Former PFS President Caroline Stuart is helping launch a one-day report-writing workshop in July to help industry professionals tackle the coming Consumer Duty challenges.

The initiative is being jointly organised by three experienced industry professionals Chartered Financial Planner Ms Stuart, Mel Holman and Melissa Kidd.

The one-day workshop will take place on Wednesday 26 July near Birmingham and will focus on ensuring client reports and communications are “client friendly, clear and compliant.”

The workshop is aimed at financial advisers, Financial Planners, Paraplanners and anyone involved in writing and checking reports.

The trio say the practical training day will help to address the misconception that compliance “gets in the way of writing client-friendly reports”.

They believe reports are often longer and more complicated than they need to be.

The three say consumer understanding is a core element of our Consumer Duty obligations and firms need to adjust to the changes in preparation for the implementation of the new Consumer Duty on 31 July.

The Consumer Duty will replace the Treating Customers Fairly rules and requires firms to avoid any “foreseeable harm” to clients at all times.

Mel Holman is a Certified and Chartered Financial Planner who has worked in the field of compliance for over 20 years. She is director and founder of Compliance and Training Solutions (CATS). Caroline Stuart has spent over 20 years’ working in Financial Planning and Paraplanning and runs Sparrow Paraplanning and Sparrow Solutions. Melissa Kidd has 20 years’ experience in communications. She has worked with the finance sector for over ten years and is a director of Motem.

Ms Stuart said: “Making communications more client friendly, more readable and more inviting is the holy grail of report writing. This workshop will help attendees learn from their peers, develop new skills and knowledge and help them make reports and client communications not just something they have to read, but something they want to.”

The maximum number of places on the course is 20 to enable “personal attention” to be offered. The day will involve discussions, exercises and collaborative and practical practice sessions. Each place costs £297 (plus VAT) and includes lunch. For more details and to book a place go to: https://calendly.com/catsmeeting/report-writing-course. The workshop will be held at EBI, Suite 7, Beecham Business Park, Northgate, Aldridge, WS9 8TZ.

• Contact details here: CATS https://complianceandtraining.co.uk/, Sparrow Solutions https://www.sparrowsols.co.uk/ Motem Ltd https://motem.co.uk/