A good financial administrator: what the quality requirements ask of you.

Monday morning. A new client sends you a photo of a letter from the municipality. Something about his housing costs.
Then a photo of a letter from his daughter’s school.

You pick up the first letter straight away. For the second you message back: “I cannot help you with that. Shall I tell you who can?”

You help him with his money. And you show him the way for the rest.

What your client expects from you

Your client has handed a lot over. He has to ask for his own money. That takes getting used to. He wants to know where he stands. And that he can reach you when it matters.

Who do the quality requirements apply to?

Are you the financial administrator, guardian or mentor for three or more people? And are you not the partner, parent, child, brother or sister of your client? Then the quality requirements in the Decree on quality requirements for guardians, protective administrators and mentors (Besluit kwaliteitseisen curatoren, beschermingsbewindvoerders en mentoren) apply to you. That is set out in article 435 of book 1 of the Dutch Civil Code.

If you want to start, the National Quality Office of the Dutch judiciary (Landelijk Kwaliteitsbureau) assesses whether you meet the quality requirements. If you start on your own without enough work experience, you also take an additional course with an exam. After that you show every year that you still meet the requirements.

What the requirements ask of you

1. Training. A suitable degree programme in higher education (hbo or wo). Or a suitable secondary vocational (mbo) programme at level 4, with two years of experience under the responsibility of an appointed financial administrator, at least 24 hours a week.
2. Further training every year. You give your staff that opportunity every year too. And every year you hold a written performance review with them.
3. A certificate of conduct (VOG). For yourself and for everyone who does the work of a financial administrator for you. No older than five years.
4. A plan with your client. A document with the purpose of the administration and your agreements. You explain it orally.
5. Reachability. By phone on at least four working days a week. A message gets a reply within two working days. Your client has a regular contact person and a stand-in.
6. A monthly overview of the transactions on the account you manage for your client. Unless your client does not want it or cannot understand it.
7. A file for each client that you update every week. With the documents about his money and your contacts with him.
8. A complaints procedure. You deal with a complaint within six weeks. Read more in A complaint from a client: what the law asks of you as a financial administrator.
9. Described work processes. From intake to the end, including how you communicate with your client. And what happens if you are ill.
10. Professional liability insurance, or enough means to compensate damage.
11. No benefit other than your fee. You do not accept gifts from your client.
12. An accountant who examines whether your files, your business operations and your administration meet the requirements of articles 7 to 10.

In your work you take your client’s beliefs, religion and culture as your starting point. And you promote his self-reliance, where possible.

What you run into

Many requirements are about recording. Updating your file every week. Recording contacts. Counting complaints. That is hard when messages are spread across your colleagues’ phones.

Reachability means someone can take over. The law asks for a stand-in in your plan. And safeguards for when you are ill or unable to work.

How to be a good financial administrator

1. Be clear from the intake. What you do, what you do not do, and how your client can reach you.
2. Let your client do what he can himself. Help him with it.
3. Choose one place for all contact. Calls, WhatsApp and email come together with the file.
4. Make sure a colleague can take over. With a regular stand-in and a file that is up to date.
5. Show the way for the rest. Is a question not about money? Tell your client where to go.

It can work like this

You are off for a week. Your client messages the office number a photo of a letter about his benefit.
A minute later: “Thank you. Your letter has arrived. You will hear from us tomorrow.”
Your colleague sees the letter in the office email, with the file. She sorts it out.
After your holiday you read in the file what happened. You carry on where your colleague left off.

The client is heard. The financial administrator simply works in their own email. The office earns it. So it arrives.

How does your office score? Take the free Communication Scan for financial administrators. In one minute you see where you can gain in reachability, requests and record keeping. Your result arrives straight in WhatsApp.

Prefer to see how it works first? Book a demo.

Further reading

• A complaint from a client: what the law asks of you as a financial administrator
• Money requests from clients: how to assess them in one go
• Reachability rules for Dutch financial administrators
• WhatsApp and email in debt guardianship
• RippleCom for financial administrators

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements to become a financial administrator?

If you are the financial administrator for three or more people, you need a suitable hbo or wo degree. Or a suitable mbo programme at level 4 with two years of experience under an appointed financial administrator. You also need a certificate of conduct and you take further training every year.

When do the quality requirements apply to a financial administrator?

When you are the financial administrator, guardian or mentor for three or more people and you are not the partner, parent, child, brother or sister of your client. That is set out in article 435 of book 1 of the Dutch Civil Code.

Who checks whether a financial administrator meets the quality requirements?

The National Quality Office of the Dutch judiciary assesses at the start whether a financial administrator meets the requirements. After that the financial administrator shows this again every year. An accountant examines the files and business operations. The sub-district court judge (kantonrechter) appoints the financial administrator.

How reachable must a financial administrator be?

By phone on at least four working days a week. A message gets a reply within two working days. The plan states how the client can reach the financial administrator and who the contact person and stand-in are.