Understanding FSA
Training and Competence
- Training & Competence under the FSA
- The FSA's T&C commitments
- The FSA's T&C Rules
- Training
- Attaining / Maintaining Competence
- Supervision
- Record Keeping
In support of its objectives, the FSA requires companies to ensure that their staff are competent to perform their roles. The FSA's Training and Competence Sourcebook sets out the Training and Competence requirements which you need to adhere to, these are known as the FSA's T&C Commitments and T&C Rules
The FSA's T&C Commitments state that firms must ensure that:
- Its employees are competent.
- Its employees remain competent for the work they do.
- Its employees are appropriately supervised.
- Its employees' competence is regularly reviewed.
- The level of competence is appropriate to the nature of the business.
These set out additional T&C requirements covering the following:
- Recruitment.
- Where relevant, when recruiting new staff members you must take into account the knowledge and skills of the person being recruited in relation to the requirements of the role. You will also need to gather sufficient information about the person's previous relevant activities and training.
You will need to determine the individual's training needs and organise appropriate training to address those needs. You need to ensure that any training is timely, planned, appropriately structured and evaluated.
You must ensure that staff do not engage in or oversee an activity until they have been assessed as competent (unless they are supervised). You also need to ensure that once a person is assessed as being competent you have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that each individual maintains competence.
You need to ensure that employees are appropriately supervised (this includes the supervision of those employees who are working to attain competence as well as those who have been assessed as being competent.)
You must make appropriate records to demonstrate compliance with the T&C Rules. You must retain the records for at least three years after cessation of an employee's appointment with you.
