WHETHER taking a desperate call from a customer with an abusive partner or visiting someone who has learning difficulties, it’s all in a day’s work for Katie Orme and her team of eight social workers at Octopus Energy.
“People are always surprised to hear we exist,” says Katie.
An unpaid bill is not always just about money – it can be a red flag for other issues
“We’ve been referred to as the experiment that no one knew was needed until we were there, but ‘do right by the customer’ is a key ethos of Octopus.”
Working across the country, the social work team is on hand to give help over the phone, via email and even in person.
With almost eight million Octopus customers in the UK, no two days are the same.
Katie’s team could be going back to people they’ve helped in the past, dealing with new urgent cases or talking to other organisations that can support vulnerable customers.
“We might help people who can’t pay their bills, but equally we support people who aren’t in debt but still need help.
The social work team give help over the phone, via email and in person
“Someone may be struggling because of a relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, bereavement, losing their job, learning difficulties or poor mental health. It really could be anything.
“We want people to contact us if they are finding things hard, because we really are here to help.”
If someone can’t pay their bill, the energy specialists in Octopus’s call centre – trained to deal with vulnerable people – may help them navigate the company’s financial help page.
There, they’ll find information about Octo Assist, a £40million fund to help those who need it most.
The social workers provide more assistance, from giving energy saving advice to helping them complete a benefits checker to ensure they’re getting the support they’re entitled to.
They can also let people know if they are eligible for a free electric blanket – Octopus has given out 100,000 so far, with another 10,000 available this winter.
That is all crucial help, but the social work team knows that an unpaid bill is not simply about money.
It can be a red flag for other issues and, if there is a concern, Katie’s team will often step in to look at the bigger picture.
Each social worker has a specialist area such as substance abuse or child protection
“We put the person before the payment and find out what else is going on in their life that means they can’t afford their energy.”
The social work team is essential for Octopus to look after people who may be struggling for all sorts of reasons.
“It’s so important that we are here,” Katie says.
“We may take over a call where someone is in crisis, struggling to pay their bills and saying they wish they weren’t here any more.
“We understand their fears, reassure them that they are not on their own and show them how we can help.
“Before we end the call we ask if they are still feeling those things, and 100 per cent of the time they say: ‘No, I’m not’.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to help people.”
Setting up the social work team was the brainchild of Octopus founder and CEO Greg Jackson, who has talked about the financial struggles his single mum faced when he was growing up.
Katie says: “Greg recognises that ‘good enough’ is not enough, and that we should always be doing more.”
The Octopus social workers are all fully qualified and registered with the regulator Social Work England – and while all have the same core set of skills, each has their own specialist area such as substance abuse, child protection or domestic abuse.
Katie explains: “We need determination to get things done, and resilience too.
“And we need to be great listeners – but that also means hearing the positive things that are going on in someone’s life, reflecting that back to them, and supporting them to find the answers themselves.
“That’s when you can really bring about change.”
Despite the tough workload that lands on her desk, Katie clearly loves her job.
“With Octopus we can make a big difference.
“It’s amazing to be helping our customers like this – there’s no feeling like it.”
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