Any arrangements for sickness leave should already be covered under the terms and conditions of employment. If your period of recognised training needs to be extended, your employer will need to tell us. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Board has approved changes to their training regulations. A key part of the scheme is the ability for employers to designate employees as ‘furloughed workers’ and claim up to 80% of their salary from the government – however, this is caused a fair amount of confusion. We do not specify the form it needs to take, but an assessment is required. Employing trainee solicitors Entering into a training contract When the trainee begins work, you must enter into the appropriate training contract and parental rights/ redundancy pay entitlement). One of the ways we do this is through our requirements for supervised assessments on the LPC. I need to complete the PSC for admission as a solicitor but there is currently no way of attending the assessment parts of the course. Nor does it cover all of the costs associated with employing somebody. My employer put me on furlough. The approach for any long-term sick leave related to Covid-19 is also the same as for any other period of long-term sick leave. Therefore, we would accept organisations putting sensible arrangements in place for supervisors to review trainees’ work remotely. We would expect employers to treat any period of sickness leave due to Covid-19 the same as any other period of sickness leave. Yes, a furloughed employee can undertake study and training, i.e. The duration of the extension is at the discretion of the training principal. Vote up! If this has not been possible, we may allow trainees to defer completion the PSC (see the previous question). We have therefore decided to consider applications for online or remote proctoring of assessments for the PSC, or assessment of oral skills by video-link. This could be a certificate or a note on headed paper from your PSC provider. The arrangement with the firm is known as a training contract. Any holiday taken during furlough will need to be paid at normal pay rates but can only be claimed by the employer under the furlough scheme at 80%/£2500. Authorising training provider and qualifying work experience provider. This means that for skills assessments and elective subjects, providers may make alternative assessment arrangements. Further information is available on our QLTS transitional arrangements pages. 157. Is there a maximum amount of time for which a trainee can be supervised remotely? Use your online calendar to see who’s on furlough, who’s on holiday and who’s on sick leave. We will consider changes to our current requirements on a provider by provider basis. A more specific approach to the issue is being taken in Scotland. We will continue to keep our position under review, considering Government guidance, and will contact education providers before the end of the academic year to confirm arrangements for the 2021/22 academic year. 548743. On Will you extend the cut off point for individuals wishing to apply for admission under the QLTS route before SQE? On March 25, 2020. What should I do? During your two year training contract you will spend time in at least four seats and experience both contentious and non-contentious work. a two-year training contract. Your training principal can do this through their mySRA, in the managing trainees section, by amending the end date of your training. The changes form part of the SRA’s ongoing Training for Tomorrow programme of reform and Red Tape Initiative. The purpose of the training contract The training contract is intended to give trainees supervised experience in legal practice through which they can refine and develop their professional skills. We hope you are both doing well. While the SRA argues that … The Training Contract/Period. Our offer letters state that we will earn a salary of £22,000 per year, increasing to £23,000 upon commencement of the second year of the training contract. Employees still have the same employment rights whilst on furlough (e.g. Can trainees be supervised online? - All foundation subjects on a QLD must be passed with at least 40% to fulfil the requirements of the academic stage of training. They may have work for you to do which can be done safely within the current guidelines. “I received vague guidance from the SRA especially saying the decision was that of our training principal but this may not be reasonable if furloughed for an extended period of time.” For any readers not familiar with it, the work a trainee does during their training contract/period is based within the framework set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”): https://www.sra.org.uk/trainees/period-recognised-training/managing-trainees/practice-skills-standards/. For information on how Ramsdens Solicitors LLP processes your personal data, please see our privacy notice. Your application will be for a waiver of part of regulation 3A.1(a) (ii) of the Authorisation of Individual Regulations. I am on long term sick. A trainee solicitor may be keen to qualify as soon as possible (I know I was) but what cannot be overlooked is the impossibility of being able to develop practice skills during furlough. The Law Society guides that as a minimum, the extension would be by the number of days beyond six months that the trainee has missed of their traineeship. While we have relaxed our requirements around assessments of the LPC due to Covid-19, the LPC requirements remains in force. We may take regulatory action against you if you breach the conditions of the waiver. We recognise that the impact of Covid-19 could be a mitigating circumstance that may affect performance in an assessment. Where a course which started in the 2020/21 academic year is being taken on a part-time basis, or in January 2021 or later, we will allow these to proceed on the basis of the alternative assessment arrangements approved for 2020/21. I am a training principal with trainees due to qualify this year who are unable to gain experience in three distinct areas of law due to Covid-19. Training providers should tell us if they are introducing alternative assessment arrangements (for our information, not approval). In all cases, we will expect any application to us to set out how the proposed approach will maintain the security and integrity of the PSC qualification. Trainees are also allowed to start their period of recognised training before they have completed the LPC. This Practice Note reflects the requirements of the SRA Training Regulations 2014, which apply to training contracts commenced before 24 November 2019 and the SRA Education, Training and Assessment Provider Regulations, which apply to training contracts commencing on or after 25 November 2019. 137. How will the Covid-19 outbreak affect the SQE assessments? It involves supervised working as a trainee solicitor in a firm of solicitors or organisation that is authorised to take trainees. Before making any changes to assessments, providers have had to apply to us for approval. We recognise that the Covid-19 outbreak has presented significant challenges to LPC students and course providers. No, there must be some assessment for Foundation of Legal Knowledge (FLK) subjects. When: Mar 17 … Approval will be subject to review by us at any stage. Therefore, training providers and employers should check LPC qualifications against a transcript when considering how individuals performed on the LPC, rather than the grade or classification on an award certificate, as how a distinction or commendation is calculated may vary between providers. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its response to the consultation on changes to the education and training regulations. 01/08/08 Page 6 of 19 www.sra.org.uk 3. The Law Society of Scotland has set out guidance that makes a distinction between a more or less than 6 month period of furlough, which requires that an extension must be made if a trainee is on furlough for 6 months or more. Get in touch. "We are currently seeking to clarify and communicate to all trainees how this situation will impact on qualification and how their training contract will progress moving forward," he said. Further information is available on their website. If a trainee must take sickness leave due to Covid-19, does this mean that their period of recognised training will have to be extended? This will largely depend on the length of time the trainee has been on furlough. It is more than likely that there should be an extension if furlough has been for a significant period of time. This live online course provides training in Cognitive Interviewing, a set of techniques used to test survey questions. We do not specify or approve the form that assessments take for the QLD and GDL. Public sector organisations – where public sector employers receive public funding for staff costs and that funding is continuing, employers should use that money to pay staff in the usual fashion and not furlough them. The SRA would usually expect a furlough lasting longer than three months to lead to an extension of a trainee’s PRT but the SRA recognises that there will be a range of … those trainees to meet the requirement to complete a period of recognised training (regulation 5.1). We require a period of recognised training to: When you return to work after a period of furlough, either on a full- time or part-time basis, your employer should discuss with you whether your period of recognised training needs to be extended. This article looks at the effect of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) on the completion of a trainee solicitor’s training contract/period in England. PSC providers must apply to us for approval before making any changes to assessments. Can these trainees still be admitted? This approval may be subject to conditions and is subject to review by us at any stage. We continue to work towards this and at this stage, we do not expect the Covid-19 outbreak to affect this timeline. This Q&A considers whether a law firm can furlough trainee solicitors under the government’s coronavirus (COVID-19) job retention scheme and what the impact would be on the length of a furloughed trainee’s training contract. Can employees undertake training whilst furloughed? Facing Further Furlough: The Key Facts As the Job Retention Scheme continues, our employment law experts have put together a handy fact sheet summarising they key facts about the continuing scheme. You will be allocated meaningful work and you will be in the front line of client service from the outset, gaining a commercial perspective which is … Your training will enable you to understand the practical implications of the law … My training provider is extending my period of recognised training for business reasons due to the Covid-19 outbreak. the amount of time you have been on furlough, and whether you returned to your training on a full-time or part-time basis. The Authority is seeking approval from the Legal Services Board with the hope of implementing the changes at the beginning of July. A pass/fail award decision must be calculated based on all assessments. If you are not able to complete the PSC due to the Covid-19 outbreak, you can apply to us to defer completing the PSC for admission as a solicitor. We expect education providers to be clear with students starting any course due to complete after 31 August 2021 that assessment arrangements may change after the end of the 2020/21 academic year. Can we move to online assessments for parts of the PSC? If we decide to grant you a waiver in these circumstances: Our rules require organisations to pay for a trainee's first attempt at the PSC. Be appropriately supervised by solicitors and other individuals who have adequate legal knowledge and experience in the practice area they are supervising and the necessary skills to provide effective supervision. Updated 2 November 2020 (first published 25 March 2020). SRA Training Regulations 2014 - Qualification and Provider Regulations, Coronavirus update - Education and Training Q&A. Are QLTS assessments (MCT and OSCE) face to face assessments still be taking place? However, some form of assessment is required, for example online, open book or remote assessments. In summary, if a trainee has been furloughed there is no automatic extension of a training period. LPC providers must apply to us for approval before making any changes to assessments. We will consider changes to our current requirements on a provider by provider basis. We will then check this with them. However, this impact would still have to be considered on an individual, case by case basis. For any readers not familiar with it, the work a trainee does during their training contract/period is based within the framework set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”): https://www.sra.org.uk/trainees/period-recognised-training/managing-trainees/practice-skills … We will be as flexible as we can, for example, we may consider previous relevant work-based experience as counting towards a period of recognised training, but we will still need to make sure that solicitors who qualify have met our requirements. We may perhaps look at it in the same way we would a period of sickness or other type of agreed absence, where in such circumstances the training principal may apply an extension to the training period if they consider the trainee is unable to meet the requirements of the Practice Skills Standards. you to provide trainees with experience of three distinct areas of English and Welsh practice (regulation 12.1(b) of the. Under the redundancy section it states that, “If you made employees redundant, or they stopped working for you on or after 23 September 2020 you can re-employ them and put them on furlough.”. We are still planning to introduce the SQE on 1 September 2021. The duration of such an extension is at the training principal’s discretion. Practice Skills Standards. completed their training contract/period of recognised training; gained experience and is competent to meet the Practice Skills Standards; obtained a full and complete record of training; and. Therefore, training providers may need to consider and plan for trainees to complete the LPC later on. As long as sensible arrangements are in place for supervisors to review trainees' work remotely, we would not expect this to impact on the duration of a period of recognised training. The cost for the employers retaining workers will be reduced compared to CJRS which ended on 31st of October 2020. We recognise the difficulty this presents for any trainee in this unfortunate position. Conveyancing, Wills, Family and Childcare. However, these should not include reference to any grading of classification system the provider has chosen to use, although this may be recorded on a certificate. One condition for granting this waiver is that there was not any other way for the course to be taken. If you do extend a trainee's period of recognised training, you must email us to confirm the new end date. We will decide quickly on applications to make changes to PSC assessments. We would though expect any decisions they make about classifications during this period to maintain the integrity of the LPC qualification. We recognise that trainees, law firms and organisations which employ trainees are concerned about the impact of furlough on training. The ultimate question is whether the training principal is able to declare by the end of the agreed training period whether the trainee has reached the required solicitor competency levels as prescribed by the SRA. Some universities are implementing a ‘no detriment policy’ for the remainder of the academic year. You have said that we can provide teaching online. These include that a period of recognised training should: These assessments are run by Kaplan. If your training principal is not confident of this due to furlough, they should extend your period of recognised training. Your training principal should contact us before certifying your period of recognised training. This change started on 24 March 2020. If, despite every effort, your trainee has not been able to complete the PSC, please contact us to check whether the trainee has been granted a waiver to defer completion of the PSC for admission. If you wish to complete the PSC after you have been admitted as a solicitor, you must first apply to us for a 'waiver', using this form (PDF 5 pages, 228KB). How will the LPC be assessed as the Covid-19 outbreak continues? The Jonathan Lea Network is an SRA regulated firm that employs solicitors, trainees and paralegals who work from a modern office in Haywards Heath. If you are in this situation, you can apply for a waiver of our requirements for: We would expect you to complete one application that covers all affected trainees (rather than one per trainee). For the core LPC subjects, we have maintained our requirements for supervised assessment, but we have approved applications from providers for online or remote proctoring of supervised assessments. Sounds peachy – what’s the catch? We have now authorised some providers of the PSC to deliver it remotely, and we therefore expect trainees to be provided with the option to take the PSC where possible. Marks for assessments, and the number of attempts at the assessment, must be recorded on separate transcripts. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully. The SRA Institute for Retailing was set up in early 1985. Thank you so much for all your hard work... It’s been a very busy couple of weeks, but also very exciting. If a trainee must self-isolate due to Covid-19, will this impact on the duration of their period of recognised training? Training contract – the traditional route Training with us gives you the opportunity to work right across the business, experiencing the full range of legal disciplines we cover. Professional Skills Course. Government guidance for the extended CJRS Scheme remains. What should I do? Each trainee has a training principal and at the end of the training period the training principal must sign a declaration form for the SRA stating that the trainee has: When it comes to furlough, the SRA are advising that there be an individual assessment of the trainee’s competency levels. View the DBS announcement. But I have completed my period of recognised training and wish to be admitted. Please send us your enquiry in the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. It is the final stage of the process of qualification as a solicitor. LPC providers wishing to make changes to assessment arrangements must apply to us using this form. We are accepting applications from Professional Skills Course (PSC) providers to temporarily move to online or remote proctoring of assessments for the PSC, or assessment of oral skills by video-link. Approval will be subject to review by us at any stage. Thank you so much for all your hard work... It’s been a very busy couple of weeks, but also very exciting. We would usually expect a period of furlough lasting longer than three months (on a full-time equivalent basis) to lead to an extension of your training period. We expect training principals to make every effort to make sure that trainees complete the PSC. to maintain their skill set or upskill themselves whilst furloughed, as long as the purpose of this is to improve the employee’s effectiveness in their employer’s business or the performance of their employer’s business. There is no need to tell us in writing. You will still need to successfully complete this within 12 months of being admitted. No, but we have made some changes to provide more flexibility for individuals wishing to qualify under the QLTS route. Another complained of lack of guidance from the SRA about being furloughed during a training contract. Here are answers to commonly asked questions. In the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 outbreak, we will accept a period of furlough of up to three months (on a full-time equivalent basis) as counting towards completion of the period of recognised training. As set out in the LPC information pack, the pass mark for all core and elective assessments of the LPC is 50%. What should I do? If under 6 months, then it is an individual assessment of whether or not the standards of a qualified solicitor may be met based on the training period carried out so far. you disabled cookies on this website - some functions will not operate as intended. All other requirements of the LPC remain in place. However, some form of assessment for Foundation of Legal Knowledge (FLK) subjects is required. Certain parts of the compulsory core subjects for the PSC require face to face assessment. However, we know that it still may not be possible to complete the course in time for your planned admission point. We have a statutory duty to make sure that those who are admitted as solicitors have the knowledge and skills necessary for practice. (NatCen trainers, Foundation Level) * Price: £165 for SRA members, £220 for non-members. What is the SRA’s view about a no detriment policy in relation to the QLD and GDL? 01484 821 500. Are LPC course providers able to make changes to their no detriment policy during the Covid-19 outbreak? However, by the time your students graduate, they must be properly assessed in all FLK subjects. Anyone who is in this situation should contact us to discuss their options. To date, the Institute has helped to train over 69,000 staff from the retail industry in Singapore. If employees are to be re-employed at the employer’s discretion, how does that affect their continuity of employment? - If you have any questions about any aspect of our Training Contracts, please get in touch using the below contact form or call on. Be for at least two years’ full time, or equivalent (unless there has been previous relevant work-based experience). Can we make alternative arrangements for assessments on these courses during the Covid-19 outbreak? The Law Society of Scotland has specifically drawn a distinction between a period of over 6-months and less than 6-months of being on furlough. This means we need to be assured that students who pass an LPC have what is necessary for the early stage of their career in practice. We will decide quickly on applications to make changes to LPC assessments. Currently, Training@SRA offers both Public runs and In-house Customized/Contextualised Training programmes to meet your training needs. He said the trainees and all affected staff had consented to furlough. We would not expect this to impact on the duration of a period of recognised training. We are also CQS accredited. If a trainee can work, then firms may put in place sensible arrangements for appropriate supervision of trainees self-isolating. You will therefore need to discuss the position with the organisation you are currently training with and confirm the payment arrangements with them. The 12-week consultation closed at the end of February and is the first stage of the SRA’s Training for Tomorrow programme. However, where we have approved alternative assessment arrangements for the LPC, Higher Rights of Audience or Professional Skills Course, education providers may continue with these until the end of the academic year 2020/21. This needs to include all relevant trainees’ names and SRA numbers (where available). Furlough leave can apply to both full-time and part-time employees, as well as agency employees, zero-hour contract workers (provided they are employees) and apprentices. In future, any Tom, Dick or Harriet can pass two tests and do 24 months of legal work experience, potentially with multiple different em-ployers, and then qualify as a solicitor. What should I do if my employer closes towards the end of my period of recognised training? It all went surprisingly smoothly, now. Under the furlough scheme, an employee is able to undertake training during their leave on the basis they are paid the national minimum wage. It is possible that the use of a lay-off provision in your contract may allow your employer to furlough you without separate agreement being required. Our approval of alternative assessment arrangements is temporary. If a trainee is placed on furlough under the CJRS, should a training contract/period be extended? There is no obligation on your employer to offer you furlough leave. It runs over two mornings and uses Zoom software *. offer supervisory support for trainee solicitors and their respective supervisors so that the SRA training contract requirements can continue to be met; Pick staff for furlough: Set an employee’s status to furlough with a click of a button. If over 6 months, the training period must be extended. Make sure that the trainee has applied and developed the skills as set out in the Practice Skills Standards. https://www.lawscot.org.uk/qualifying-and-education/qualifying-as-a-scottish-solicitor/the-traineeship/faqs-for-trainees-on-furlough/. Our aim is to help by being as flexible as possible in this area, while still making sure solicitors who qualify have met the required standard. Have regular appraisal of the trainee's performance and development, and review of the trainee's record of training. If you cannot confirm this, you should discuss this with the individual(s) and consider whether their training needs to be extended. Please see the question above for more information on deferring the PSC completion. This is provided that your training principal is satisfied that you have met the requirements set out above. Trainees may need to self-isolate due to Covid-19, in line with Government advice. The Extended CJRS (furlough scheme) is more generous than it was in October. completed the Professional Skills Course to a satisfactory level. For example, online, open book or remote assessments. Then use this data to work out how much to claim back for wages. You will need to provide evidence to us within 12 months that you have successfully completed the PSC. This states that for good reason, a student can request that an attempt be disregarded after the assessment, overriding the fit to sit: 'If, exceptionally, an examination board agrees that a student has mitigating circumstances that might have affected their performance in a particular assessment, despite their confirmation that it was appropriate for them to attempt the assessment, that attempt can be disregarded for the purposes of the information recorded on the transcript and for the operation of the three attempts rule.'. They should not be delayed if they have met our requirements for admission. This decision and the length of any extension is at the discretion of your training principal and would depend on: In the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 outbreak, we will accept a period of furlough of up to three months (on a full-time equivalent basis) as counting towards completion of the period of recognised training. Information correct as of 8am on 13 November 2020. During furlough, a trainee will not be completing work and tasks alone, assisting others, and observing experienced practitioners – all crucial methods of developing the skills needed to achieve the required solicitor competency levels. Managing trainees. The SRA also confirmed that trainees are permitted to start their training contracts before they have completed the LPC. You can refuse to allow employees to take annual leave during the furlough period if this would cause problems for your business. Yes, we do not specify or approve the form that assessments take on these courses. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has announced a temporary relaxation in the requirements for a face to face ID check for standard applications. Can pre-admission ID checks be completed electronically/via video link? Therefore, until the end of the 2020/21 academic year, we are relaxing our current assessment requirements for all parts of the LPC. The SRA is aiming to be flexible, although it also wants to ensure that only those who meet the required standards qualify as solicitors. In the absence of an agreement from an employee to accept the sum provided by the scheme for the duration of the furlough, and depending on the terms of the contract, the employer of furloughed employees could still be facing considerable costs. ... Have a word, SRA. Our aim is to help by being as flexible as possible in this area, while still making sure solicitors who qualify have met the required standard. We are also content if you wish to postpone assessment of subjects into later academic years. If it needs to be extended, the training principal can tell us through their mySRA account, in the managing trainees section, by amending the end date of the training. If a trainee is placed on furlough under the CJRS, should a training contract/period be extended? Your employer will need to consult with you and you have to agree to be furloughed. No, there is no maximum amount of time a trainee can be supervised remotely.