MORE INFORMATION:
FCAN Financial Counsellors NSW - Membership

Our Membership Categories are:

ACCREDITED

Accredited Members are Voting members of FCAN.

Criteria:

  • Currently working (paid or unpaid) as a Financial Counsellor for a financial counselling agency.
  • Qualification - Diploma of Financial Counselling. 
  • Successful completion of the FCAN Accreditation process and is approved by the FCAN Board as an Accredited member.
  • Meets annual Continuing Professional Development requirement (20 points per membership year).
  • Undertaking Supervision with an FCAN Approved Supervisor (20 hours per year if working 20 or more hours per week and 10 hours per year if working less than 20 hours per week).
  • Employer must be covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance.
  • Must act without a conflict of interest.
  • Must not accept a fee for service.
  • Payment of an annual subscription fee as set by the FCAN Board.
  • After 12 months experience as an Accredited member can apply to undertake the FCAN Supervision Course to become an FCAN Approved Supervisor. 
ASSOCIATE

Criteria:

  • Currently working (paid or unpaid) as a Financial Counsellor for a financial counselling agency.
  • Qualification - Diploma of Financial Counselling. 
  • Associate members are working towards their Accredited member status. Associate members can apply to undertake the FCAN Accreditation process after completing 24 months full-time work (or 36 months part-time work) post qualification as a financial counsellor for a financial counselling agency. (Contact the FCAN Office to start the process).
  • The maximum time a member can remain as an Associate member without consideration of additional requirements is 4 years. FCAN may impose additional requirements on an Associate after this period.
  • Meets annual Continuing Professional Development requirement (20 points per membership year).
  • Undertaking Supervision with an FCAN Approved Supervisor (20 hours per year if working 20 hours or more per week and 10 hours per year if working less than 20 hours per week). 
  • Employer must be covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance.
  • Must act without a conflict of interest.
  • Must not accept a fee for service.
  • Payment of an annual subscription fee as set by the FCAN Board.
STUDENT

Effective date 1 January 2024

Student Financial Counsellor

Undertaking the Diploma of Financial Counselling and working (paid or unpaid) as a Financial Counsellor for a financial counselling agency. 

  • Student Financial Counsellors are working under the guidance of an FCAN Approved Supervisor or a workplace mentor who is an Accredited Financial Counsellor. 
  • Undertakes relevant CPD in addition to the Diploma of Financial Counselling studies. 
  • Employer must be covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance.
  • Must act without a conflict of interest.
  • Must not accept a fee for service.
  • Payment of an annual subscription fee as set by the FCAN Board.

Student Member
Undertaking the Diploma in Financial Counselling but not working as a Student Financial Counsellor.

How to advance to Associate membership:

On successful completion of the Diploma of Financial Counselling, and employed as a Financial Counsellor in a financial counselling agency applies to FCAN to become an Associate member. Included in the application is evidence of the Diploma and transcript, financial counselling agency details and Supervisor details.

AFFILIATE

Criteria:

Any person or organisation affiliated to the financial counselling sector in a related role, for example:

  • Financial Capability Workers.
  • Agency Managers.
  • Graduates of the Diploma of Financial Counselling not employed by a financial counselling agency as a Financial Counsellor. 
  • Registered training organisation staff. 
  • Long serving members who want to remain affiliated and wish to continue to be involved.
  • People affiliated with other State and Territory associations who want to be affiliated with FCAN.
  • Members unable to fulfil requirements for other categories. 
  • Payment of an annual subscription fee as set by the FCAN Board. 
CREDIT ADVOCATE

Criteria:

  • Persons who are lawyers, members of the Supreme Court of NSW, who have been working in the field of credit and debt for the twelve (12) months immediately preceding their application for membership.
  • Have no conflict of interest in that field.
  • Are not employees of, or advisers to a credit provider.
  • Do not charge either directly or indirectly a subscription for service for credit and/or debt advice.
  • Satisfactorily fulfil requirements set by the FCAN Board, and whose application for this class of membership is approved by the Committee.
  • Payment of annual subscription as set by the FCAN Board.
LIFE MEMBERS
Eligibility:
  • By nomination only as per the Constitution and By-Laws of the Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW Inc. (FCAN).
  • A Life Member shall practice as a Financial Counsellor only whilst s/he maintains Accreditation.
  • No payment of annual subscription fee as per Constitution.
  • Persons who are or have been Financial Counsellors.
  • Have consented to nomination by two (2) Financial Counsellors, whose nomination has been recommended to a general meeting of members by the Board, and approved by a simple majority of those members entitled to vote. The number of Life Members at any time shall not exceed five percent (5%) of members entitled to vote.
  • Can have voting rights if they maintain their Accreditation.
OBLIGATIONS FOR ALL MEMBERS

As well as the criteria and requirements listed in the Membership Categories above, all FCAN members:

  •  must abide by the Australian Financial Counselling Code of Ethical Practice; and
  • must abide by the rules and policies of FCAN.
INFORMATION ABOUT SUPERVISION
  • FCAN Associate and Accredited members are required to meet the FCAN Annual Supervision requirements. Refer to the FCAN Supervision Policy for further information.

  • Supervisors must be Accredited members of FCAN, and be practising financial counsellors, with a minimum of three years (equivalent full time) experience. 
  • Accredited financial counsellors wishing to become Approved Supervisors must undertake the FCAN Supervision Course and make a formal application to the FCAN Board to become an FCAN Approved Supervisor.  
  • FCAN Approved Supervisors are required to refresh their Supervision skills at least every three years by undertaking FCAN approved courses.
  • Supervisors are required to undertake supervision with an FCAN Approved Supervisor.