Step-by-Step Guide

CMA itself is a service provider. When you affiliate with CMA you access a range of support and service membership benefits that help you to establish your own, independent, community-based money advice centre. So how does it work?

One - Information & decision

First, you need to obtain a copy of CMA’s Setting Up a Debt Advice Centre booklet. Please contact us for a copy.

Additional copies can be purchased through our online resources ‘shop’.

The booklet details seventeen steps from the initial vision for the work through to opening your centre. Having read the booklet you may well have further questions, and if you would like to speak to someone about any part of this process then just click here to contact us.

Two - Membership

If you decide that you do want to set up a centre and affiliate with CMA, the next step is to apply for membership. You can download a pdf membership application or apply online from our application page.

Membership gives you:

policy & procedure documentation;
CMA’s freephone Adviceline;
case management software;
local support contacts;
special members rates for your generalist training;
the CMA annual conference;
AdviceUK membership (with benefits including: OFT license; discounted insurance; access to free ongoing training).

Three – Set-up

The Setting Up a Debt Advice Centre booklet details seventeen steps to work through to set up a centre. For a voluntary group, this typically takes between six and nine months.