Skillcast Course Library Updates

Q2 2024 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles updated or added during April - June 2024:

June 2024

We have comprehensively updated both the FCA and Insurance versions of our OTS Introduction to the Consumer Duty and Overview of the Consumer Duty courses. The changes included an update to bring them fully in line with the latest developments following the implementation of the Consumer Duty regulation. The courses were also updated to incorporate new content on closed products ahead of the July 2024 deadline. They were also updated to incorporate examples from the FCA’s “Good practices and practices that require improvement” for each of the four consumer outcomes. New pages and guidance from the FCA’s new Dear CEO letters were added, outdated pages were deleted, and whole sections were moved to more appropriate places.

We have launched a new course in the FCA Compliance library called "Developing Secure Applications". This is a version of a course that we already have in the Global Risk library that weaves in key messages about financial services regulation as they relate to the course content. This course explains the principles behind ensuring that secure software development and deployment are taking place. It covers what the regulators consider to be key risk areas when developing secure applications and the importance of compliance with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

We have launched a new full-length course in the Insurance Compliance library called Agency Law. This course explains the role of insurance agents, the nature of an agency relationship - the rights, duties, authority and liabilities - the types of agents and the regulations that govern them.

We have launched a new full-length course in the Global Risk Library called "ESG Risk." This course explains the three elements of ESG and how they guide ethical business practices. Learners will be able to identify ESG risks and why it is important to address these effectively and describe the methods companies should employ in order to effectively identify and manage ESG risks.

We've thoroughly updated our CB GDPR International Transfers animation, which included a transcript, voiceover, and design update. All 126 CB animations have had their assessments revised and updated to better test learners' understanding of the topic in question through case study and scenario-based questions.

We have launched a new course in the Essentials library called FATCA and the CRS. This course will help learners understand the complexities of international tax compliance under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

The following Essentials library courses were given their annual update, which includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: Bribery Prevention, Code of Conduct, Fraud Prevention, Fraud Prevention for Managers, Healthy Working, Managing Safely and Working Safely.

The following Health and Safety courses were given their annual update, which includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: Accident Reporting & Investigation, Asbestos, COSHH, DSE, Electricity, Fire Safety, Fire Warden Training, First Aid Awareness, General Office Hygiene, Ladders and Stepladders and Lone Working.

May 2024

The following FCA library courses were given their annual update. This includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: MCOB - Financial Promotions, MCOB - General Standards, Mortgage Credit Directive, Senior Management Arrangements Systems and Controls and UCITS.

In the Insurance library, the following courses were given their annual update, which includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: Senior Management Arrangements Systems and Controls and Claims Handling - General Insurance.

We have completed a full content and design update for our entire Global Risk library. 
Our Credit Risk course has been retired, which has now been replaced by two distinct courses: 

• Credit Risk for Financial Firms - All companies are exposed to credit risk. Financial firms are further exposed to credit risk as they actively take credit risk to generate income. This course will help your employees to understand what credit risk is, its components and how to recognise credit events.
• Credit Risk for Non-Financial Firms - Credit risk is a form of financial risk that all companies are exposed to. This type of risk can arise in several different ways. Managing credit risk should be aligned with risk management process. This course will help your staff to understand what credit risk is, its components and how to recognise credit events.

We have launched a new course titled Fundamentals of Risk Management 9: Continual Improvement of Risk Management. In this course, learners will learn what continuous improvement is, what its four principles are, and how to improve risk culture and strengthen the risk management framework.

We have started the process of reviewing all the assessments attached to our Compliance Bites to ensure better wording and question format. 

The following courses were given their annual update, which includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: Preventing the Facilitation of Tax Evasion, Safeguarding the Vulnerable, Financial Crime Prevention, Identity Crime, Business Ethics and Integrity, Anti-Bribery Training, Financial Sanctions, Embargoes and Sanctions, Mental Health at Work, Electronic Communications, Environmental Awareness, Financial Integrity and Intellectual Property Rights.

The Refresher library was given a design update to make it look more modern and engaging.

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April 2024

We have launched a new full-length course in the FCA Compliance library called Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and Investment Labels. This course outlines the FCA's Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and Investment Labels, including the new anti-greenwashing rule.

The title of our OTS "An Introduction to Solvency II" course in the Insurance Compliance library has now been changed to An Introduction to Solvency UK. This reflects reforms to the provisions of Solvency II following Brexit.

We have completed a full content and design update for our entire Global Risk library and retired our Credit Risk course, which has now been replaced by two distinct courses:

• Credit Risk for Financial Firms
• Credit Risk for Non-Financial Firms

We have launched a new course in the Global Risk library titled Fundamentals of Risk Management 9: Continual Improvement of Risk Management.

The process of reviewing all the assessments attached to our Compliance Bites has begun. This is to ensure better wording and question format.

The following courses were given their annual update, which includes a full review by a subject matter expert, updated news stories, text updates throughout the courses, and updated activities and scenarios: Preventing the Facilitation of Tax Evasion, Safeguarding the Vulnerable, Financial Crime Prevention, Identity Crime and Business Ethics and Integrity

Q1 2024 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles updated or added during January - March 2024:

March 2024

Compliance Bites are one year old this month and have grown to over 130 modules, covering all the key compliance topics, including data protection, cybersecurity, fighting financial crime, behaving ethically, health and safety and equality and some pretty niche bites like ECCTA and IR35.

Despite their short durations, these modules bring compliance issues, rules, and regulations to life and show how they work in the real world. The modules also provide scenarios allowing users to practice what they've learnt.

If you'd like to try compliance microlearning, sign up for our Question of the Day campaign featuring Compliance Bites:

We've launched a new course in the Insurance Compliance library called Operational Resilience. This course explains what the FCA and PRA mean by operational resilience and how to comply with their requirements. It trains your staff to identify critical business services, set impact tolerances, and map and test to respond to operational disruptions.

February 2024

We've added seven new microlearning modules to our Insurance Compliance library: Structure of the UK insurance market, Functions within insurance firms, Lloyd's of London, Reinsurance, The Insurance Distribution Directive, Agency in Insurance and Agency Authority in Insurance.

We've also released a new Health and Safety course on using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

January 2024

All the courses in our OTS Insurance Compliance Library have been given a comprehensive design upgrade. This features a new skin design, more engaging and interactive page layouts, and accessibility improvements.

We've launched a new course in the Insurance Compliance library called Principles of Insurance. This course explains the fundamental principles, such as good faith and indemnity, and the UK legislation that has impacted these principles in recent years.

Q4 2023 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles updated or added during October - December 2023:

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December 2023

The Compliance Bites library reached the 100-animation milestone before the year's end.

We've also concluded the annual review cycle for the Express library, which included a major design upgrade.

November 2023

We've concluded the annual review cycle for the Essentials Refresher library, which included a major design upgrade.

This month, we've updated our Essentials courses, including Express and Refresher, for the impact of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) 2023. The significantly affected courses include Anti-Bribery Training, AML & CTF, Bribery Prevention, Embargoes and Sanctions, Financial Crime Prevention, Financial Sanctions, Fraud Prevention and Preventing the Facilitation of Tax Evasion.

We've added a new Appointed Representatives Regulatory Responsibilities course in the FCA Compliance library.

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October 2023

This month, we completed the annual review cycle for the Essentials library. We also added a new Health and Safety course: Fire Warden Training.

We've added six new microlearning modules to our Insurance Compliance library: Principles of Utmost Good Faith, Insurable Interest, Proximate Cause, Indemnity, Subrogation and Contribution and a seventh one explaining a brief history of insurance regulation in the UK.

We've also added a full-length course The UK Insurance Market. This course explains the evolution and structure of the insurance and reinsurance market and the functions of the various market participants, including the Lloyd's of London.

Q3 2023 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles updated or added during July - September 2023: 

September 2023

We've added a new course on Accident Reporting & Investigation to the Health and Safety suite in our Essentials library.

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August 2023

We've added a new Speak-up course to our Essentials library. If you're unfamiliar with it, Speak-up is a broader concept than whistleblowing. It refers to a culture where people feel safe to raise any allegation or concern, whether about something illegal (which is covered by whistleblowing) or ethical. Speak-up is an early-warning system that can prevent misconduct from snowballing into a reputational crisis.

We've launched our fully revamped Health and Safety library, including more comprehensive coverage, news stories, exercise scenarios covering more health and safety aspects, and design updates and assurance by ROSPA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

July 2023

Although our Compliance Bites library is only a few months old, we've made a major update with the addition of assessments. So, your users can now put the concepts they learn into practice in realistic scenarios. And you can track the usage of these microlearning modules and even make them a part of your mandatory compliance training.

We added a new course on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to our Global Compliance library. This takes a broader approach to diversity in the workplace than our Equality course, which is limited to the Equality Act.

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Q2 2023 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles that have been updated or added during April - June 2023:

June 2023

We are pleased to announce that several of our Global Risk courses have been certified by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM).

We've added three new courses to the Essentials library:

• Conflicts of Interest,
• Preventing Sexual Harassment 
• Harassment in the Workplace

And two new ones in the Global Compliance library:

• Conflicts of Interest
• Code of Conduct

May 2023

We launched the Compliance Bites library with 50 animations at the Learning Technologies Event in the UK.

We've added a new course in the Essentials library: Mandatory Disclosure Rules (UK MDR).

Three new courses were added to the Global Compliance library:

• DAC6
• Cybersecurity
• Embargoes & Sanctions

We also added another in the Global Risk library: Developing Secure Applications

We've added an Assessment test to the "Introduction to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR)" course in the SMCR Compliance library.

April 2023

This month, we've added four new Fast Track courses:

• Unconscious Bias
• Whistleblowing
• PCI Data Security Standard
• Working Safely

We've added a Compliance Note as a linked resource to 10 of our top OTS Essentials courses. Each compliance note is a short (typically 3 pages) PDF document summarising key issues such as company obligations, an individual's duties, why the topic matters, potential penalties, etc. 

You'll find these notes in the courses by selecting the link icon in the top-right corner, and they will open in a new tab by default.

We've added a course on Unconscious Bias to our Global Compliance.

We've launched a fully updated set of SMCR courses to train Senior Managers, Certified Persons and other Conduct Rule Employees at sole and dual-regulated firms. These new courses have been fully updated for the FCA's new Consumer Duty regulation and contain a section on the new Individual Conduct Rule 6. 

Q1 2023 - Course Updates

Here's a list of all the course titles updated or added during January - March 2023:

March 2023

We've re-launched our Risk library as Global Risk – with all Risk courses now available in English and eight other languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese Simplified, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Spanish. We've used an AI-powered translation service - DeepL, to translate these courses.

We've completed a major design upgrade of the Essentials library and added a new course on Menopause Awareness to our Health and Safety suite in this library.

We've also added a short course to the FCA Compliance and Insurance Compliance libraries called Introduction to the Consumer Duty to complement the existing longer course Overview of the Consumer Duty. We've also added a UK Money Markets Code course to the FCA Compliance library.

We've added two courses to the Global Compliance library:

• Whistleblowing
• Market Abuse Regulation

February 2023

We launched the Global Compliance library with six modules for a global audience: AML, Bribery Prevention, Competition Law, Data Protection, Information Security and Fraud.

All courses are available in English and 8 AI translated languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese Simplified, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Spanish. 

Both the FCA and Insurance versions of our OTS "CASS - Client Money and Client Assets" course have now been replaced by the following suite of new CASS courses:

• CASS Overview
• CASS 5 - Insurance Distribution Activity
• CASS 6 - Custody Rules
• CASS 7 & 7A - Client Money Rules & Client Money Distribution & Transfer
• CASS 8 - Mandates
• CASS 9 - Information to Clients
• CASS 10 - CASS Resolution Pack

We've added another new course to the FCA Compliance library called COBS - Client Communications High-Risk Investments to complement the existing COBS - Client Communications course.

January 2023

We are excited about a new concept in annual compliance training called the FastTrack, introduced to our clients this month. This allows experienced employees to prove their understanding of a topic through a quick pre-course assessment. They only need to complete a short refresher rather than the full course if they pass.

If they don't pass, they need to complete the full course and the post-course assessment. This enables you to evidence staff compliance as robustly as our standard courses while rewarding your employees for their existing knowledge and reducing training fatigue.

We offer the FastTrack option for Anti-Bribery Training, Bribery Prevention, Competition Law, Fraud Prevention, AML/CTF, Data Protection, Modern Slavery, Information Security and Market Abuse Regulation.