Membership Categories

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 approved by the FCAN Board as an Accredited member.
• Meets annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 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. 

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 (CPD) 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.

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.

Criteria:

• Any person affiliated to the financial counselling sector in a related role, for example, Financial Capability Workers, agency managers, Diploma graduates not employed by a financial counselling agency as a Financial Counsellor, registered training organisation staff, retired financial counsellors.
• Payment of an annual subscription fee as set by the FCAN Board. 

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.
• Application for this class of membership is approved by the Board.
• Payment of annual subscription as set by the FCAN Board.

Eligibility:

• Recognises the services of an exceptional nature outlined in the FCAN By-law APPENDIX 3.1.2 (2005).
• By nomination received by the Board.
• 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. 
• A Life Member shall practice as a Financial Counsellor only whilst s/he maintains Accreditation.
• No payment of annual subscription fee as per Constitution.
• Can have voting rights if they maintain their Accreditation.

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

•  agree to uphold The Australian Financial Counselling Code of Ethical Practice; and
• are bound by the conditions contained in the FCAN Constitution; and
• do not accept a fee for service; and
• renew their membership annually on 1 July. 

• FCAN Associate and Accredited members are required to meet the FCAN Annual Supervision requirements. Refer to the Accredited and Associate Membership Categories above for annual Supervision hours and the FCAN Supervision Policy and Guidelines for further information.
• FCAN maintains a register of Approved Supervisors on the Member Portal.
• Supervisors must be Accredited members of FCAN, and be practicing 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. 
• Refer to the FCAN Supervision Policy and Guidelines for further information.