Financial advocacy
and debt management services

Managing debts and a poor credit history can feel like a constant uphill battle for anyone. It’s made especially harder if you are already vulnerable: whether you suffer from a mental illness, or are victim of family violence/financial abuse, elderly or indigenous. We’re here to take away that struggle and guide you through with genuine, caring financial advocacy and debt management services.

Get on top of your debts

There are many reasons why people get into debt, and it’s nothing that you need to be ashamed of. Small Village is a caring advocacy and debt counselling service based in Australia, and we’re here to help you manage debt regardless of how it occurred. Our senior Case Managers are experienced in working with people with mental illness and have assisted a wide range of clients from many different vulnerable backgrounds. We can advocate on your behalf, dealing with creditors to have interest or fees stopped, debts reduced, debts waived, or entering into informal debt arrangements to help you repay what you owe over a fixed time period.

We look for solutions that don’t damage your credit history, and we don’t promote bankruptcy or insolvency for this very reason.

“The guys from Small Village were nothing short of amazing! I never in my wildest dreams even knew that these people existed. Finding myself in a hopeless rut in life, severe depression, financial debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. One of the best things I have done in my life is getting in contact with them. I can finally breath again and get on with living the life I always wanted to live, without having to spend my whole pay check on my debts with no end in sight. Thank you.”

Leo

Credit repair services

Your credit history contains details of all your previous finance deals, loans and credit cards. A poor history can make it difficult to obtain finance, rent a home and can even affect your employment. Not all credit history data can be improved or removed, but in many cases, there may be something inaccurate on your credit report that we can repair. If there’s something incorrect on your credit history, we’ll seek to have it corrected in order to improve your credit score.

Small Village also has experience in helping clients who are trying to regain financial independence after leaving a family violence/financial abuse situation. A poor credit history can often be a barrier to moving on and Small Village can help guide you through this process.

We understand your needs

Financial difficulty is often linked to a range of other circumstances, most notably mental health conditions. Here at Small Village, we understand there is a variety of reasons you may have found yourself struggling with debt, and we’re not here to judge. Our aim is to provide you with the support, advocacy and assistance you need to get back on your feet and move forward without the stress of debt and threats of legal action.

Self-representation

If you need advice and guidance on dealing with debt, but you still want to deal with your creditors directly, that’s totally fine. We can give you all the support, advice, guidance and tools necessary to represent yourself when seeking debt outcomes. We’ve got a range of resources available to help you take control of your financial situation with the right advice along the way. There may also be occasions when our clients may need to be referred on to other specialist services and Small Village is experienced in liaising with other appropriate agencies when needed.

Fully personalised service

There’s no magic wand that fixes financial problems. It takes hard work, commitment and careful planning. A lot of the time, it also takes a helping hand and the right type of guidance. We take the time to listen and understand your circumstances, tailoring our support to perfectly suit your individual needs. This may include additional mental health services, domestic abuse services and targeted agencies for our indigenous clients.

Legal & financial advice

Is it important to understand that Small Village does not provide legal advice, nor can we represent you in legal proceedings. We also do not offer financial advice. If you require free financial advice, please go to the National Debt Help Line at www.ndh.org.au

Building your support network

While we specialise in financial advocacy and debt counselling, we also have a strong background in mental health, which means we understand the two are very often linked. It’s difficult to work on your mental health while there are unmanageable debts hanging over your head. It’s also difficult to manage your debts if you’re experiencing mental health difficulties. We work to build a support network around you, putting you in touch with the right services for your individual needs. It’s this holistic approach that sets us apart from other debt counselling services and helps us achieve the maximum debt relief for our clients.