Santé Partners has launched an Academy of Excellence aimed at knowledge sharing between its appointed representatives and increasing their hours of continuing professional development (CPD) to meet Consumer Duty.
This is according to the organisation’s managing director Adam Sherring (pictured) who was addressing the Santé Group’s conference.
Sherring said the Academy will launch next month with a 45-minute Teams call which will require compulsory attendance by all ARs and client facing staff who have joined Santé Partners in the last six months.
These calls will include sessions from senior members of Santé Group staff as well as insurers sharing “war stories” and ways of selling the unique selling propositions (USPs) of their policies.
While those who have been with Santé Partners for a longer time will be able to pick and choose the sessions they attend, Sherring encouraged them all to jump on the call as those 45 minutes a week will add up to hours of CPD by the end of the year.
“Consumer Duty is linked to CPD. You have to prove you know what you’re talking about,” Sherring explained.
“Having a bad apple in an AR network is the end for us now – it is a big difference.
“If a complaint is upheld by the FCA, then you have failed to deliver a good outcome and it’s a breach of the Consumer Duty.
“This affects the AR, the principal, us, the directly authorised, and everyone connected to the principal and the brokerage. Effectively everyone that sells in that brokerage is affected, is washed with the same nastiness,” he added.
“The consequences of Consumer Duty if you do something silly, if you make a mistake, it’s not only you it’s affecting, it’s everybody that sails in that ship with you – so just up your standards.
“Make sure you’re doing the right things. Make sure you’re doing it the right way. Dot the Is, cross the Ts, document, get it right.”