Equity Release Group has strengthened its advisory arm, Equity Release Supermarket, with three new recruits.

The hires – Haydn Garnett, Claire Nicol and Tara Fennell – join as independent equity release advisers, each bringing experience from StepChange’s former advisory service.

Their arrival follows Equity Release Supermarket’s partnership with the debt charity, under which ERS became StepChange’s exclusive later-life lending advice partner earlier this year.

The group, which comprises Equity Release Partners, the smartER referral service; Equity Release Supermarket, its comparison platform; and Equitec, its technology division, described the appointments as part of a wider plan to expand both capacity and capability.

Mark Gregory, founder and chief executive of Equity Release Group, said: “We’re delighted to have recruited advisers who previously worked at StepChange.

“At the heart of this collaboration is a shared commitment to helping, guiding, and supporting more people with their financial options.

“The expertise of our newest team members will be invaluable in delivering this, while also helping to raise standards across the industry, a key part of our long-term strategy.”

He added that rising activity levels and ongoing developments within the business had prompted the decision to accelerate growth. “We are therefore thrilled to welcome Haydn, Claire and Tara to our well-established team and to further strengthen our position in the market.”

Garnett joins with more than a decade of experience in financial services, including a specialism in debt counselling from multiple roles at StepChange Debt Charity. He said the firm’s “customer-centric approach, commitment to innovation, and vision for lifting industry standards” shaped his decision to join, citing the smartER comparison tool and integrated digital fact-find as significant advances in the sector.

Nicol, who advises clients across the UK, said her background in debt advice has given her “a deep understanding of the emotional and practical challenges clients face when in financial difficulty”.

Fennell said she was drawn to a firm that “truly shares my values”, adding that her focus is on delivering “clear communication and consistent support” to clients navigating later-life financial decisions.

The latest appointments take the firm’s employed adviser headcount to more than 50% above its level a year ago. Gregory said expanding market reach and bringing in “exceptional advisory talent” remained central to the group’s strategy, supported by ongoing investment in technology.

More than 500 StepChange clients have so far received support from Equity Release Supermarket since the partnership began, with the firms describing the collaboration as setting new expectations for cross-sector responsibility.

Pictured: (L-R:) Tara Fennell, Haydn Garnett and Claire Nicol