Instinctively, as a society, we condemn those who abuse an older person’s trust and finances. But today’s guest, Richard Robinson (from the Hourglass charity) contends that such a moral response comes too late. Instead, what would be more valuable than the condemnation of such economic abuse, would be its prevention. So how can charities like Hourglass not only respond, but also prevent older peoples’ economic abuse? What can essential service firms realistically do? And is it really true that unchecked, economic abuse can literally shorten the life of an older person? https://www.wearehourglass.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-r-7836b929/

Chris Fitch speaks with mother and daughter, Lin and Lou Baxter, about how one phone call turned into a scam worth thousands. Through their eyes, Lin shows that it was not the lost money that shook her most, but the interactions with her bank that followed. And the twist in the tail? Lou leads the National Trading Standards Scams Team, showing that anyone – even where fraud is in the family (in the right way) - can be affected like this. https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-baxter-mbe-77194337/ https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/work-areas/scams-team/ https://moneyadvicetrust.org/training-and-consultancy/vulnerability-academy?utm_source=academy&utm_medium=redirect

Chris Fitch speaks to one of the UK’s most notorious scammers: Alex Wood. Over the course of a decade, Alex stole millions of pounds from scamming, but now works to prevent it. In this episode, Alex talks about the psychology of scammers, how they engineer trust, and how they protect themselves by creating emotional distance from their victims. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002h2gt https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatfraud/ https://moneyadvicetrust.org/training-and-consultancy/vulnerability-public-sessions/#outcomes-and-vulnerability

In our new feature ‘Vulnerability Voices’, we’ll be hearing directly from customers about their lives, circumstances, and interactions with essential services. Today, Anne and Robert explain to Michael Hilton from Three Hands Insight how serious illness has reshaped their personal and financial lives.

Why are outcomes so ‘hard’ to get right? David Atkins (formerly Lloyds Banking Group co-lead on vulnerability and inclusion) explains to Chris Fitch what an outcome is (and isn’t), why we all struggle to define and measure them, and how a new approach promises to make the whole process simpler, clearer, and more effective. Taking us from ‘too hard’ to giving us ‘new hope’, David demystifies an issue which has previously tied many of us up in knots. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-atkins-spenkins/ www.moneyadvicetrust.org/vulnerability

The ‘Purple Pound’ measures the potential spending power of households with at least one disabled person. Reported to be worth £274 billion per year to the UK economy in 2017, new data values it at £446bn. Mike Adams (CEO of disability organisation Purple) and Jamie Evans (Research Fellow, Bristol University) join us to discuss what the Purple Pound is, whether it really is worth this much, and just what a “purchasing power” figure like this means when so many disabled people are reporting everyday financial difficulty? Mike Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-adams-purple/ Jamie Evans: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-evans-387485120/ Purple Tuesday: https://purpletuesday.co/ Help! Guide: https://www.moneyadvicetrust.org/vulnerability-resources

‘Financial wellbeing’ is a term that many use, but most never dare define. However, Professor Adele Atkinson (Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management, Birmingham University) not only defines what ‘financial wellbeing’ means, but explains how its key elements affect our everyday thinking and behaviour. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adele-atkinson-afrap/ https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/household-assets-and-savings-managementerstestiftung.org

Starting a Champion Networks sounds simple. However, they’re harder to start and sustain than we think. In this episode, Charlie Turrell from the Ministry of Justice and the Champions of Accessibility Network joins Chris Fitch to share what makes a Network ‘work’, why so many crash and burn, and how the secret to their success might just be good old-fashioned ‘fun’. https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-turrell https://ab11y.com

What happens when lived experience shared online becomes advice that lacks evidence? In this episode, Matt Gupwell, founder of ThinkNeurodiversity, joins Chris Fitch to unpack the rise of vulnerability and neuro-influencers, challenge recycled myths, and explain why re-balancing lived experience with research is essential for preventing harm. https://www.thinkneurodiversity.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgupwell/

What does it mean to design a service, product, or even a letter in a ‘trauma-informed’ way? Content designer Rachel Edwards explains to Chris Fitch what trauma is (and isn’t), how it affects peoples’ everyday lives, and how six principles can turn any design into a ‘trauma-informed 'design. https://www.designedwithcare.org/