Dealing with enforcement agents is part of every debt adviser's working life, and most advisers would agree that the sector is under-regulated and in need of reform. Since 2023, the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has operated a voluntary scheme where it accredits and supervises participating enforcement agencies. So how effective has this regime been, and what developments should we expect in the future?

In this special episode of Debt Reckoning, recorded live at the Rep Theatre in Birmingham as part of the IMA's annual conference, Antonio and Andy are joined by three guests who have plenty to say on this issue: Carole Kenney, the director of welfare at CDER enforcement agents; David Parkin of the ECB; and Yvonne Fovargue CBE, former advice worker and MP for Makerfield, as well as the IMA's current patron.

With input from an audience of (mainly) frontline debt advisers, we discuss what changes the enforcement industry has already made to respond to regulation, what statutory powers the ECB might need in future, and the thorny issues of how bailiffs deal with consumer vulnerability and inability to pay.

Useful links:

• The Enforcement Conduct Board
• Ministry of Justice consultation into regulation of the enforcement sector
• Become a member of the IMA