Achieving better outcomes

This course can be attended as a level up from the basic consumer vulnerability awareness training session but also as a stand alone. Learn about the different aspects of consumers, vulnerability, the diverse nature of consumers, inclusive services, the current consumer landscape and communications. An interactive training course for businesses and organisations who support consumers.