Altogether four new community partnerships covering five new outreach locations have commenced including:

• Playford Libraries at Munno Para on Tuesdays and Elizabeth on Fridays
• Para Hills library on Friday afternoons
• The Parks Community Health Service on Wednesday afternoons
• Western Links Uniting Church on Crittenden Road, Findon on Wednesday mornings

These new services are funded by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) in recognition of a lack of sufficient professional financial counselling services in the northern and western suburbs of Adelaide. The department’s support is greatly appreciated. 

However UCW Bowden would be unable to deliver the outreach component without the facilities provided by our community partners.

Delivery of financial counselling from public facilities such as libraries, health centres and churches improves accessibility to the public.  Any person, regardless of background or income levels, can access the services via nearby accessible transport routes.

Financial counsellors see people who are on very low incomes as well as a growing number of people on middle to high incomes.  People can experience financial stress due to a range of changed life circumstances such as relationship breakup, retirement, changed health, reduced hours of work or retrenchment.  These situations cause personal stress and can pose a threat to their biggest asset, the family home.  Financial counsellors can assist people through complex situations often leading to satisfactory outcomes.

Financial counselling is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.  Financial counsellors are not permitted to charge a fee for service to ensure they remain free from any conflict of interest. 
Financial counselling assists people who have debt problems or concerns about how to manage their money.

UCW Bowden is a leader in the field of financial counselling.  Our Team Leader for Low Income Support Services, Rosalyn Williams, is the current President of the South Australian Financial Counsellors’ Association (SAFCA) and a financial counsellor at UCW Bowden.

UCW Bowden financial counsellors have all attained the qualification of Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling).