If you or an employee are planning to carry out certain activities you must ensure that you have demonstrated the necessary competence in terms of skills and knowledge before working with a reduced level of supervision.

What is good practice in recruitment?

• Having a recruitment policy in place to ensure the individual is suitable for the role.
• Clearly establishing roles and responsibilities and documenting them.
• Putting in place an appropriate initial training plan.

What is good practice when supervising staff?

• Having procedures to ensure supervisors are properly trained and competent.
• Clear criteria and procedures for assessing competence of advisers.
• Measurable benchmarks for development of non-competent staff to competence and clear timescales for this to happen.
• Testing knowledge and following-up weaknesses.
• As well as testing knowledge, assessing questioning, advising and presentation skills.
• Making records of observations or development points and following these up where appropriate.
• Reassessing competence regularly and using the results to influence the level of supervision.

What is good practice in qualifications and training plans?

• Having a training plan for the forthcoming year with time scheduled in advance for training events.
• Encouraging advisers to obtain higher qualifications and improve their knowledge and skills.
• Discussing complex cases in recorded training events.
• Using a variety of training and assessment methods for developing competence, such as:

• sitting a relevant mock exam;
• product and market training; and
• practical training such as mock sales interviews.

• Ensuring appropriate examinations get taken and passed within a reasonable timescale. 
• Reguarly evaluating the effectiveness of training.

More information

We have more information on Training and Competence for mortgage advisers