How long have you been working here?

I started in 2001. It’s just flown by and I’ve seen so many exciting changes in that time.

Have you always worked in counselling?

Yes, but recently I’ve got a new role where I spend half my time counselling and the other half working on social networking activities – responding to queries from debt advice forums and our own website. It gives me real variety!

How would you describe the working environment?

I work with a great team and although much of our contact with clients is on the phone, it doesn’t feel like a call centre because of the nature of the work we do. It’s also really flexible. I’m able to work a condensed week to fit in with my family commitments. I start at 9:45 and finish at 7:30 from Monday to Thursday. This gives me Friday off which works really well for me.

What experience did you have when you joined?

I used to work in financial services it’s quite common for people to move from that area into debt advice. I have personally experienced being in debt before so I know what it’s like to feel you’re in a black hole that you think you’re never going to get out of.

So you knew about CCCS from personal experience?

My bank actually gave me one of our leaflets but I was too scared to ring! I thought that if I rang I wouldn’t be in charge of my money anymore and it really worried me. Now I know it’s not that way at all. After I’d paid my debts off, I saw a job advert for CCCS and have never looked back since

What keeps you at the charity?

It’s the job satisfaction. Knowing that we’re giving people a free service and showing someone there’s a way out. It’s a very satisfying feeling. I always go home feeling that I’ve made some kind of difference!