Citizens Advice Southampton debt advice. What to do when the brief is to support everyone.
The brief
Citizens Advice Southampton secured funding from the Money and Pensions Service to create resources to help people understand and handle debt. The audience was broad, including people who might be anxious, embarrassed, or overwhelmed. Some would have low financial literacy, and others may be trying to understand while under pressure and when English is not their first language.
The materials needed to be accurate, accessible, non-judgmental, and translatable from the start.
The challenge
Financial information can be quite complicated by nature. And if you’re in debt and contacting Citizens’ Advice, it’s safe to assume you’re already under pressure, if not in a full-blown crisis.
Priority debts, court action, breathing space, and benefits entitlements. Getting the advice wrong can cause real harm and break trust. But making the advice easy to access, understand and follow can literally change lives for the better.
The risk was producing something technically correct that the people who needed it most couldn’t actually use, and so accessibility through design was considered from the start.
Learning from the frontline
I interviewed experienced debt advisors at Citizens Advice Southampton. I wanted to hear exactly how they’d speak to a customer, what advice they’d give when understanding clicked, and the common behaviours that can lead to debt in the first place. These interviews helped me write accessible, useful, human advice.
I also stuck to the principles:
- Considered Structure: Short sentences.
- Obvious/clear headings.
- Warm, friendly design that removed stigma rather than reinforcing it.
- A tone that educated without placing blame
- Content structured so it could be translated without losing clarity or meaning.
The booklet covers everything from priority versus non-priority debts to practical budgeting and what to do if bailiffs arrive. Each section was written for quick understanding by someone under considerable stress, on any device or format available.
The deliverables
A 16-page booklet in plain English that meets accessibility design principles. A large print version is already in circulation. Translations now underway into Farsi, Portuguese, Polish, and Russian.
- Average reading age 13
- Average words per sentence 7.13
- Average sentences per paragraph 1.22
- Video content capturing the expertise of the debt advisory team in an accessible, unscripted format used across social platforms.
- Budgeting tools are presented separately as printable resources.
“Polly balanced accuracy and sensitivity in a way that was especially valuable for people experiencing serious financial stress.
The final resources have already shown a meaningful impact by providing clear, calm, and non-judgmental information to people experiencing debt and financial anxiety. Her work supports clients in understanding their options and reduces the fear often associated with addressing money worries.
Polly’s service has been superb from start to finish. She has been an absolute pleasure to work with, and we would not hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to others.”
The lesson
Accessible communications designed for the hardest-to-reach audiences ar just better for everyone. The plain English, clear structure, and translation-ready design that works for someone in a financial crisis also works for a busy professional, a non-native speaker, and anyone reading quickly on their phone.