Certification – Managing your certified populations in BAU

A half-day course for managers and staff who need to understand and successfully address the regulatory issues and challenges that the implementation and management of the Certification Regime brings.

The FCA places great importance on the competence of individual’s. Following the introduction of the Senior Managers & Certification Regime, the regulator has been clearly focused on improving competence and culture within the industry.

This programme will cover how a firm can implement an appropriate Certification framework. It will consider the challenge of integrating a number of competence indicators into a wider Certification Programme, the challenges firms face by competing regulatory initiatives that affect employee competence and how firms can evidence their approach and decision making.

The half-day event is highly interactive and will allow delegates to receive technical and regulatory input which will be followed by syndicate work and debate to consider and embed learning.

Key Learning Objectives

• Confirm your understanding of the competence elements of the Senior Manager & Certification Regime
• Gain familiarity with the regulatory expectations of the components a Certification Regime might typically have
• Be clear on the relevant rule books that direct “people” regulation
• Consider an approach to developing your Certification framework and identifying the right elements for your business
• Be clear on the key areas that you will consider for “evidence” of employee competence and how this will be fed into any Certification process
• Consider how the Fit and Proper requirements of Certification complement the wider management of competence and conduct

The course is aimed at Investment Management firms and all staff that operate in areas that contribute to employee competence within the organisation or provide oversight to it.

The course will provide a detailed overview of Certification Regimes under SM&CR and will allow individuals to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic.

The programme will be of particular interest to personnel working in or engaged with: 

• Compliance
• Operations
• Human Resources and Training
• Organisation and Change Management
• Corporate Governance
• Risk Management

9:30 Course start and Introductions

• A sandwich lunch will be provided and an opportunity for you to network with the trainer and other delegates

A quick refresh on the origins of SM&CR

• FCA – High level regulatory remit
• Background to SM&CR
• Regulatory expectations for the new regime
• What the regulator has said about the banking regime?

Certification Regime under the microscope

• Definition of Significant Harm Functions
• The range of SHF’s that could impact a firm
• Key rules for Certification
• People rule books and the impact on Certification
• The Directory – and the interplay between Certified Persons
• SYNDICATE EXERCISE 1

Identifying populations & defining processes FIT – Transferring processes from the regulator to the firm

• What should my Certification process include?

Tea/Coffee Break

 Identifying populations and defining processes (cont’d)

• What employment implications arise on implementation?
• Who should own and oversee the process?
• SYNDICATE EXERCISE 2

MI Oversight and Record Keeping

• Senior Management responsibility for oversight
• What evidence will we use within Certification and how will we store it?
• How will those that certify others access and use competence data?
• How will you ensure consistency of approach?
• What MI will you have and can use to assure senior management

Summary & Close

• Summarise key learning points
• Review any outstanding items
• Close session

12:30 Close session

IA Member £195.00 +VAT
Non-Member £295.00 +VAT

Pay using a credit card online, or if you wish to be invoiced please email your full details to: Training@theia.org

PLEASE NOTE: Full payment for the course must be made prior to the course commencement date.

Any cancellation must be made in writing. For all cancellation received 15-30 days prior to the course start date, 50% of the course fee is still payable. No refund is given for a cancellation made 14 days or less prior to the commencement of a course. Transferring from one course to another is treated as a cancellation. You can substitute one delegate for another at no additional cost. In this instance, please give two business days’ notice.

John Williams

John has worked as an independent consultant within Financial Services for 9 years providing regulatory advisory support and training solutions across retail distribution, banking, wealth management and consumer credit sectors.

John has provided consultancy support covering board evaluations, director skills audits, Approved Persons responsibilities, regulatory interview preparation, T&C Scheme development and implementation, section 166 remedial actions.

Training assignments include the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, Fit and Proper standards and processes, Conduct Rules, HR responsibilities under the SM&CR, culture and conduct.

John specialises in FCA regulation and its impact on people. He works directly with firms on meeting their regulatory requirements and SM accountabilities, managing conduct risks and implementing training and competence processes.

Most recently John has advised firms on how to meet the requirements of the new Senior Managers and Certification regime, training senior staff in understanding their responsibilities and complying with the Conduct Rules.