The Communications Consumer Panel 
and the Advisory Committee for Older and Disabled People

Annual Report 2019/20

Foreword
The last year has been a year like no other. The key role that communications services play in people’s lives has never been more evident as we hurtled into new ways of living, working and existing in a Covid-19 world. The sudden and profound impact of physical separation from those we love, depend upon or worked with was mitigated to some extent by a new reliance on electronic contact. For those people online, internet shopping, online medical consultations, keeping in video contact with friends and family and working virtually from home became a new reality. 
At the heart of this provision was the part provided by our communications services. Despite initial challenges, the sector played an extraordinary part in keeping the show on the road. Providers used their infrastructure and networks in ways never before envisaged – and for this they should rightly be commended. That is not to say that everything ran smoothly – as the providers themselves would acknowledge. Contact centres based around the world were affected by rapid levels of infection and, as some became overwhelmed, consumers struggled to get through to discuss the issues they were facing. 
We are hugely grateful to our network of consumer hubs for bringing to our attention information about the telecoms issues their stakeholders were experiencing. We fed back this information to industry and Ofcom – and in many cases they were able to take action to rectify matters. 
As the UK starts to come to terms with this ‘new normal’, the Panel is more committed than ever to ensuring that all consumers and citizens have access to robust, fair and compassionate communications services. We thank those we have worked with across the UK over the last 18 months and look forward to the next year as we work together to strengthen the consumer voice even further in relation to the essential services provided by the telecoms sector. 
 
Rick Hill MBE, Chair of the Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD

Contents

Who we are and how we work
The Panel’s Work in 2019/20
Research
Annex 1:  Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD Members’ biographies
Annex 2: Financial Report
Annex 3: Consultation responses

Who we are and how we work

The communications sector is a highly technical and fast-moving market - and one that impacts across society and the economy. As a result, the Panel’s work is diverse and broad, covering not just telecommunications such as broadband, spectrum (mobile and TV airwaves) and mobile, but also post, elements of broadcasting and digital inclusion. The sector presents different challenges to those in utilities sectors such as energy and water; in many ways it is closest to financial services in its complexity, vast range of providers and related competitiveness.

About us 

The Communications Consumer Panel is an independent body set up under the Communications Act 2003. The Panel pays particular attention to the needs of 
people whose circumstances make them permanently or temporarily more vulnerable; older people and people with disabilities; people in rural and urban areas; people on low incomes; and micro businesses, which face many of the same issues as individual consumers. Members, in their ACOD capacity, also provide advice to Ofcom on issues relating to older and disabled people including aspects of content on television, radio and other services regulated by Ofcom. 

Our members have experience in many different fields, including accessibility, consumer advocacy, dispute resolution, the telecoms, digital and content industries, access services, micro and small business, the third sector, social policy and market research. 

Four members of the Panel represent the interests of consumers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively. They liaise with the key stakeholders in the Nations to understand the perspectives of consumers and citizens in all parts of the UK and input these perspectives to the Panel’s consideration of issues. These members also attend meetings of the Ofcom Advisory Committee for each Nation and ensure a two-way communication of ideas. 
We engage with stakeholders to help inform the advice that we give to Ofcom and to keep the interests of consumers, citizens and micro businesses on the agenda across the sector. We also engage with a range of other organisations working on behalf of these constituencies - including those representing older and disabled people. 
The Panel’s job is to speak up on behalf of consumers, citizens and micro businesses - and in particular people who may be in a more vulnerable position in society. When we anticipate consumer detriment, or identify it occurring, we work with those who can make a difference – Ofcom, communications providers and UK and national governments. Our sector specialism and expertise mean we can challenge in a constructive environment, offer comprehensive advice and influence the development of policy so it delivers for consumers and citizens.
Over the last 18 months we have seen significant change in the Panel membership. In March 2019 we said farewell to the Panel’s former Chair, Jo Connell, in August, to Chris Holland, our Member for England. Karen Lewis, our Member for Wales left in December 2019. We were delighted to welcome Clifford Harkness and Sian Phipps (our new Member for Wales). Panel Members’ biographies are on page 17.

Citizen and consumer challenge and advocacy
A vital underpinning of the work we do is our research, often of a qualitative nature, to really bring alive consumers’ experiences for policy makers and industry. We also act as a “critical friend” to Ofcom. This unique relationship is made possible by a Memorandum of Understanding, and gives us early, confidential access to the regulator’s thinking and means we can proactively influence decisions. 

By Ofcom sharing information and ideas (in confidence) with us from the very start of policy making, we can make early, robust, high quality interventions, based on our expertise and research, ensuring that consumer and citizen interests are at the heart of Ofcom’s thinking throughout. The level of trust we have fostered in the sector enables us to effectively influence communications providers and the regulator, and to hold Ofcom to account
We believe consumers (including micro businesses) and citizens are best served and best protected in the communications market when all of the organisations and individuals advocating on behalf of consumers work together. 
Across the UK, there are a number of organisations: charities, not for profit organisations, regulators, consumer bodies, academics and others, that can provide insights into the experiences and needs of communications consumers, citizens and micro businesses. The more that these bodies engage with each other, the stronger the voice of consumers and citizens will be and the more effective their input will be. In 2019/20, we have engaged with a range of consumer-facing organisations– working in many fields - – in our National Hub meetings and Consumer Stakeholder Hub meetings. This work has proved particularly beneficial in collating and feeding into the regulator and industry live issues for vulnerable consumers during the Covid-19 crisis. It has also enabled us to share information on communications policy initiatives more widely with a range of relevant organisations. We have also been able to share themes of feedback directly with communications providers at our Industry Forum meetings.
Communications providers have told us that they value this interaction in the Forum, as it offers them a ‘safe space’ to ask advice and explore issues with the Panel and other companies, without the regulator being present in the conversation. 

The Panel’s Work in 2019/20
Since it was created, the Panel has advised on a broad range of issues. It addresses them in two main ways:
•	Key areas of engagement: substantial proactive work to push an issue up the regulatory or policy agenda or seek a specific change in policy.
•	Keep under review: The Panel has also kept many other issues under periodic review – particularly where the Panel has previously raised concerns and stimulated action, and intervening where appropriate.
The Panel's Work Plan explains the Panel and ACOD’s role, describes the different ways in which we engage with issues, explains how we chose our priorities for the  year and set out the areas that we intended to address. Each year we consult widely to understand areas of harm and risk in the communications sector before confirming our plan. We also remain alive to issues causing harm to citizens, consumers and micro businesses that may occur throughout the year and adapt our plan accordingly.

Using robust evidence and wide-ranging insights to influence the debate
The Panel influences policy-making in four main ways:
•	Commissioning independent research which brings alive the stories of real consumers’ experiences of the communications sector:
•	Engaging with stakeholders, learning about their experiences and concerns in order to expand the Panel’s ability to advocate on their behalf, both in and out of the Panel’s monthly meetings;
•	Direct engagement with Ofcom, both before, during and after policy formulation and consultation
•	Responding formally and publicly to policy consultations, including calls for input and discussion papers, allowing us to provide a voice for consumers, citizens and micro businesses directly to Governments and regulators.

Priority work areas in 2019/20
We want all communications consumers across the UK to be able to enjoy high quality, affordable, reliable services supported by excellent customer service whatever their needs. 

The limit of the Panel’s resources – both financial and the size of the executive team – directly impacts upon the extent of our work so there is a need to focus on key areas that are likely to affect consumers. Accordingly, our workplan aims to encompass and prioritise those issues most likely to impact significantly upon consumers, citizens and micro businesses in the communications sector, including postal services. At the same time, we seek to enable effective monitoring of a broader range of topics so that the Panel and ACOD can react flexibly to emerging areas. 

We developed our work plan by applying two questions to each issue that it might address: 

•	What is the scale of the issue for consumers, citizens and micro businesses?
•	What difference can the Panel and ACOD make?

Key areas of engagement:

A high-level summary of the aims we set out in our 2019/20 workplan and the reasons behind them, is shown below:

1) Ubiquitous availability of communications services: 
- so that all UK consumers and micro businesses have access to affordable, reliable communications services. 
2) Excellent standards of services and of customer service:
- so that all consumers get a high-quality customer experience and are treated fairly on an individual and collective basis. 
3) Prevention of consumer harm: 
- highlighting and acting on evidence of current and potential future consumer harm in the communications sector, so that regulators, governments and industry can work to prevent and reduce the impact. 
4) More consumer and citizen participation and greater inclusion in the communications sector: 
- so that no-one is left behind, regardless of circumstance. 
5) Research into issues affecting consumers in the sector: 
- so that we can provide robust evidence that can be used to command and support action on behalf of consumers.

New programme of work (addendum to our 2019/20 work plan):
Strengthening the voice of consumers, citizens and microbusinesses in the communications sector

In 2019/20 we were excited to launch a new programme of work to further amplify the consumer voice in the communications sector. Additional funding enabled us to engage in more collaborative activities with charities, consumer-facing bodies, consumer policy organisations, not for profit organisations, trade bodies, micro business representatives, regulators and industry. These took the form of establishing National Hubs, a Consumer Stakeholder Hub and an Industry Forum.

Universal, reliable, affordable services
Our collaboration with other organisations in the past year – particularly in recent months – and our research into the experiences of consumers in low income households - has strengthened our belief that a level of universal access to reliable, affordable communications services is vital, now more than ever. 
We believe that consumers with payment problems should be able to use communications services without fear of disconnection if consumers encounter difficult times, such as redundancy or a reduction in household income.

Fairness and access for all
Another insight from our Hubs has been the importance of consumers being able to contact their communications providers through a range of channels, so that they can stay in touch with providers and get the help they need. The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted that, for some people, the digital divide remains as wide as ever. While we recognised that providers needed to encourage all but the most vulnerable consumers to use their websites while their contact centres were under pressure, this wasn’t an option for some consumers, who were then at risk of being excluded. 
c
We recommend that communications providers are required to promote their priority fault repair services to all, so that the people who meet the vulnerability criteria have a greater chance of being aware of them. Additionally, as highlighted in our workplan for 2020/21, we recommend the development of a consumer charter – successfully implemented in other sectors – as a way of raising standards, raising consumers’ expectations and encouraging communications providers to create a frictionless customer service experience.

National Hubs: Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, we visited stakeholders across the UK, strengthening relationships with those organisations, sharing knowledge and insights in a roundtable format and working together to avoid duplication of effort and provide clear statements of issues and recommendations to Ofcom and industry. We call these meetings ‘National Hubs’. 

Through the National Hubs, we have been able to temperature check for the issues most affecting vulnerable consumers and feed themes directly to Ofcom. Participants have so far included a range of consumer, citizen and small business representatives, including NGOs, policymakers, consumer protection organisations; and charities representing the interests of people who are older; carers; are living with a disability or long-term health condition; are in debt; live in rural communities or are digitally excluded. The themes of meetings are driven by current issues affecting consumers, citizens and micro businesses using communications services.
The Hubs’ particular areas of focus have included:
• Connectivity;
• Supporting people with additional support needs and designing new, inclusive services;
• Data protection;
• Scams/profiteering;
• Effective communications with customers;
• Digital exclusion;
• Affordability;
• Dissemination of fake news; and
• Barriers to communication for people with sensory loss.
A fuller summary of the issues discussed across all the Hubs, can be accessed via this linkSummary of the Panel's National Hubs - Covid-19 consumer issues

We have really welcomed the continued online engagement we have been able to have with the participants of the Hubs throughout the Covid-19 crisis – and are pleased that we are regularly joined by new participants. 

Consumer Stakeholder Hub: We have also held regular meetings with representatives of other consumer advocacy organisations. We have found these invaluable in ensuring we share insights and make sure that the resources of each of our organisations are used wisely, to the greatest benefit to consumers, citizens and micro businesses. Similarly to the National Hubs, the meetings are held under Chatham House rules to enable free and frank discussion, but themes from the meetings have been directly fed back to Ofcom and industry.

Industry Forum: The Industry Forum we established has been valued by communications providers as a safe space to talk through complex challenges and understand from other sectors how better to serve vulnerable consumers. The Panel plays the role of facilitator to challenge providers constructively and provide advice and insights. The Covid-19 crisis has further highlighted the importance of understanding which consumers are more vulnerable and how to protect them in an emergency. 

Our prioritised work areas

1) Ubiquitous availability of communications services:
Broadband USO
The Panel previously responded to various consultations and calls for input into the design and implementation of the broadband USO. This year we have welcomed implementation of the USO. We have also been encouraged to see that the number of households requiring the USO in order to access decent broadband has reduced significantly.
What remains to be done?
- households that are not served by the market and still require the USO will be in less easy to reach and areas that are less profitable for the communications providers – we have encouraged Ofcom to work with providers to ensure that households in those areas are not left behind and technology is used creatively to connect them affordably.

Shared Rural Network
The Panel has previously advised that there needs to be a fall-back position to ensure that where consumers’ mobile coverage does not improve as a result of the outcome of spectrum auctions, providers must work collaboratively to deliver better coverage. We have previously urged consideration of National Roaming. We were pleased to see the voluntary Shared Rural Network Agreement come into place. 
What remains to be done?
- the Agreement has not been enacted yet; consumers are still experiencing poor coverage in too many areas of the UK. We have urged Ofcom to ensure that providers act without delay and to consider National Roaming as a backstop in case the Agreement fails to deliver what it promises.

2) Excellent standards of services and of customer service:
Ofcom has implemented automatic compensation, end-of-contract notifications and the broadband speeds codes, which are all having a positive impact on consumers.
What remains to be done?
- we have urged Ofcom to work with providers to expand the automatic compensation scheme to the mobile industry and to encourage all providers across broadband and mobile to be part of it. Not all providers compensate consumers in the same way following mobile network outages – we believe this system should be fairer and equitable and compensation provided without the consumer having to ask for it.

3) Prevention of consumer harm:
Due to its unique relationship with Ofcom, the Panel is in a position to feed early warning signs of harm to consumers, citizens and micro businesses into Ofcom’s policy making process. This year, our expanded network of stakeholders has further strengthened our ability to do this. We are also able to feed back to industry at our Industry Forum and in individual meetings with providers. 

4) More consumer and citizen participation and greater inclusion in the communications sector: 
The Panel’s new programme of work was designed to address this point, following on from discussions about the aims set out by UK Government in their Modernising Consumer Markets Green Paper. We believe that where competition fails segments of consumers, interventions must be put in place to level the playing field. Alongside facilitating National Hubs, Consumer Stakeholder Hub meetings and the Panel’s Industry Forum, we have continued to meet with Ofcom early on in its policy design, to provide a voice for those who are less heard in the communications market. 
What remains to be done?
- The digital divide is not narrowing quickly enough; low income households fear being disconnected and sacrifice other necessities; consumers who rely on their landline and use telecare services may not know that copper retirement and migration to IP networks are ahead. 

5) Research into issues affecting consumers in the sector: 
Consumers’ own experiences provide valuable insights into the way the communications market is working and the pain points for consumers. We have commissioned new, independent research into consumers’ experience of scams, which will be published shortly. We are particularly interested in understanding the ‘chilling effect’, which can prevent consumers who have been scammed – and those who fear being defrauded - from getting the most out communications services. 

Research

‘Don’t cut me off’- The customer service experiences of communications consumers living in low income households in the UK
“I’ve been calling them again and again. I’ve been passed from pillar to post so many times. 	Then I get a bill for my mobile and it’s massive. It’s like I’m accumulating debt trying to resolve paying off debt. How can that be right?” (Kayla, living alone, no children, 25-34, Bristol)

Aware of some of the difficulties for consumers who were ‘just about managing’ to afford essential services, the Panel wanted to understand how well communications providers handled their customers’ needs when they were struggling with their finances. 
We commissioned independent, qualitative research from PwC to understand how well communications providers engaged with people on lower, sometimes unpredictable incomes (such as zero hour contracts). We sought to learn more about not only the barriers, but also any examples of good practice that we could share with providers and policy makers. We published the research in early 2020 and have shared key findings and our recommendations with industry, policy makers and consumer groups across the UK in recent months. We welcomed the recent Agreement between industry and DCMS which demonstrated that governments and industry can work collaboratively and swiftly. 
Read the Panel’s cover report and recommendations, here: 
•	Don't cut me off!
•	Don't cut me off (version without graphics)
•	Peidiwch am datgyslltu!

Our recommendations were across seven main areas: 
Proactivity           
•	Free phone number or a call-back option. Make consumers aware of these options, so that if they encounter payment problems, calls to their provider do not drive them into further financial vulnerability; call backs should be at a time convenient to the consumer.
•	Promote protective measures that put consumers in control. Offer and actively promote spending caps and usage alerts; raise awareness of measures available to restrict children’s usage.
•	Regular review of usage needs. Encourage consumers to review their needs regularly, by providing usage data to suggest more appropriate tariffs.                                                                           
Empathy & Respect
•	Better training and more empowerment for customer service agents.
•	Agents should be able to deal with payment management situations and offer greater empathy towards the specific circumstances of the individuals they are listening to - including an understanding of the needs of consumers with mental health problems and/or low literacy levels. Where scripts are used, these should contain clear advice on how agents should support customers with difficult circumstances or additional needs and allow time for discussion.
•	Offer a helping hand. Providers should consider the individual circumstances of their customers - for example, providing leeway for those who have had a good payment record, by allowing ‘payment holidays’ when possible.
•	Support customers with longer terms financial problems to use third party services. Help those with longer-term payment difficulties to connect with third parties who can assist them, allowing them to stay connected without accruing further debt while seeking that help. Where this is already standard policy, ensure that this is put into action by quality monitoring and feedback to customer service agents.
Flexibility
•	Provide realistic repayment plans.
•	Help customers to spread their costs realistically, rather than carrying the same level of debt to the following month. Allow customers to switch plans mid-contract if needed, without penalty.
•	Promote tariff flexibility. Give consumers options in terms of reducing communications services costs.
•	Allow flexibility in tariffs to reduce costs where allowances are not being used or the customer needs to reduce costs.
•	Rectify provider payment errors promptly. Where a provider makes an error, they should repay the money to the consumer automatically where possible and within seven calendar days – and should inform the customer of the error and the repayment date.

Ease
•	Provide freephone services to consumers, including services that are free to call from mobiles.
•	Ensure that contract arrangements are clearly explained and discussed, to ensure consumers choose the most suitable deal for their needs.
•	Provide a clear explanation of technical aspects of services, to help consumers understand the value of their service.
•	Greater clarity from providers on additional charges for services. Low income households should not be penalised for choosing to receive paper bills or for choosing not to pay by direct debit, as for some people these options make it easier for them to manage their accounts.  If additional charges are incurred for these services, it is important for providers to clearly state this.
Clarity and Transparency
•	Be clear about the price consumers will pay.
•	Make consumers aware of services that might cost more than they are expecting. Some policies, such as charging for a multimedia message when a consumer uses an emoji in a text message; offering promotional pricing that is only available for a defined part of the contract period and contractual price rises information that are in legal terminology can lead to difficulties for consumers if the consumer does not understand the associated cost. It is vital that consumers on low incomes understand the costs they are accruing and can budget effectively. This information should be easily accessible by all consumers.
•	Promote payment and debt management policies more clearly and answer questions.
Use plain language, videos and infographics to assist in explaining contract arrangements, payment options and debt management. This information should be easily accessible by all consumers.
•	Train customer service agents to explain tariffs, contracts, options and processes in plain language.
•	Agents need to be able to talk about contract arrangements, payment options and debt management policies with customers in plain language without jargon – providers should use consumer-friendly language in training materials.
Accessible to all
•	Clear communication about next steps should be in the consumer’s preferred communication method; apps which contain billing data and other important information such as changes to tariffs, should be accessible to all.
•	Providers to have and promote policies to protect consumers from being cut off.
•	Providers should - wherever possible prevent consumers from being cut off - they should consider offering flexible payment plans and payment holidays and a cap on the accruing of further debt while the customer is seeking help and advice.

Panel meetings

The Panel engages regularly with stakeholders across the UK. A further key channel for us to advise on current issues across the sector is during monthly formal Panel meetings. Panel meetings provide an opportunity for Ofcom to share proposed policy interventions early on in their development, allowing for insights on both sides and an informed, constructive debate. A range of other stakeholders also provide updates on their own work for discussion with the Panel.  

Consultation responses

The Panel provides regular input into formal policy consultations by Ofcom, Governments and other policy-makers across the UK whose work may impact on the lives of communications consumers, citizens and micro businesses. Our responses in 2019/20 are listed at Annex 3. 

Annex 1: 
Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD Members’ biographies
Panel Members are recruited through an open application process and appointed by the Secretary of State

Chair and Member for Northern Ireland: Rick Hill MBE 
Following degrees in Applied Maths and Church History, Rick worked as a parish minister for 17 years. He left church work in 2007 to develop a portfolio career. He is Owner/Director of Titanic Gap Ltd, Media Consultancy. He is also the former Deputy Chair of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
Rick has previously been Chair of Northern Ireland Screen Commission, Chair of The General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, Chair of Consumer Focus Post and member of the Consumer Focus UK Board, a member of the BBC Audience Council for Northern Ireland and BBC Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland. He was made MBE for services to Broadcast Media 2014.

Members (A-Z) 

Kay Allen OBE
Kay has worked for B&Q, BSkyB and Royal Mail. She has been a Commissioner on the Disability Rights Commission and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She also served as a NED on the Department for Work and Pensions PDCS Board.

In 2010 she was asked by Downing St to look at Responsible Business Practice of small business as part of the Big Society Team. As a result she created the online digital platform ‘Trading for Good’ which is now owned by Business in the Community.

She has run her own successful bespoke consultancy for 10 years specialising in Responsible Business and Diversity and Inclusion. A qualified performance coach Kay helps others to succeed. Kay is a Fellow of St Georges House Windsor, A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2010, she was awarded an OBE for services to Equality.

Amanda Britain (Member for Scotland)
Amanda has experience spanning research, public services, and organisational change in Scotland.  In all roles, she has championed the interests of people who are socially or economically excluded. She is currently supporting Scotland’s national Technology Enabled Care Programme, is an advisor with Life Changes Trust dementia programme.
Amanda is Chair of Iriss, a charitable company that builds the capacity and capability of the social services workforce in Scotland, and a member of Alzheimer Scotland’s Human Rights and Public Policy Committee. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, was elected to its Scotland Board from 2012-2018 and was Chair from 2017-2018.
In parallel, Amanda has chaired the Peter Gibson Memorial Fund, which in September 2016 published 'Championing Consumers, a history of consumer advocacy in Scotland 1974-2014.'

Dr David Holden, from March 2019
David previously sat on the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA)/HAL Consumer Challenge Board (CCB), tasked with providing scrutiny to ensure that the current £15bn Heathrow expansion plans, regulatory price review and five-year business plan is driven by the understanding and prioritisation of the needs of its current and future consumers. The CCB challenges and scrutinises HAL’s business plan to determine whether it meets the requirement of ‘high quality consumer engagement’. David also sits on the Electricity North West (ENW) Customer Engagement Group.  The group is charged with challenging ENW to ensure that its future business plans address the needs and preferences of its current and future customers and that it is putting stakeholder needs at the heart of its decision making, with special reference to the forthcoming price control period 2023-2028 (RIIO-ED2)
David has direct and extensive experience of working on large-scale consumer insight projects for Vodafone, BT, O2, EE, France Telecom, 3, Sky, Inmarsat, Talk Talk, Carphone Warehouse, Ericsson, Nokia, Virgin Media, Cable and Wireless and Alcatel.

Chris Holland (Member for England until August 2019)

Chris Holland was Head of Specialist Dispute Resolution at BT where he was responsible for a wide range of specialist customer service areas, including all aspects of BT’s membership of Ombudsman services: communications. He helped implement the telecommunications ombudsman service (Otelo), and until March 2011 was a nonexecutive director of the Ombudsman Service Ltd. He was Chairman of the Otelo Members Board between 2006-2011. Chris held a number of customer services roles in BT, including heading the Chairman and Chief Executive’s Service Office between 1987-2001. He was Chairman of the Postal Redress Scheme (POSTRS) between 2013-2015; and was an organisation healthcheck consultant with Time to Change (a mental health charity). A qualified counsellor, Chris has done voluntary work with young people. Currently he acts as a consultant across all dispute resolution schemes offered by IDRS Ltd, including the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS); he runs his own consultancy company; and he is a member of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer. Chris was also appointed as Independent Complaint Reviewer for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in November 2016. 

Karen Lewis (Member for Wales until December 2019)

Karen Lewis spent the first part of her career as a teacher and lecturer in English and Media before moving into the field of community development. She then joined the BBC in Wales, initially to produce Education and Community Action programmes, before becoming founder Senior Producer of the BBC’s award winning Digital Storytelling initiative ‘Capture Wales’. She was later appointed Partnerships Manager for Wales, responsible for the BBC's Learning Partnerships, social action campaigns and charity broadcasts in the nation. She left the BBC to become Director of a Research Centre in the Faculty of Creative Industries at the University of South Wales, where she led a range of research and public engagement projects in the field of digital storytelling, before joining the Wales Cooperative Centre in her current role as Director of Communities and Inclusion. She retains a strong relationship with the University of South Wales, where she is a Visiting Fellow. For the past 12 years Karen has worked in the field of Digital Inclusion, leading on Welsh Government’s Digital Inclusion programmes. She was appointed as a member to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee Wales in 2015. 

Richard Spencer (Member from December 2018; Member for England since September 2019)
Richard has 30 years’ experience in consumer and SME mobile and fixed telecoms markets in the UK and abroad, most of which was spent at BT. His career has encompassed pricing, strategy, policy, business ethics and regulation. His final role was as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, playing a key role in architecting and monitoring the company’s programmes designed to have a positive impact on society and the environment.
Richard is a non-executive Director of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust and is trustee for a charity in Colchester which provides support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. He also serves on the Leadership Board of Reference of a local church in Colchester.
Richard holds an MBA, a degree in History, and has trained as an executive coach. He is currently studying part-time for a degree in Theology.

Craig Tillotson
Craig has enjoyed a successful and varied career over the last 30 years in the telecommunications and payments industries as a business unit leader, board director, strategy consultant and entrepreneur. In 1997 he joined T-Mobile UK as Strategic Development Director. In 2001 he joined Vodafone UK as Product Management Director. In 2003 he became Strategy and Wholesale Director and in 2007 took over the leadership of the UK Consumer Business Unit.
From 2012 to 2018 Craig was the Chief Executive of the Faster Payments Scheme, the UK's world leading real-time bank-to-bank payments system. Craig was also Executive Chairman of Paym, the mobile payments service from 2014 to 2018.
In 2014 he was appointed by the Financial Conduct Authority to be a member of the new Payment Systems Regulator’s statutory Panel, where he served until 2018.
In 2018 Craig became co-founder and CEO of the Smart Request Company Ltd, a FinTech start-up business working to develop the UK's first competitive Request for Payment service.
Craig graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Computer Science and spent the early part of his career as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company. For many years he was a specialist telecommunications reserve officer in the Royal Corps of Signals where he was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD).

Rick Williams 
Richard Williams is the Managing Director of Freeney Williams Ltd, a disability and diversity consultancy. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and an Associate of both Business Disability International and the Business Disability Forum.
Rick is an experienced consultant and trainer with expertise in all areas of disability and their impact on individuals and organisations.

New Panel Members 

Clifford Harkness (Member from June 2020)
Clifford began his career as a telecommunication and electronics technician with Queen’s University Belfast working on television production and audio resources - including linguistic research. This role led him, to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum’s Department of Non-Material Culture where he supported curatorial staff in the development of oral, aural and linguistic sound recording and audio archiving. Clifford became Head of Archival Collections before the establishment of National Museums Northern Ireland, where he was Head of Collections Management, until early retirement in 2016.
He has an enduring interest in the impact of science and technology on everyday lives and the collection, preservation, and access to multi-media archives. He was a founding member of the then N. Ireland Film Council, the Ulster Oral History Society, and the N. Ireland Reminiscence Network.
He is a former member of the BBC Audience Council and BBC Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland. He currently acts as a museum ‘Accreditation Mentor’ for the Somme Museum and is a member of ‘The Stories Network’,  hosted by  the Healing Through Remembering Organisation, for those gathering and sharing personal narratives related to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.
Dr Siân Phipps (Member for Wales from July 2020)
Siân has spent the last four years championing the interests of water consumers through her non-executive role with the Consumer Council for Water, regularly challenging the performance of water companies in Wales. As a Patient and Community Leader at Velindre Cancer Centre, Siân is also a voice for people who use health and care services and is currently a lay member with NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, assisting with the development of a guideline on shared decision making.
Previously in her career, Siân worked for cross-party committees in the Senedd/Welsh Parliament and in the House of Commons, where her role was to advise Members in scrutinising government policies, legislation and finance.
Siân has worked in communications and public affairs for a range of public organisations including BBC Wales, the Arts Council of Wales and the Environment Agency, and has a PhD in public attitudes to environmental risk from the University of Leeds. Siân is a Welsh learner, originally from Cardiff, where she currently lives.

Annex 2: Financial Report

 	Actual 2019/20	Budget 2019/20	
Panel Member Fees	116,339	131,243	
 	 	 	
Panel Member Expenses	16,362	20,845	
 	 	 	
Support (inc. Advisory Team, research, consultancy, stakeholder relationships and design and publications)	328,929	321,690	
	£461,629	473,777	

Annex 3: Consultation responses
Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD responses to consultations in 2019/20 

2020
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's consultation 'Digital comparison tools for telephone, broadband and pay-TV: Proposed changes to Ofcom's voluntary accreditation scheme' (PDF 86.8, opens in a new window) March 2020
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's consultation 'Fair treatment and easier switching for broadband and mobile customers: Proposals to implement the European Electronic Communications Code' (PDF 114KB, opens in a new window) March 2020
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's Plan of Work 2020-21 (PDF 356KB, opens in a new window) February 2020
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Citizens Advice Draft Consumer Work Plan 2020-21 (PDF 100KB, opens in a new window) January 2020
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Consumer Council for Northern Ireland on its Draft Forward Work Programme 2020-21 (PDF 76.2KB, opens in a new window) January 2020

2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom: Award of the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum bands - Revised proposals on auction design (PDF 82.5KB, opens in a new window) December 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom on Treating Vulnerable Consumers Fairly (PDF 201KB, opens in a new window) November 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom on Trialling Consumer Remedies (PDF 77.9KB, opens in a new window) November 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to DCMS' consultation on reforming consumer advocacy in telecoms (PDF 171KB, opens in a new window) October 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee Consumer Scotland Bill (PDF 127KB, opens in a new window) September 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom on promoting competition and investment in fibre networks (PDF 143KB, opens in a new window) September 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom on helping consumers to get better deals in communications markets - mobile handsets (PDF 174KB, opens in a new window) September 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to DCMS on implementing the EECC (PDF 124KB, opens in a new window) September 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's discussion document 'Making communications markets work well for customers – a framework for assessing fairness’ (PDF, opens in a new window)  August 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to DCMS' draft statement on its first statement of strategic priorities for telecoms (PDF 148KB, opens in a new window) March 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's consultation on Award of the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum bands (PDF, opens in new window) March 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's Annual Plan (PDF 172KB, opens in a new window) February 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to the Welsh Commissioner for Older People's consultation on making Wales the best place to grow old (PDF, opens in a new window) February 2019
•	Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD's response to Ofcom's consultation on improving consumer engagement (PDF 175KB, opens in a new window) February 2019