Weekly Blog by Philip King, CEO of the ICM - 'Mixed Fortunes'

The last week and a half has been pretty amazing. I returned from a great two-week break touring the Scottish Highlands, I've had my 57th birthday, and my first grandchild has been born! The North West of Scotland has breathtaking scenery and it was brilliant to spend some quality time relaxing with Mary, my long-suffering wife. Apart from one afternoon looking at late payment issues and talking to a Financial Times journalist, I genuinely avoided emails and voicemails and it made a pleasant change. I'll skirt round my birthday since I've had so many of them now that there's not much to say!

The really exciting news is the arrival of my grandson which has brought back all the emotion that accompanied the arrival of our own children 29, 26, and 21 years ago, and has reminded me of the miracle that childbirth represents. My blogs aren't often personal but I couldn't let this event pass by without a mention, although I won't pick up my phone and start imposing pictures on you as I might if you were here!

On my office desk when I returned to ICM HQ was the StepChange Debt Charity Statistical Yearbook for 2012 and it brought me back to the real world with a bump. On average across the year, someone sought help from the charity every 78 seconds either online or by phone and we have to remind ourselves that StepChange is just one route for debt advice. There are numerous organisations offering support, help, and advice and – looking at the most recent Credit Action debt statistics – I see that Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales dealt with 7,824 new debt problems every working day during the year ending March 2013. Worse still, the letter accompanying the StepChange report reveals that, for about a quarter of the clients they advised last year, they were unable to suggest a way forward because the client lacked the means to cover essential living costs while insolvency was inappropriate for their circumstances.

To help some of these clients StepChange has launched a new 'token payment' service, an interim measure of short-term relief allowing clients time to get their affairs in order where there is a reasonable expectation that their circumstances will improve in the reasonably short-term. Token payments, of course, are not new but this approach to their administration is, and it coincides with a pilot 'Sustainable Debt Advice Project' run by AdviceUK which is now being rolled out more widely.

Just as we all have cause to celebrate from time to time, so we all face problems and many customers get into financial difficulty because of a sudden or dramatic change in circumstances. We want to be paid what we are owed, and solutions giving customers who want to pay some temporary breathing space are to be welcomed, especially if the longer-term prospects are improved as a result.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to thank Charles Mayhew, Sue Chapple, and Sue Kettle for their excellent guest blogs while I was away. I appreciate their support and enjoyed their contributions.

Weekly Blog by Philip King, CEO of the ICM - Big Society and professionalism

I read an interesting article in The Times last week that struck a chord with me, and with the ICM. It was written by Jonathan Shepherd, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cardiff University. He is also a Trustee of the Royal College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Now stay with me on this as I know you are wondering what the link is!

Jonathan was talking about debates around 'The Big Society', and how they seldom - if ever - make reference to the professions and to the national institutions that support them. He said it was especially surprising since doctors, engineers, teachers and many other professional groups are defined by their distinctive contributions to civic society and to public services. Their standard-setting professional bodies are self-funded, charitable organisations, and he bemoaned the fact that, in true British style, their virtues remain understated despite their influence on professional behaviours, compliance with evidence-based practice, training ethos and delivery etc.

Now I am not so delusional as to set the Institute of Credit Management alongside the Royal College of Surgeons but there are similiarities. We promote good practice through such initiatives as the Quality in Credit Management Award (QiCM) scheme, we deliver a programme of learning and development that enhances the careers and effectiveness of those working in the credit management field, and we advise and support businesses generally in order to help them manage their cashflow more effectively and thereby stay in business.

All of these activities deliver cash for business and support an economy that so badly needs to see effective growth and development. Our work with, and for, the Department for Business is surely a genuine example of 'The Big Society' that Mr Cameron craves? We provide guidance that would otherwise be a drain on the public purse, and our members - often in their own time and at their own expense - work towards qualifications and build underlying knowledge that adds real value not only to their organisations, but also to the wider business community.

We are not doctors or structural engineers, but neither should we underestimate the contribution that we're making to business, the economy and to society by being professionals in credit management.

http://www.icm.org.uk