The post CPD era is here!

The SRA released the latest version of its handbook on 1 April 2015. Among the important changes is the final Competence Statement, which is the cornerstone of the new approach to CPD and can be adopted starting today.

The new approach will be implemented for all solicitors from 1 November 2016. However, solicitors can choose to move to this new approach today (for 2015), or on 1 November 2015 (for 2016).

Where can you go for guidance on the new approach?

The SRA has also published a toolkit with detailed recommendations for compliance with the new scheme. The recommended process is as follows:

Reflect on the quality of your practice by reference to the SRA’s Competence Statement to identify your learning and development needs
Plan and address your learning and development needs
Record and evaluate your learning activity so that you can demonstrate to the SRA that you have taken steps to ensure your ongoing competence.
Make an annual declaration to confirm you have completed the above.

Here at VinciWorks we are putting the final touches on a platform to streamline your transition to the new framework. It will be built into our Learning Management System. We’d love to hear from you what your thoughts and plans are for the new CPD scheme. Recommendations that we hear now will be considered for the final product.

How are you managing your GDPR compliance requirements?

GDPR added a significant compliance burden on DPOs and data processors. Data breaches must be reported to the authorities within 72 hours, each new data processing activity needs to be documented and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) must be carried out for processing that is likely to result in a high risk to individuals. Penalties for breaching GDPR can reach into the tens of millions of Euros.

“In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.”