The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance will run a short course on supporting vulnerable customers.

It says the program, Creating Good Outcomes for Customers Experiencing Vulnerabilities, is for insurance professionals who have customer interactions, including underwriters, brokers, claims handlers, loss adjusters, sales professionals, call centre staff and those in the supply chain.

It aims to help participants identify vulnerability and manage sensitive interactions with empathy and professionalism.

ANZIIF will also host a free webinar on Thursday accompanying the course’s launch. The session will feature Australian Financial Complaints Authority lead ombudsman of insurance Emma Curtis, who will discuss how disputes related to domestic violence or vulnerable customers are managed and what insurers can do to improve their processes.

“Through the short course and webinar, ANZIIF aims to empower insurance professionals to better support vulnerable customers, particularly during challenging times when financial resilience is crucial,” the institute says.

Click here for course details and here for the webinar.