Our Employee of the Month for November is Ragul Kavitha.

Ragul has recently joined the company and has made great strides in not only passing his calls but taking on board any feedback he has been given.

Ragul's adherence is excellent too.

With such a short tenure, Ragul is walking away with the second highest bonus this month due to the hard work he has undertaken last month.

Given that we have two winners this month, the donation will increase to £2,000, bringing our total donations under the Employee of the Month initiative to £50,000.

Congratulations Ragul, keep up the good work!

Ragul has chosen to donate the £1000 award to the Erskine Veterans Charity. They provide support to Veterans in Scotland, through care homes and a Veterans Village. Erskine care for nearly 800 residents each year. This is for veterans who need help to begin the next chapter of their lives, Erskine offers social, recreation and training facilities at the Activity Centre, single and family accommodation and employment opportunities in partnership with Scotland Bravest Manufacturing Company, all within a Veterans Village setting supporting Veterans of all ages.

You can find more about this charity here:

www.erskine.org.uk

Opos Limited is proud to announce the successful retention of our ISO Standards

Opos Limited is proud to retain our ISO Standards; 27001, 14001 and 9001. Well done to everyone involved and particularly our Head of Compliance Fiona Kennedy who helps us maintain our constant high levels of adherence to all standards across the business, every day.

Opos Employee of the Month Special Edition!!!

For the First time ever, we have two winners. Our Employees of the Month for October are sisters Steff and Kern Wilson.

Steff began working at Opos nearly 10 years ago, starting as a telephony agent, and has been in the Operations Manager role for about 3 years now. There isn't an area of the business that Steff doesn't know well, and her knowledge of our Ascent system and the surrounding processes is second to none. Never afraid to speak out and challenge when appropriate, Steff builds relationships throughout the business, helping maintain our supportive and nurturing culture. She is a key figure in the ongoing success of Opos.

Kern has been with Opos for over 5 years now! Like Steff, Kern started as a telephony agent before moving into the business support function. Though quieter than her sister, Kern is certainly not to be underestimated. She has a deep understanding of the business support function and is the go-to person for that area in Steff's absence. Kern has recently started taking on more responsibilities in the finance side of the business and is working towards a Finance Manager role, which we are confident she will achieve.

Given that we have two winners this month, the donation will increase to £2,000, bringing our total donations under the Employee of the Month initiative to £50,000.

Steff and Kern have chosen to donate the £2000 to the Beatson Cancer Charity, specifically the teenage and young adult cancer service. This team provides practical and emotional support to young people aged 16-26 years with cancer and their families at all stages of their care. This support reaches across West Regional Scotland, regardless of where the young person is being treated.

You can find more about this charity here:

beatsoncancercharity.org

Christian's approachable demeanour, willingness to lend a hand and be flexible whilst maintaining good quality across all channels are some of his most noticed attributes.

Christian was also recently promoted to Team Captain.

Within his new role, we see him being a real support system for his team. He is in early to support and has really taken to the leadership role.

We look forward to seeing what's to come for Christian.

Well done, Christian, keep up the good work!

Christian has chosen to donate the £1000 award to the Beatson Cancer Charity. They support people affected by cancer, every step of the way. They make the journey easier by transforming the way cancer care is funded and delivered. They provide services, as well as funding specialists, research and education to invest in a better future for cancer patients and their families.

You can find more about this charity here:

beatsoncancercharity.org

John is a recent member of the Opos team but has already excelled in his role.

He is consistently getting good customer reviews for his calls, particularly in relation to his customer service, and he has started helping other agents through our buddying structures.

John consistently performs across all his KPI's and is a great addition to the team.

Keep up the good work!

John has chosen to donate the £1000 award to Robin house. They are a charity which is part of CHAS (children’s hospices across Scotland) and they support children with cancer and their families. They provide specialist care, end of life care, counselling, bereavement and financial support for children with cancer but also to their siblings and parents too to help make the journey smoother.

You can find more about this charity here:

www.chas.org.uk

Congratulations John

Rebecca only joined the business in May and has been a consistent performer across all her KPI's since.

She always maintains a positive attitude in the office as well as being a very reliable and dedicated employee who consistently gets the job done.

She is committed to providing the best customer service and has received recognition from some of our clients.

Rebecca has chosen to donate the £1000 award to Cash for Kids. They are a registered charity who provide grants to disadvantaged kids around the UK. Their mission is to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have additional needs. They believe that all children should be able to express their individuality, achieve their potential and live life to the full.

You can find more about this charity here:

cashforkids.org.uk

Congratulations Rebecca.

Mark joined Opos under the DDI banner in October last year as a trainee programmer.

Mark is already adding considerable value to the business and has sailed through his probation period. There is a bright future ahead for Mark and he has already been ear marked to assist in a big innovation project in DDI that will significantly improve the businesses operating platform.

Also, despite living a considerable distance from the office, he is always punctual, demonstrating dedication and reliability.

Mark was presented with his check by Chad Wright the senior developer of DDI.

Mark has chosen to donate the £1000 award to Samaritans Scotland. They are a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout its telephone helpline. Every year volunteers in Scotland spend a collective 60,000 hours providing emotional support.

You can find more about this charity here:

samaritans.org

Congratulations Mark.

Kial has worked in the business for several years spending most of his time in the contact centre under both Opos and Oodle brands.

Kial moved into the compliance department about a year ago and has really come into his own in that area. Recently Kial, in collaboration with the rest of the compliance team, has helped identify various areas for improvement in the department, driving efficiencies through technology and process.

He has also been doing some work on strategy and will be assisting more in this area going forward.

Kial always lends a hand when needed and is a great team player, no question is too big of an ask. He is always approachable and fantastic support with other departments within the business.

Kial has chosen to donate the £1000 award to the National Autistic Society Scotland. This charity provides a range of services and support for Scotland’s 56,000 autistic people and their families. They campaign at national and local level to help create a society that works for autistic people. They also provide personalised services to meet specific needs of each individual that they support.

You can find more about this charity here:

www.autism.org.uk

Congratulations Kial.

Jeniffer joined Opos in September and slotted in to the digital team with ease. She has consistently produced good quality results and also takes calls when lines are busy.

More recently Jennifer has started training in the finance area of the business and will be supporting Steff with the banking, invoicing and client related finance queries whilst still supporting in the digital team and taking calls.

Her flexibility has been a great asset. Her timekeeping and attendance are both also really strong. She is an excellent example of flexible working and aptitude to learn.

Jennifer has chosen to donate the £1,000 award to Maggie's Cancer Care Centre Gartnavel. This charity is to provide professional support to people affected by Cancer. From dealing with treatment side effects to money worries. All support is free and it's said that 96% of people felt less alone after visiting the centre.

You can find more about this charity here:

www.maggies.org

Congratulations Jennifer.

Abbie joined the business mid-February, she hit the ground running and within 9 days moved out of gradbay straight onto mainstream. She was also one of the fastest employees to move out of gradbay.

Abbie has passed every call and works diligently to ensure she is meeting her targets. Her time keeping, attendance and general attitude have all been spot on with 100% adherence. She continues to want to do well and takes on board any feedback given to her.

Abbie has chosen to donate the £1,000 award to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust. This charitable organisation is to provide personal support to people affected by Pulmonary Fibrosis. They offer practical, emotional and financial support where there is a need. The trust was founded by patients who experienced a lack of information and support upon their own diagnosis.

You can find more about this charity here:

https://pulmonaryfibrosistrust.org/

Well Done Abbie! Keep up the good work.

Steph, who joined the business support team back in October, has seamlessly taken on various tasks in that area, showcasing exceptional adaptability and competence.

Notably, Steph has recently shifted her focus to the client engagement side of the business, actively participating in client meetings, including monthly business reviews and the creation of the associated packs. Her dedication and versatility have not gone unnoticed by her colleagues, with one business support team member stating, "We have chosen Steph because you're a shining star and nothing is an issue for you, and have adapted well with your new training and tasks."

Steph has chosen to donate the £1,000 award to Dumbarton District Women's Aid. This charitable organisation works tirelessly to support with temporary accommodation with practical and emotional support. They offer telephone advice whenever needed, they help you get back on your feet and find somewhere safe to rest along with any children you may have.

You can find more about this wonderful charity here:

www.ddwa.org.uk/

Well-deserved Steph! Keep up the good work.

Andrew has had an impeccable approach to the job since he started back in November, performing across all KPI's including; timekeeping, attendance and call quality. Andrew has fitted in well to the Opos culture and demonstrated our values on a daily basis; Fun, Ambitious, Integrity and Respect. Andrew consistently excels in providing positive customer experiences, earning frequent mentions in our 5-star reviews.

Andrew has chosen to donate the £1,000 donation Cash for Kids and was presented with the cheque today by one of our Team Leaders, June Rae.

Cash for Kids help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect and those who have additional needs. At the moment, they are specifically aiming to help gift children a better Christmas this year. Ensuring they have presents to open, a warm house to wake up to, food to eat and any other additional support they may need.

You can find more about this wonderful charity here:

cashforkids.org.uk

Great Work Andrew!

Josh has been a consistent performer since he started the business and has recently graduated grad bay and has been trained with all of our clients. He has a very pleasant way about him, both on the phone with customers and in the office with his colleagues. Notably, Josh maintains a consistent and dedicated approach to timekeeping and attendance.

Josh has chosen to donate the £1,000 to the Erskine Veteran Charity and was presented with the cheque today by our very own, Collections Manager, Ross Docherty.

Erskine is a veteran's care and support charity headquartered in Erskine, Renfrewshire, but operating across the Central Belt of Scotland. It provides a range of services to British Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families, who have settled in Scotland.

Find more info about this charity here: www.erskine.org.uk/

www.erskine.org.uk/

Well deserved Josh, keep up the good work!

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for November, Kern Wilson.

Kern has admirably overseen business support, skilfully training the new team members while efficiently handling her own tasks. Kern consistently arrives early, gets right into work, and willingly tackles any task professionally and diligently. Nothing is ever to much of an ask for Kern.

Kern has chosen to donate the £1,000 to Reach Chairty and was presented with the cheque by our Client Services Executive, Melissa Burrows.

REACH is the leading charity in the UK providing support for children with an upper limb difference and their families. They recognise that different families want different levels of support, and they tailor our approach to suit them. They are here to provide resources, support and practical advice.

Find more on this charity below:
reach.org.uk

Well deserved Kern, keep up the good work!

Octobers Employee of The Month has been confirmed! Please join us in congratulating this month's winner, Alexander Nisbet.

Alex has been a dependable employee from day 1 and has been dynamic in his approach to managing the onboarding of our new email management technology, provided by www.ddisoftware.co.uk, and the growth of the email team. As well as maintaining his own productivity in emails and IM Chats, he has been a great support for the new members of the email team. Alex has been pivotal in their development and answered any questions they may have had.

Alex has chosen to donate the £1,000 to The Samaritans Charity and was presented with the cheque by our Collections Manager, Ross Docherty.

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, often through its telephone helpline.

Find out more about the great work Samaritans do by visiting: www.samaritans.org

Thanks for all your hard work, Alex!

https://www.samaritans.org/

Please join us in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Brandon Newlands, our September Employee of the Month! Although Brandon has recently joined our team, he showcased exceptional dedication by graduating from Opos's gradbay program in record time. Notably, his outstanding performance has garnered recognition not only within our organization but also among our valued customers, as he received the highest number of 5-star customer feedback in any given month.

Brandon's rapid progress through our training programs is a testament to his remarkable commitment and aptitude. He is now proficient in handling campaigns and clients across our business, a significant achievement considering his relatively short tenure with us.

Brandon decided to donate the £1,000 prize to the Erskine Homeless Unit. OurTeam Leader, June Rae, presented Brandon with the cheque.

The Erskine Homeless Unit, funded by The Salvation Army, operates a diverse range of services aimed at assisting individuals facing homelessness. Their unwavering dedication is focused on helping people transition out of rough sleeping conditions and into safe and stable accommodations. Brandon's charitable choice reflects his commitment to making a positive impact beyond our workplace.

Once again, congratulations to Brandon Newlands for his outstanding achievements and his compassionate contribution to the Erskine Homeless Unit. We are truly proud to have him as a member of our team. You can find more on this charity below:

Thank you for to our Partners for their ongoing support, and stay tuned for more updates on how we are working to make a positive impact in the lives of our employees and our community.

https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/erskine-community-church-centre

Great work Brandon, Keep it up!

At Opos Limited, we believe that fair wages are the cornerstone of a just and thriving society. We are thrilled to announce that we have been accredited as a Real Living Wage employer, a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing our employees with a wage that reflects the true cost of living. This achievement aligns perfectly with our core values and our dedication to creating a workplace where everyone can flourish.

What is the Real Living Wage?

The Real Living Wage is a voluntary hourly rate set independently, based on the cost of living, and is higher than the government's minimum wage. It ensures that individuals and families can meet their basic needs, including housing, food, and transportation, without struggling to make ends meet. By becoming a Real Living Wage employer, we are taking a significant step towards reducing income inequality and improving the well-being of our employees.

Our Commitment to Fair Wages

Our decision to pursue Real Living Wage accreditation was driven by our belief that our employees are our most valuable asset. We recognize that their hard work, dedication, and talent are the driving force behind our success. By paying a Real Living Wage, we are not just complying with legal requirements; we are investing in the financial security and overall quality of life of our team members.

What This Means for Our Team

For our employees, this accreditation means a fair wage that reflects their dedication and the rising cost of living. It means peace of mind, the ability to provide for their families, and the freedom to focus on their careers and personal growth without the constant worry of financial instability. We want our team members to know that we value their contributions, and this accreditation is a tangible demonstration of that appreciation.

Join Us in Celebrating

We are excited to join the community of Real Living Wage accredited employers and contribute to a more equitable society. Our commitment to fair wages is unwavering, and we invite you to celebrate this achievement with us. Together, we can foster a workplace where employees can thrive, and the future looks brighter for everyone.

Thank you for to our Partners for their ongoing support, and stay tuned for more updates on how we are working to make a positive impact in the lives of our employees and our community.

Just a few months ago we had the pleasure of welcoming Craig White to Opos Limited when he joined our board as a non-executive advisor. It has been great getting to know Craig over the last few months and he has been a fantastic addition to the team. We are pleased to be say we have been able to pull off the near impossible and tempt Craig out of retirement!

It is our pleasure to announce that Craig White will be joining Opos Limited as Commercial Director!

Craig has over 30 years' experience working within various industry sectors including Financial Services, Warranties, Utilities and Outsourcing. He has 20 years-plus experience as a Senior Leader sitting on various leadership executive committees and has experience of working both in the UK and overseas.

Craig has a detailed background in the debt management industry leading extensive operational teams in companies such as GE Money, Barclays, and Lowell Group. Craig's deep understanding and knowledge of this industry means he knows what is required to support and help those customers who find themselves in financial difficulties.

Over the years Craig has worked extensively with the FCA to ensure that customer needs and customer duty are always at the forefront of any engagement process with the customer.

25 years ago, he was also part of the team who developed and ultimately launched the Consumer Credit Counselling Service that subsequently became StepChange.

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for August, Stuart Milby.

Stuart started as an agent and through a keen interest, exceptional work ethic and continued focus he now sits on the SMT and holds the position of IT and Facilities Manager. Stuart is a consistent performer in his role and has regularly taken on work which, arguably, sits out with his remit. He does so with a quiet and understated air of confidence and whilst maintaining strong relationships with all colleagues.

Stuart has chosen to donate the £1,000 donation to Erskine Veteran Charity and was presented with the cheque today by our very own, Managing and Technical Director, Scott Dawson.

Erskine is a veterans care and support charity headquartered in Erskine, Renfrewshire, but operating across the Central Belt of Scotland. It provides a range of services to British Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families, who have settled in Scotland.

Find more info about this charity here: www.erskine.org.uk

Well deserved Stuart!

In the dynamic landscape of small businesses, the establishment and preservation of a distinct organisational culture hold significant importance. Culture serves as the bedrock upon which companies build their identities, shape their interactions, and achieve their goals. Among the powerful tools available to small businesses for both communicating and safeguarding their cultures are the mission, vision, and values statements. These guiding principles not only steer the company's strategic direction but also reinforce the essence of the company's culture.

Mission: Paving the Path with Purpose

A well-crafted mission statement encapsulates the core purpose of a business. It answers the fundamental question of why the company exists and what it aims to achieve. In the context of preserving culture, a mission statement serves as the North Star, directing all decisions and actions towards a common objective that aligns with the company's values and beliefs.

For a small business, the mission statement can be a beacon that not only guides internal operations but also communicates the company's purpose to external stakeholders. Clients, customers, employees, and partners can better understand the business's culture by simply looking at the mission statement. When the mission resonates with these stakeholders, it fosters trust and loyalty, creating a shared understanding of the company's identity.

Vision: Painting a Picture of the Future

A vision statement paints a vivid picture of what the company aspires to become in the long run. It acts as a source of inspiration, setting ambitious goals that align with the business's culture. By incorporating cultural elements into the vision, small businesses can ensure that their desired future encapsulates the essence they wish to protect.

In terms of communication, the vision statement provides employees with a tangible goal to work towards. It motivates them by showing how their individual contributions are integral to the bigger picture, thus reinforcing the cultural values that guide their actions. External stakeholders, on the other hand, gain insight into the company's long-term commitments, which can be especially reassuring in an era where authenticity and transparency are highly valued.

Values: The Pillars of Culture

Values are the fundamental beliefs that define an organisation's behaviour and interactions. They act as the guardrails for decision-making and create a shared sense of norms within the company. Small businesses can leverage their core values to communicate the essence of their culture both internally and externally.

Internally, values serve as a cultural compass, shaping the way employees collaborate, innovate, and respond to challenges. When these values are consistently demonstrated by leadership and staff alike, they become the DNA of the company, guiding actions and fostering a cohesive work environment.

Externally, showcasing values helps attract like-minded customers and partners who resonate with the company's culture. Moreover, transparently displaying values can act as a safeguard against potential culture clashes. By clearly communicating what the business stands for, small enterprises can attract stakeholders who are aligned with their principles, thus fortifying the cultural foundation.

In Summary

In the realm of small businesses, where agility, adaptability, and a unique identity are paramount, the use of mission, vision, and values statements emerges as a potent strategy for communicating and protecting culture. These guiding principles serve as more than just words on paper; they encapsulate the soul of the business and the values it holds dear. By incorporating cultural elements into these statements, small businesses can ensure that their essence is not only preserved but also effectively conveyed to employees, customers, and partners. The mission steers the ship towards its purpose, the vision inspires the journey, and the values provide the anchor that secures the company's cultural integrity.

As the business landscape continues to evolve, these guiding principles can serve as a constant reminder of the company's identity and aspirations. By consistently aligning decisions and actions with their mission, vision, and values, small businesses can create a lasting and resilient culture that stands the test of time. In this way, these guiding statements not only shape the company's direction but also safeguard the very essence that sets it apart in a competitive marketplace.

In the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis, we at Opos Limited are proud to announce our firm commitment to the Real Living Wage. This move underscores our dedication to the well-being of our employees and our resolve to address the challenges posed by the rising costs of daily life.

The Real Living Wage isn't just a number on a payslip; it's a promise to provide our team with a wage that, as a minimum, truly reflects the reality of the cost of living. As advocates of equitable compensation, we recognise that financial stability is a fundamental right for all our employees, allowing them to focus on their professional and personal growth without the burden of financial stress.

At this juncture, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners - not just clients, but collaborators on this journey. Your trust and support have empowered us to take this step towards a fairer future for our workforce. Together, we are contributing to a more just and equitable society, where businesses play an active role in fostering positive change.

This decision aligns seamlessly with our values, reinforcing our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace that values each individual's contribution. As we implement the Real Living Wage, we anticipate enhanced morale, increased productivity, and the continued growth of a harmonious work environment.

Our Managing and Technical Director Scott Dawson wishes to thank all Opos colleagues and esteemed partners for being an integral part of this endeavor. Opos Limited is proud to stand united in the pursuit of a fairer and more prosperous tomorrow.

Julys Employee of the Month has been Confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Lindsay Hughan as this month's winner!

Lindsay is a tenured agent but for the past few years she has being working for one of our BPO client. Lindsay has since moved back to Opos and has had to re-learn our systems our call structure across our client base. She has taken all of this in her stride and has worked hard to ensure she is meeting all her KPI's. When it comes to QA, Lindsay ensures she takes onboard all feedback and has hit the ground running, passing calls from the get go. In July, she has passed all calls.

Lindsey has chosen to donate the £1,000 to Dumbarton District Women's Aid and was presented with the cheque by our Team Leader, June Rae.

Dumbarton District Women's Aid is a confidential organisation which provides information, support and, where appropriate, refuge for women and any accompanying children who have experienced or at risk of domestic abuse. The abuse may be from a partner, ex-partner or someone they are living with.

Find more information on the charity below: www.ddwa.org.uk

Well done, Lindsay, keep up the good work!

Our Managing and Technical Director, Scott Dawson had the pleasure of welcoming Fiona Kennedy to the Opos Limited family recently.

Fiona joins the Senior Management Team as Head of Compliance bringing a wealth of financial services experience having spent her career at Tesco Bank and RBS.

In the short time Fiona has been in the business she has already brought her experience to bear on our Consumer Duty project and a variety of other areas. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Fiona's input across the compliance function and beyond!

Welcome to the team Fiona!

#team #career #financialservices #compliance #consumerduty #team #growingstrongertogether

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for June, Kory Allen.

Kory is still relatively new to the business but has been making a real conscious effort in his QA and passed 9 out of 11 calls this month which is a great result for his tenure and has seen him move from Gradbay, to QM Coaching. He has also done a great job helping Business Support with emails and has contributed well irrespective of which part of the business he has been asked to work in.

Kory has chosen to donate £1,000 to Samaritans and was presented with the cheque by our very own newly appointed Trainer, Jack Robertson.

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, often through its telephone helpline.

Find out more about the great work Samaritans do by visiting: www.samaritans.org

Great work Kory, keep it up!

Opos Limited's Employee of The Month for May has been confirmed. Please join us in congratulating this month's winner, Robert Wilson.

Robert has been a part of our Software Development Team, DDI, for over a year now and has been a consistent performer in his role. Robert is proactive in taking responsibility for projects and is making great strides in the development team increasing his knowledge and development skills daily.

Robert has chosen to donate the £1,000 to Tullochan Trust and was presented with the cheque by DDI's very own Lead Developer Chad Wright!

Tullochan annually supports over 1000 young people aged 7-24 across West Dunbartonshire through a range of development programmes in Primary and Secondary schools alongside their post-school project, Tullochan Futures and 2 social Enterprises. Many of the young people they engage with are facing barriers which impact the ability to sustain their education and potential.

More information on this brilliant charity, can be found here: www.tullochan.org

Everyone at Opos thanks Robert and DDI for all their hard work day in and day out. Well done, Robert!

April's employee of the month has been confirmed! Please join us in congratulating Megan Reily!

Megan has had very strong start to her career at Opos since joining in early March. Since coming out of training Megan is yet to fail a call which is an excellent achievement given her tenure and having no experience in a collections-based contact centre. Megan has shown a positive attitude since starting her role and has a brilliant work ethic.

Megan has chosen to donate the £1,000 to Cash for Kids and was presented the cheque by our Collections Manager, Ross Docherty.

Cash for Kids help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect and those who have additional needs. At the moment, they are specifically aiming to help gift children a better Christmas this year. Ensuring they have presents to open, a warm house to wake up to, food to eat and any other additional support they may need.

You can find more about this wonderful charity here: www.cashforkids.org.uk

Well done Megan, keep up the great work!

How will Consumer Duty help protect customers who have fallen behind with their financial commitments, particularly those who are or could be considered vulnerable?

For vulnerable people in the UK who have fallen behind in their financial commitments and are being contacted by an FCA-regulated debt collection agency, the Consumer Duty mandate may provide additional benefits, including:

Enhanced protection: The Consumer Duty requires financial firms to take all reasonable steps to avoid causing harm to their customers. This means that debt collection agencies must take extra care when dealing with vulnerable customers to ensure that they are not subjected to unfair or harmful practices.

Improved communication: The Consumer Duty requires financial firms to communicate with their customers in a clear, fair, and not misleading way. This means that debt collection agencies must provide vulnerable customers with clear and understandable information about their debt and the options available to them.

Tailored products and services: The Consumer Duty requires financial firms to offer products and services that are suitable for their customers' needs, preferences, and circumstances. This means that debt collection agencies must take into account the individual circumstances of vulnerable customers when developing repayment plans and other solutions.

Accountability: The Consumer Duty requires financial firms to take responsibility for the outcomes of their products and services. This means that debt collection agencies must be accountable for the impact of their actions on vulnerable customers and take steps to rectify any harm caused.

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for April, Vicki Trigg!

This is Vicki's second stint in Opos and this time around, Vicki is effectively running our accounts function alongside call handling!

Vicki has chosen to donate the £1,000.00 to LGBT Youth Scotland and was presented the cheque by our Team Leader June Rae today.

LGBT Youth Scotland's goal is to make Scotland the best place to grow up for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people. They play a leading role in the provision of quality youth work to LGBTI young people that promotes their health and wellbeing, and are a valued and influential partner in LGBTI equality and human rights.

You can find out more about LGBT Youth Scotland by going to www.lgbtyouth.org.uk

Well done Vicki, it is a pleasure working with you, keep up the good work!

Whilst our staff were busy celebrating the successes of our female colleagues during International Women's Week I put my mind to finding one thing, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem, that I could change within our business that would make a real positive impact on the lives, well-being and finances of our employees.

Unfortunately, there remain c.22% of organisations in the UK who do not provide any subsidised or free period products to their staff. Can you imagine a world where before leaving for work in the morning you must remember to bring your own toilet roll or risk being caught short? No, of course you can't. It's such a strange concept to us, and yet that is exactly what female staff are forced to do on a regular basis. If anything, it has gotten worse since the Cost of Living crisis with a recent study reporting that 21.9% of women in the UK were unable to afford period products due to the cost-of-living crisis, and 21% of women didn't leave the house in the last 6 months because they couldn't access period products when out. The harsh reality is that many people in the UK simply cannot afford menstrual hygiene products, and the stigma surrounding periods has a profound negative effect on those who may wish to seek help. Period poverty has worsened since the cost of living crisis, and the price of sanitary products has increased due to record inflation levels and supply chain issues.

As an inclusive and progressive employer we're changing our approach to this crisis and I am happy to say that with immediate effect, Opos will join the 78% of UK employers who have made a decision to provide free period products to our staff and of course our visitors. Adopting meaningful change like this is an important pillar of our Mission, Vision and Values - https://lnkd.in/eyJM2xvT - It's ‘Ambitious' in the regard that we're challenging societal norms and it's ‘Respectful' for clear reasons. It also fits perfectly well with our Social Responsibility Programme and fundamentally, it's the right thing to do.

As a father to two young girls, I want my business and I to help shape the world they'll grow up in for the better. Quite simply it's about dignity. Period.

#fun #ambitious #integrity #respect #internationalwomensweek #womenincredit #culture #equality

Scott Dawson - Managing & Technical Director

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for March, Kieran Bell.

Kieran is a relatively new member of the team at Opos and has recently delivered excellent performance in his QA and KPI's since he had joined the business. With Kieran consistently performing well it has saw him move quickly from Gradbay into QM Coaching which is a brilliant achievement given his tenure and his effort does not go unnoticed.

Kieran has chosen to donate the £1,000 to Shelter and was presented with the cheque today.

Shelter helps people in housing need by providing advice and practical assistance, and campaigns for better investment in housing and for laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people.

Find out more info here: www.shelter.org.uk

Our Managing and Technical Director Scott Dawson is delighted to promote Ross Docherty to the position of Trainee Collections Manager.

Ross has been with the business for 3 years, starting as an agent before quickly being promoted to Team Captain. Over the last two years Ross has held the position of Team Leader and has progressed well in the role and beyond, expanding his reach into recruitment and strategy work.

We can't wait to see what Ross will achieve in his new role.

Another success story for Opos!

Congratulations Ross, well done!

Please join us in congratulating Opos' first 2023 Employee of The Month, John Robertson!

John is a long-standing member of the team and has been a consistent performer across all his KPI's, in particular his quality assurance. This hard work and determination has seen him move up through our grading system. Not only that but, through hitting his KPI's John has received a bonus for the past 3 months which is a great achievement!

Johns' attendance and adherence have always been very consistent, he is a very reliable employee who carries out all tasks with no hesitation and overall is a great person to be around and work with. John also helps others in the business, supporting them with his knowledge and coaching skills.

John has chosen to donate the £1,000 to West Dunbartonshire Community Food Share and was presented with the cheque today with one of our Team Leaders, June Rae.

West Dunbartonshire Community Food Share is a local charity who help those in need. The offer a variety of different services such as; Emergency Food Banks, School Uniform Banks, School Holiday Brunch Bags, Fuel banks and many more fantastic services.

You can see more on the charity here.

December's employee of the month has been confirmed! Please join us in congratulating Ross Docherty!

Ross joined Opos in October 2019 as a collections agent and has made consistent progress in his career with us and is currently one of our Team Leaders running our collections floor. Ross has taken on a lot of additional responsibility in the business recently including working on strategies and taking over recruitment. Nothing is ever too big an ask for Ross and is always taken on with a positive, can-do attitude. He always goes above and beyond for the business, colleagues and our clients. It only made sense to present Ross with the last Employee of the Month for 2022! - Keep up the brilliant work Ross and we can't wait to see what 2023 holds for you.

Ross has chosen to donate £1,000.00 to the charity Cash for Kids and was presented with the cheque today by our very own Operations Manager, Steff Wilson.

Cash for Kids help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect and those who have additional needs. At the moment, they are specifically aiming to help gift children a better Christmas this year. Ensuring they have presents to open, a warm house to wake up to, food to eat and any other additional support they may need.

You can find out more here.

This month's employee of the month has been confirmed. Please join me in congratulating Novembers winner, Meghan Moy!

Meghan is our collections Team Captain on the floor and is not only a great overall performer when it comes to collections and QA but has recently stepped up and helped with training the new starts. This month has seen her take 2 classes back-to-back and she has stepped up and is taking it in her stride. Meghan completes all task with diligence, never complains and just gets the job done with a smile on her face and is an absolute delight to work with.

Meghan has chosen to donate £1,000 to the charity Cash for Kids and was presented with the cheque today by our very own Managing and Technical Director, Scott Dawson.

Cash for Kids help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect and those who have additional needs. At the moment, they are specifically aiming to help gift children a better Christmas this year. Ensuring they have presents to open, a warm house to wake up to, food to eat and any other additional support they may need.

You can see more information on the charity here.

Truly well-deserved Meghan, keep up the good work!

With energy bills nearly doubling in a year its unsurprising that more than 2 million customers are in energy arrears. Data from the energy regulator Ofgem shows that at the end of June, 2,347,511 households were behind on their electricity bills and 1,858,585 on their gas bills.

Financial Outlook?

With winter fast approaching and Christmas just around the corner what will the financial landscape look like in the new year? If the number of customers in arrears has risen by a quarter in just 3 months, then what can we expect in Q1 of 2023? Will we see a record number of consumers at financial crisis point? How will energy companies manage an ever increase population of customers in financial difficulties?

Treatment

Historically customers have been offered a Prepayment meter to help prevent them from continuing to accrue debt and prompt the customer to take control of their ongoing energy payments. Recent reports from the regulator have suggested that the installation of PPM's as ‘back door disconnection'. Customers with minimal financial resources are placed in a position where they are unable to pay in advance for their energy via a prepayment meter and therefore ‘self-disconnect'. The Citizen Advice Bureau has reported last month that they saw a record number of people who could not afford to top up their prepayment meter.

Trend

Around 10k customers per month are now being placed onto prepayment meters. The increase in prepayment meter numbers is a reversal of a 2-year trend which had previously shown decreasing numbers. No doubt the advent of smart meters and the ability to remotely change customers from Credit to Prepayment has helped fuel this sharp increase in numbers. Prices are very slightly higher for prepayment meter than for direct debit customers as it costs more to install, maintain, and run their meters.

Support

On the reverse side of the above, having a smart prepayment meter allows suppliers to more easily identify where customers are struggling to pay. By using the vending history to identify vulnerable, self-disconnecting or self-rationing customers, suppliers can proactively engage them to ensure they are supported through difficult periods. Support may come in the form of working with customers to reassess the disposable income with view to realigning this in the warmer months when they have more financial means to repay any energy debt they might have. Some consumers might be choosing between buying food or topping up their PPM so it is vital a longer-term approach is considered on the customer's journey and therefore offer the customer help and support such as the use of emergency credit.

What's the alternative to prepayment meters?

Using Income and Expenditure customer data to tailor an affordable repayment plan is one way to help financially rehabilitate customers. The data can be captured via a telephone conversation or can be completed over a digital online application where the customer can fill out a form at a time that suits them. Opos supply customers with the ability to fill out an Income and Expenditure form online via the customer portal. The following link gives a view of the self-service options open to customers which allows them to manage their account alongside any change in financial circumstances. www.oposlimited.com

It is that time of the month again for our Employee of the Month award. Please join me in congratulating our winner for October, Alisdair Ewing.

Alisdair is fairly new to the business but he has not gone unnoticed as he is doing incredibly well. Alisdair has a great manner with customers when dealing with their difficult circumstances which is an exceptional achievement for someone of his tenure and who has never worked in a collections-based contact centre. Alisdair has continued to demonstrate Opos's values; fun, ambitious, integrity and respect.

Alisdair was presented with his award by our Collections Team Leader Ross Docherty.

Alisdair has chosen the charity, Robin House as his charity to receive Opos's £1,000 donation this month.

Robin House is a charity which is part of CHAS (children's hospices across Scotland) and they support children with cancer and their families. They provide specialist care, end of life care, counselling, bereavement and financial support for children with cancer but also to their siblings and parents too to help make the journey smoother. They provide physio therapy, safe grounds to exercise/stroll and play on which is kept well by a gardener and other types of support such as spiritual and religious, they try to ensure they have a place of comfort for each person's preferences.

You can find more information on the charity here.

Well done Alisdair, keep up the great work!

This document serves as a holistic view of all regulatory changes, discussions, implementations and consultations that may impact the services of Opos Limited, our clients or originating lenders. Not all information contained within this review bulletin will be relevant to Opos Limited, but it will serve to give all employees a well-rounded view of the industry landscape.

You can read the full document here.

In recent weeks Ofgem published a Market Compliance Review having assessed gas and electricity suppliers support for customers who are facing difficulty making payments. The backdrop to this review is an unprecedented increase in energy bill prices and a cost-of-living crisis.

The market compliance review is concentrated on the policies and processes suppliers have in place to meet their obligations under their supply licence.

Key areas of focus include:

1. Proactively identifying customers in payment difficulty including those on prepayment who may have self-disconnected or are in danger of doing so, so that support can be offered.
2. Ensuring systems and processes are in place to efficiently and effectively identify, support and serve customers in payment difficulty.
3. Ensuring payment rates are set according to customers' circumstances and ability to pay, ensure that this is regularly reviewed, and that debt is not aggressively pursued by the suppliers or third party it uses.
4. Repaying debt, for example through a prepayment meter, where in some circumstances these approaches are not appropriate for customers.
5. ensuring the appropriate provision of emergency credit and Additional Support Credit to prepayment customers.
6. Improve signposting to any third-party specialists help to customers.

With the above in mind the following processes give an idea of what best practice might look like:

• Using Prepayment vending history to identify vulnerable, self-disconnecting or self-rationing customers and proactively contacting them to ensure they are supported through difficult periods. Support may come in the form of working with customers to reassess the disposable income with view to realigning this in the warmer months when they have more financial means to repay any energy debt they might have. Some consumers might be choosing between buying food or topping up their PPM so it is vital a longer-term approach is considered on the customer's journey.
• Being aware of ‘first time' vulnerability and adequately training front line staff to identify customers and signposting them to third-party bodies for debt advice where necessary.
• Using the supplier PSR to monitor customer behaviour with a view to proactively engaging customers to ensure extra support is afforded to them.
• Using multiple methods (including digital channels) to enable customer to communicate their vulnerability or financial hardship.
• Proactively / pre-emptively communicating significant bill increases (Bill Shock) to customers prior to receipt ensuring meter reading accuracy and a ‘prevention rather than cure' approach to managing ‘take on debt' (debt owed at the point customers start repaying it). Bill shock can be particularly impactful to PSR / vulnerable customers and can sometimes result in customer disengagement.
• Prioritising prepayment customers and those in financial difficulty by offering a dedicated freephone telephone number or prioritised call routing to receive appropriate support and engagement.
• Specialised Ability to Pay and Vulnerability training for all customer facing employees to create better outcomes.

There are a number of ways to integrate the above processes into the operation such as using a White Label partnership and expertise to help manage contact centre peaks and troughs. Using digital applications to capture Income and Expenditure data enables tailored repayment plans as well as proactive outbound campaigns to reach out to those in the most need of support and rehabilitation. The Vulnerability Registration Service are also particularly helpful as they have developed a central database to notify companies that an individual may be vulnerable and their circumstances need to be taken into consideration. The not-for-profit organisation runs an independent database and who's data is not available through mainstream data source such as Credit Reference Agencies.

Opos Limited's employee of the month for September has been confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Melissa Burrows as this month's winner for the second time round.

Melissa has hit a few milestones in her time here at Opos, starting as an agent then moving to Team Captain and now being our newly appointed Client Services Executive. Melissa has done a great job both when on the collections floor, which she continues to support, as well as in her new role.

Some wonderful comments below about Melissa sums up exactly why she won this month.

“I think Melissa has come along leaps and bounds in a short period of time. Melissa is diligent with the tasks she is being given, very quick to help/offer to help the floor, she has also been involved in the new training schedule as well as helping assisting our new agents”

“Since taking on her new role she has shown good aptitude for the role and a keen attitude to learning about the job”

Melissa was presented with her award by our Managing and Technical Director, Scott Dawson.

Melissa has chosen the charity, Beatson Cancer Charity as her charity to receive Opos's £1,000 donation this month.

Beatson Cancer Charity supports people affected by cancer, every step of the way. We make the journey easier by transforming the way cancer care is funded and delivered. We provide services, as well as funding specialists, research and education to invest in a better future for cancer patients and their families. A very worthy cause.

You can find more information of the charity here.

Well done, Melissa, keep up the good work!

Opos Limited has confirmed their Employee of the Month for August. Join me in congratulating Mark Stirling who is this month's winner.

Mark is a relatively new member of the Opos team, has recently delivered some excellent performance in QA and continues to improve day on day. It is fair to say that Mark found some elements of QA challenging however.

Mark has engaged really well with all feedback in his QA coaching sessions, implementing it into each of his calls and showing an exceptional improvement. Mark now delivers a consistently high standard of call.

Our very own newly appointed Client Service Executive, Melissa Burrows, presented Mark with the cheque today for his chosen charity.

Mark has chosen MacMillan Cancer Support as his charity to receive Opos's £1,000 donation this month. MacMillan Cancer Support is one of the largest charities we have donated to and provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer. It also looks at the social, emotional and practical impact cancer can have and campaigns for better cancer care.

You can find more information about the charity here.

Well done, Mark. Keep up the great work!

Last weekend Opos's SMT enjoyed a team building day, sailing out on the Firth of Clyde.

Setting off from Largs Boat Haven, the weather remained ideal up past Great Cumbrae, around to Little Cumbrae, past Hunterston and Millport back to the Yaught Haven.

Working as a team, adjusting the sails just right, with our Lewis Mitchell at the helm we achieved our personal best speed for the day. A great day topped off with a visit from a pod of Porpoise!

Thanks to @SeaSprayYaughts and our Skipper for facilitating the day, we hope to do it again soon!

This month Opos's Employee of the Month went a bit rogue and awarded a member of the senior management team. Our Managing and Technical Director, Scott Dawson, had the pleasure of presenting the award to Rob Sands our Head of Compliance.

Rob has worked with the business for more than six years now and has helped shaped its success, not only through the work he does within the compliance function, but more broadly across the business in business development, strategy, and other special projects.

Scott has followed Rob's career for over 15 years having worked with him as a supplier through Opos's sister company DDI Software in three of his previous places of employment.

Rob has chosen the local charity, Men Matter Scotland as his charity to receive Opos's £1,000 donation this month.

“We exist to support All Men's mental health, improve men's quality of life, expand and enrich men's connections. We facilitate activities that support positive mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing for men.”

You can find out more about this charity here.

An excellent and worthy choice Rob!

Opos Limited's employee of the month for June is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Fern Ritchie as this month's winner!

Fern is part of our BPO team and her hard work has been recognised across the call floor.

Fern is a punctual employee who has a great work ethic. Fern is also one of her team's top performers and often receives a lot of positive feedback from the client.

Fern brings an all-round positive attitude to the work place and is well liked by all of her colleagues. Fern chose to donate £1000 to food for thought and our collections team leader Ross Docherty presented her with the cheque.

Food for thought support individuals and families who are not earning enough to make ends meet. They aim to give emergency food aid to those in need 5 days per week each bag they provide contains breakfast, lunch, dinner and toiletries for 3 people.

They also hold a free community lunch on a Wednesday and Thursday.

You can find out more about their good work here.

Truly well-deserved Fern. Keep up the great work!

Opos Limited's employee of the month for May is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Duncan McFarlane as this month's winner!

Duncan, has had a very successful month this month. Not only has Duncan won employee of the month, he was also recently appointed as our quality assurance officer. He began in Opos in November of 2021 as a collection's agent.

Duncan has worked extremely hard and quickly moved up the ranks. He has been excelling in call quality and has shown hard work and determination throughout his time here at Opos.

Our very own Rhonan McGarry, Client Performance Coach, presented Duncan with his cheque today for his chosen charity ‘West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare'.

Duncan's chosen charity are currently doing emergency food deliveries to individuals/families in need of support. It is solely run by volunteers and at the moment provides approximately 180 parcels every week. They also run a school uniform bank for those who aren't able to afford a full school uniform for their kids and at Christmas, these darlings also run a toy bank!

This organization has partnerships with welfare rights to help identify those in need who might not reach out themselves.

You can find out more about their good work here.

Big Congratulations to Duncan, truly well deserved. Keep up the great work!

This month's Employee of the Month has been won by one of our technical gurus, Robbie McMillan. Robbie has been working with the Group for over 2 years starting as a trainee in our Software Development team and has been a consistent performer in his role helping the Group continually innovate our technology offerings.

Most recently Robbie has done some excellent work enhancing the customer journey when setting up arrangements on the Opos Customer Portal at www.oposlimited.com. This is just one example of many improvements Robbie has helped deliver over the last several months.

Robbie was presented his cheque by Chad Wright our Lead Developer who this month celebrates his 14th year with us!

Please join me in congratulating Robbie on his win!!!!

Robbie has chosen Food for Thought, a local Dumbarton Charity, to donate his £1,000 to. Food For Thought aims to alleviate food poverty for the most vulnerable people in their community. They do this through referral to ensure that those most in need receive the emergency assistance they require.

It is facilitated in a friendly non-judgemental and helpful manner. Additionally, they run a catering programme that see's 100% of their profit reinvested into our foodbank programme.

More information on Food for Thought can be found here.

Hot off the press!!!

With everything going on in the world at the moment Cyber Security is more important than ever before.

With this in the mind the business took the decision, about a month ago, to compliment our long standing accreditation to the ISO 27001 standard by enhancing our equally long standing Cyber Essentials certification to Cyber Essentials Plus.

Opos Limited's employee of the month for March 2022 is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Kern Wilson as this month's winner.

Kern, is part of our Business Support Team who handle financing, customer interaction outside of telephony and customer queries.

Kern has just surpassed the 2 year mark here at Opos, and within those two years we have had nothing but positive experiences with Kern..

She has an outstanding work ethic, Kern is always in the office early and often uses her own time to ensure important work gets over the line.

In addition to this, Kern is a pleasure to work alongside and she always has a smile on her face. Well done and keep up the good work Kern!

Opos's very own Operations Manager and Kern's older sister, Steff, presented this month cheque.

Kern has chosen to donate £1,000 to Young Lives vs Cancer.

They are a charity that specialise in supporting young people who are either suffering from Cancer and/or their families. They offer financial support as well as place to stay if needed and are based in Scotland, England and Wales. A very worthy cause indeed.

Opos were delighted to receive recognition at Scottish Parliament this month.

Local MSP Pam Gosal lodged a motion recognising the work Opos Limited has been doing with local charities and our extension of this commitment for the rest of 2022!

Over the last 15 months Opos has donated £1,000 a month to a local charity chosen by the businesses Employee of the Month winner.

We are very proud of the work we do in this area and the response we get form the various charities we have helped is very rewarding, it's great to hear about the initiatives impact.

Whilst this initiative is not driven by recognition is great to receive this accolade.

Today we celebrate International Women's Day!

Thank you to all of the incredible women of Opos Limited for all your hard work. We appreciate you today and every day!

We are lucky to work with soo many amazing women here at Opos Limited and across the industry.

Here are a few of Opos Limited's female leads who continue to support us across the operation each day.

#IWD2022

Opos Limited's employee of the month for February 2022 is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Paula Haggerty as this month's winner.

Paula is in her second spell here at Opos and has quickly progressed through Grad Bay and into our Prime Banking and Finance team. Since returning to Opos, Paula has shown an outstanding attitude and willingness to progress in the company.

Paula's QA scores have been nothing short of fantastic and always ensures the customers she deals with, have the best possible experiences. Well done Paula!

Opos's very own Client Performance Coach Rhonan McGarry is presenting Paula with this months check. Rhonan manages Grad Bay on a daily basis.

Paula has chosen to donate £1,000 to Flutterby Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. ( https://flutterbyfundraisersforcf.business.site/).

They are a small voluntary charity who work with communities across the UK t raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis with the goal of raising funds to research successful treatments for the condition that is being carried out by The UK CF Gene Therapy Consortium. Paula chose this charity as her best friend suffers from the condition, a very worthy cause!

Last week Opos received a very kind letter from one of our nominated charities, Robin House (CHAS).

Robin House, part of CHAS Charity care for children throughout Scotland, providing medical care, family support and emotional support during very tough times.

A great cause, providing such a worthwhile support for our community.

https://www.chas.org.uk/

Thank you to the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter for our mention in this week's paper around our Employee of the Month scheme.

We are thrilled to continue donating to such great causes in our local area, West Dunbartonshire.

Last week Opos received a very kind letter from one of our nominated charities, Glasgow City Mission.

Glasgow City Mission support their community with excellent projects like an Overnight Welcome Centre, helping those who would otherwise be sleeping rough and a Child and Family Centre helping children and parents to fulfill their potential.

Thanks to Glasgow City Mission for their letter and keep up the great work!

https://www.glasgowcitymission.com/

Opos Limited's employee of the month for January 2022 is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Robert Wilson as this month's winner. Robert, is a part of DDI Software, Opos's sister company who supplies all of our technology.

Since starting with DDI in September, Robert has shown an outstanding attitude and willingness to learn. On multiple occasions, Robert has stayed back late in the office to drive work through to completion as well as opting to continue working from home during his isolation periods. Everyone at Opos thanks Robert and DDI for all their hard work day in and day out. Well done Robert!

DDI's very own Head Developer Chad Wright, presented Robert with the cheque today for his chosen charity.

Robert has chosen to donate £1,000 to Robin House (https://www.chas.org.uk/how-we-help) a children's hospice located 10 minutes from our office.

They provide medical support for very ill children as well as providing family and emotional support. Their ambition is that every family in Scotland who is affected will be supported, cared for and helped to make the most of that precious time.

It was another exciting day at Opos as we welcomed Wai Man Yau to the Compliance department as our Complaints and Internal Audit Manager. Wai Man will work closely with myself and the other team members to support the ongoing compliance activities of Opos and will be responsible for managing our internal and external audit schedules; working closely with our clients, regulators, professional bodies and accreditors to ensure Opos remains at the forefront of best practice.

Wai Man originally joined the company as a collector and was identified early in her tenure as being a future star. Wai Man made an almost immediate move into a team captain position and continued to impress with her work ethic, dedication and passion for the role.

When Wai Man expressed an interest in joining the department it was one of the easiest hiring decisions I have had to make! I know we have made an excellent addition to the team and that Wai Man shares the values that make Opos the company we are.

Congratulations, Wai Man. We're all looking forward to seeing you flourish in your new role.

Today I have had the privilege of promoting Steffanie Wilson to the position of Operations Manager at Opos Limited.

Steff is a true good news story and pride of Opos having started with us six years ago shortly after I moved the business out to Dumbarton from the city centre.

Steff started her career with Opos as a collection agent and since then has been exposed to pretty much all departments in the business including a stint in IT! More recently Steff has excelled in her role as Business Support Manager where she has been running the "engine room" of the business for the last couple of years.

Steff's work ethic, honesty, transparency and knowledge opitimises the values we hold dear at Opos.

Please join me in congratulating Steff on her new position which will see her have a broader reach in the business particularly in relation to the contact centre floor.

Steff, it's a pleasure working with you!

In December 2020 our Managing Director, Scott Dawson decided to create an employee of the month award and at the same time help the local community. Scott committed to donating £1,000 per month for the next 13 months with the EOM choosing a local charity for the donation. Since then, Opos has donated a total of £14,000 to local charities including; The Samaritans, The West of Scotland Autism and Asperger Centre, Alternatives, Food for Thought, Dumbarton District Women's Aid, Tullochan Trust, and the Robin House.

Opos are pleased to announce that this commitment has been renewed for 2022!

Please join us in congratulating Neisha Garvie as December's winner. Neisha, has had a very strong start to her career at Opos since joining. Neisha has shown an outstanding attitude since starting her role which can be seen both on and off the call floor and she has an excellent work ethic.

Our very own Scott Dawson, Opos' Managing & Technical Director, presented Neisha with the cheque today for her chosen charity.

Neisha is a very enthusiastic, hardworking and reliable employee who has shown she takes great pride in the work she is doing. Thanks for all the hard work Neisha!

Neisha has chosen to donate £1,000 to Glasgow City Mission (www.glasgowcitymission.com) a Christian Care charity who's main vision is to help the less fortunate people based in Govan and its surrounding areas. From their base in Glasgow they help people affected by homelessness and poverty, provide emergency overnight accommodation for people who would otherwise sleep rough and help children and parents in Govan fulfil their potential. A very worthy cause.

Opos Limited's employee of the month for November is confirmed. Please join us in congratulating Melissa Burrows as this month's winner.

Melissa, has had very strong start to her career at Opos since joining in early September. Since finishing her training, Melissa is yet to fail a call which is an exceptional achievement considering she has no experience in a collections based contact centre.

Additionally, it is not just great internal feedback Melissa is receiving but also from the customers she is speaking with as she received the highest scores for customer feedback in October.

Our very own Owen Stott, the Opos Client Engagement Executive, presented Melissa with the cheque today for her chosen charity.

Melissa is a very determined, hardworking and reliable employee who has shown she takes great pride in the work she is doing.

Thanks for all the hard work Melissa!

Today Opos Limited had the pleasure of hosting our local MSP Jackie Baillie at our Collections and BPO centre in Dumbarton.

Our Managing Director, Scott Dawson, welcomed the opportunity to give Jackie some background on Opos and to discuss our job creation plans.

Like Opos, Jackie is committed to the betterment of the local area, and we were delighted to share with her all the good work Opos continue to do in the community supporting employment and local charities.

Jackie was able to give Opos some interesting insights into how we can best engage with the community to bring more employment to Dumbarton and the surrounding areas.

Thanks Jackie!

This month's employee of the month is Wai Man Yau!

Some wonderful feedback below about Wai Man is below:

“I vote for Wai Man she is a reliable, hardworking & overall good employee”

“In the Vision, Mission, values meeting, I could see the fire in Wai Mans eyes. I could see she was so proud to have progressed to the PBF team. She had really interesting points, was really engaged and could see she really cares about Opos.“

“Always on time, never late, great attitude”

Please acknowledge Wai Man's outstanding performance when you next see her!

This month's employee of the month is Colin Wallace!

Some wonderful feedback below about Colin sums up exactly why he won this month.

“Colin is almost single-handedly being held responsible for not only current agent QA performance but also agent QA improvement across all collections agents. The results over the last 2 months has shown really great improvements”

“Due to the amount of leavers recently this is the most difficult job within Opos.“

“Colin is approached on an hourly basis by agents requiring his support, knowledge and guidance and at the detriment of his own workload and deadlines, he provides this without fail.”

Please acknowledge Colin's outstanding performance when you next see him!

Opos are a Consumer and Commercial Debt Recovery and Business Process Outsource company based in Dumbarton in the West of Scotland. We have been successful in growing our business in the Bank & Finance/FCA Regulated sector over the last few months and anticipate continued growth from businesses in that area into 2021. This growth will take us to 130 full time employees this year.

We are looking to bring in enthusiastic, caring and diligent individuals to join our business, as Telephone Agents, to support our clients and their customers in the management of their debt matters. We will offer a competitive salary with the potential to develop a career within Opos. As we grow, progression within the business is there for those who can demonstrate: empathy with customers; a willingness to learn; happy to work towards a Collector Accreditation Initiative qualification and further self-improvement.

If you feel that you meet the criteria and want to join a growing and exciting business please send your cv with your story to jobs@oposlimited.com

We look forward to hearing from you and we will be back in touch to arrange a conversation.

Opos Employee of the Month and Charity Commitment!

It has been a tough year for a lot of people, both personally and professionally. To acknowledge this and hopefully help some people local to our business Opos will be donating £1,000 a month starting in December and continuing for the whole of 2021 (at least) to various local charities.

We have decided to link this with our newly resurrected Employee of the Month scheme where the winner will be able to decide which local charity will benefit from that months' donation.

This month, December 2020, we have a very worthy winner!

Steffanie Wilson! Steff has been with company 5 years this month and has worked her way up from an agent position to being our Business Support Manager. In her 5-year tenure Steff has consistently gone above and beyond for the business, her colleagues and our Clients. Steff has chosen to break the rules with her donation and donate the £1,000 to the Schiehallion Childrens Cancer Ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow. Whilst this isn't a local charity, we are more than happy with this choice as it is very close to Steff's heart at the moment.

Congratulations Steff and here's to the next 5 years!