Required CPD for trainees

The following activities could count as TCPD:

• Courses, seminars, lectures
• Role plays, workshops, simulated transactions and case studies
• Conferences
• Briefings
• Online learning and distance learning courses

TCPD can focus on skills (e.g. negotiation skills, advocacy, presentation skills), on legal knowledge (e.g. any knowledge update relevant to a trainee's practice), on ethics or on business, commercial, financial and practice awareness.

This is CPD that is specifically designed for trainees. The list of providers of authorised TCPD is further down this page.

Please note although that these providers may offer general CPD for solicitors as well as authorised required CPD for trainees; so make sure the session you are signing up to is definitely authorised required CPD for trainees.  If in doubt, contact the provider to clarify before signing up. 

If a provider says it provides required CPD for trainees and it does not appear on the list of providers on this page, the course will not count as authorised required CPD for trainees. However, you can count it towards your non-authorised allocation.

Up to 20 hours of required CPD for trainees can come from non-authorised sources, which means those that don't appear on the authorised required CPD for trainees providers list further down this page.

There are many private organisations which offer very good required CPD for trainees which would be of benefit to trainees. Some examples are local faculties, advocates' stables or other professional bodies (eg ICAS, RICS etc). Some firms and employers may offer internal required CPD for trainees, or specific trainee-targeted required CPD for trainees while not being an authorised provider. These sessions could count towards a trainee's non-authorised required CPD.

Non-authorised required CPD for trainees should be recorded in the same way, should be able to be verified and should focus on the PEAT 2 outcomes.

No. Personal study is expected as part of the traineeship and background reading prior to required CPD for trainees events may be very useful. However, reading cannot count towards authorised required CPD for trainees provision or for non-authorised required CPD for trainees provision, as it is not verifiable.

A firm or organisation which takes trainees can apply for authorisation to offer the minimum of 40 hours' required CPD for trainees as an authorised provider. If a firm or organisation does not feel that becoming an authorised provider of required CPD for trainees is an option for them, it is still possible for them to offer up to 20 hours of non-authorised provision to its trainees. For example, if a firm ran update sessions on certain areas of law for all staff then this could be counted be as non-authorised required CPD for trainees. It is important to note that, in order to be able to count as non-authorised required CPD for trainees, such sessions must still be focused on the PEAT 2 outcomes, be recorded in the same way and be able to be verified.

It is possible for any firm or organisation to offer the up to 20 hours of non-authorised provision to its trainees.

You are required to log any required CPD for trainees that you undertake during your traineeship as part of your PEAT 2 record.

It will be the responsibility of you and your training solicitor to identify appropriate required CPD for trainees to support your development and achievement of the PEAT 2 outcomes. You will be responsible for logging completed required CPD for trainees through the PEAT 2 record. Authorised providers of required CPD for trainees will supply us with attendance lists for required CPD for trainees events and your record will be checked against the authorised provider's list. An automated process in the database will check that required CPD for trainees details are being entered and emails will be issued to you at key points during the two-year contract to ensure that at least the minimum of 60 hours' required CPD for trainees is completed.

The requirement for trainees to undertake required CPD for trainees is part of the Admission as a Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations 2019. Therefore, failure to comply with these requirements may result in you not being admitted as solicitor. For trainees seeking to be admitted following the first year of their traineeship, a minimum of 20 hours of required CPD for trainees must have been undertaken.

A trainee may not be discharged until they have completed the required CPD for trainees requirements. If for any reason you suspect that you may not be able to comply with the required CPD for trainees requirements, please contact us as soon as possible.

Standard 1: Support achievement of the PEAT 2 Outcomes - TCPD must support the achievement of the PEAT 2 Outcomes and The Standard of The Qualifying Solicitor.

Standard 2: Programme information - Programme information/ materials should specify:

• Clearly defined aims and learning outcomes.
• Course content.
• The target audience (e.g. new starts, 1st/ 2nd year trainees) and assumed prior knowledge/experience.
• Suggested readings and future learning support (if applicable)

Standard 3: Course materials - course materials must be clearly organised, up-to-date, accurate and comprehensive.  It should be made clear to trainees how the materials will be used (for example, for background reading, future reference or use during the course). Course materials should include:

• A timetable;
• Relevant cases, legislation or regulation; and
• Details of the presentation method and any suggested further reading.

Standard 4: Be pitched at an appropriate level to trainees - The content of a course should meet the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, should be up-to-date and accurate and relevant to level of the target trainees and their work.

Standard 5: Course Tutors and Speakers - Tutors/speakers must:

• Have qualifications or experience relevant to delivering the course.
• Possess practical skills for effective presentation.
• Be able to facilitate discussions and answer questions appropriately.
• Be a fit and proper person to deliver the course.

Providers may use their own staff or external speakers to present.

Standard 6: Delivery methods – TCPD can be delivered by/through use of:

• Courses, seminars, lectures
• Role plays, workshops, simulated transactions and case studies
• Conferences
• Briefings
• Online learning and distance learning courses

The method of presentation used should be relevant to trainees' needs and course aims and should be thoughtfully varied to support learning. 

Standard 7: Trainee Interaction - However delivered, courses should include opportunities for interaction.

Standard 8: Course venue and accommodation - The venue should offer:

• Accessible facilities.
• An appropriate room layout, considering the course aims, delivery and presentation methods and the number of trainees attending.
• Appropriate audio-visual or sound equipment and internet access, if required.

Standard 9: Administration - Providers must ensure:

• A nominated person to deal with enquiries.
• The provision of advice on appropriate courses.
• Effective attendance record-keeping.

Standard 10: Verifiability - Providers must record the attendance of trainees on their courses and must be able to provide proof of that attendance to both the trainee and the Society. 

Standard 11: Feedback and Evaluation - Providers must have a system in place that:

• Collects feedback from trainees on course quality and whether courses met the standards set out above.
• Analyses feedback received.

Standard 12: Additional Mandatory Ethics Course Standard - The Mandatory Ethics Course must be at least four hours long and cover the content set out in Appendix B.

Over the course of the two years of PEAT 2, all trainees should typically undertake 8 quarterly performance reviews. Those reviews must:

1. Be based on the PEAT 2 Outcomes, allowing a trainee’s achievement of the PEAT 2 Outcomes to be measured over the course of two years, with the ultimate goal being attainment of the standard of the qualifying solicitor.
2. Allow reflection on the previous quarter, including progress on any development needs previously identified, through work allocation and TCPD undertaken since.
3. Focus on the development needs of a trainee and, from that, form the basis of work allocation and the identification of suitable TCPD for the upcoming quarter(s).

The licensing period is two years from the date specified by the Education and Training (Standards Setting) Sub-committee.  However, in order to manage the licencing process, the Sub-committee may vary that period.

In relation to all licences, providers undertake to:

1. Notify the Society, in writing, of any changes to the business address or the nominated contact person; and
2. Comply with any other reasonable request from the Society, in relation to the licence, the provision of TCPD or the use of their own review systems by the licenced provider.

In relation to all TCPD licences, providers also undertake to:

1. Only offer courses that meet the criteria laid down in this document;
2. Review their provision, at least, annually.
3. Maintain a list of TCPD courses they deliver and submit a copy of the list to the Society, on request and within a reasonable timeframe;
4. Maintain a record of the names of trainees who have attended their courses and:
   • If an internal provider, submit copies of a trainee’s attendance records when that trainee is due to qualify; or
   • If an external provider, submit copies of the attendance records to the Society, on request and within a reasonable timeframe;
5. In relation to the MEC only, submit to the Society any changes to the specified tutors, as soon as such changes occur.

In relation to all PQPR licences, providers also undertake to:

1. Undertake performance reviews in line with the system set out in their application and which meet the terms of this licence.
2. Alert the Society, promptly, if there are concerns that a trainee may not meet the standard of the qualifying solicitor.
3. Submit a quarterly report to the Society, in a form approved by the Society, on each trainee’s performance, at the point that the trainee is applying for discharge of their training contract.

In addition to the above conditions, a provider must also, without charge to the Society, co-operate with the monitoring of standards by the Society.  Whether because the Society is investigating a complaint connected to a licence or is undertaking a random monitoring exercise, providers must, on reasonable request and where relevant to their licence:

1. Provide details of forthcoming TCPD courses.
2. Provide TCPD course materials, whether current or forthcoming.
3. Provide TCPD sample feedback for any course run in the previous 12 months.
4. Provide a trainee’s individual performance reviews or reflective learning log.
5. Submit a critical self-review to the Society.
6. Enable the Society to:
   • speak to course tutors, reviewers, HR staff and/or trainees about the quality of TCPD courses or PQPR systems; or
   • attend a TCPD course.
7. Permit the Society to undertake at least one monitoring visit during the authorisation period.

In its sole discretion, the Society may terminate a licence if there is evidence that course provision does not meet the TCPD or PQPR licensing standards or where a condition of the licence is not being met.  The Society will typically allow a provider a reasonable period of time to rectify any issue that is identified, prior to exercising this right.

Providers may also terminate their licence at any time by notification in writing to the Education and Training Department of the Law Society of Scotland. Following termination of a licence, a provider will require to re-apply for a new licence.