Training and Competence Checklist
If the answer against a relevant activity is ‘yes’, you need to be able to provide
evidence to back your answer up if asked. If it’s ‘no’ or ‘not sure’ you’ll need to take
action to rectify this. For any activity not relevant to your business simply insert ‘N/A
or delete the row.
Remember: the FSA expects all firms to demonstrate that staff are
adequately trained and competent to carry out their job responsibilities.
Recruitment
Review date:
Recruitment checklist
Yes*/No/Not sure
and/or comment
Action by
Next
review
Is there a recruitment process in
place to ensure the individual
recruited is suitable for the role?
Is there documentation that clearly
establishes individual roles and
responsibilities?
Is there an initial training plan for
new members of staff?
Recruitment summary status report for this period
Use this section to summarise current status, required actions, deadlines and next review date. For larger
firms this part of the report could be used as part of your regular TCF MI reports to senior management.
For smaller firms it will form part of your qualitative MI. *Remember, where you answer ‘Yes’ you’ll
need to provide evidence if asked.
Training and Competence
Review date:
Training and Competence
checklist
Yes*/No/Not sure
and/or comment
Does each member of staff have a
training plan for the forthcoming
year, with time scheduled in
advance for training events?
Does each adviser undertake an
annual knowledge tests for
mortgages, firm procedures and
regulatory tests?
Is each adviser encouraged to
obtain higher qualifications and
improve their knowledge and
skills?
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Action by
Next
review
Do you ever discuss complex
cases as a training exercise?
Do you use a variety of training
and assessment methods for
developing competence, such as:
 sitting a relevant mock exam
 product and market training
 mock sales interviews?
Does the firm ensure that
appropriate examinations get
taken and passed within a
reasonable timescale?
Is there a process to regularly
evaluate the effectiveness of
training?
Training & Competence summary status report for this period
Use this section to summarise required actions, deadlines and next review date. For larger firms this part of
the report could be used as part of your regular TCF MI reports to senior management. For smaller firms it
will form part of your qualitative MI. *Remember, where you answer ‘Yes’ you’ll need to provide
evidence if asked.
Staff supervision
Review date:
Staff Supervision checklist
Yes*/No/Not sure
and/or comment
Action by
Next
review
Do you having clear procedures to
ensure supervisors are properly
trained and competent?
Do you have clear criteria and
procedures for assessing
competence of advisers?
Do you have measurable
benchmarks for the development
of non-competent staff to
competence and clear timescales
for this to happen?
Do you regularly test staff
knowledge and following-up
weaknesses?
Do you record observations or
development points and following
these up where appropriate?
Do you reassess staff competence
regularly and using the results to
influence the level of supervision?
Supervision summary status report for this period
Use this section to summarise required actions, deadlines and next review date. For larger firms this part of
the report could be used as part of your regular TCF MI reports to senior management. For smaller firms it
will form part of your qualitative MI. *Remember, where you answer ‘Yes’ you’ll need to provide
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evidence if asked.
.
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