CISI head of Financial Planning Jacqueline Lockie CFP announced a raft of improvements to the professional body's qualifications and support services for members at the CISI Annual Financial Planning Conference 2018 today in Birmingham.

Among the improvements planned are:

• A new-look CFP professional designation by the end of 2019

• Relaunching the Accredited Paraplanner designation - with details to be announced soon

• A new Financial Planning mentoring scheme to help Financial Planners and other financial advisers interested in becoming CFP professionals

Ms Lockie told 300 delegates at this year's event that a "huge amount has been going on behind the scenes" to respond to feedback on the courses and develop new services.

The CISI had already brought back the Integrated Financial Planning course to help professionals achieve CFP status and this had gone down well, she said.

She said many of the changes would help people become "become better Financial Planners." The CISI would also reach out to other professionals such as lawyers and compliance professionals interesting in learning Financial Planning skills.

Speaking on the eve of the CISI's Financial Planning Week she said the CISI would also launch a 'Financial Planning Ambassador' scheme which would help provide a list of Financial Planners able to provide comment on Financial Planning issues to journalists.

The scheme would also seek to widen the pool of speakers available to CISI branches.

Ms Lockie said she was helped by many experienced Financial Planners years ago and she wanted this helping hand to be available to more people beginning to develop their careers in the profession.

She urged delegates to get involve and help others.

She said: "I believe that one person can make a change for the better."

The two-day event, headlined ‘Changing Lives,’ is taking place this year on 1 and 2 October at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel at the NEC.

• Financial Planning Today will be reporting throughout the event - check out our coverage.