Worthstone, the impact investment hub for financial advisers, has launched the UK’s first social investment training manual and competency mark for financial advisers.
The Adviser Competency Training (ACT) offers advisers the opportunity to learn about all key elements of social investment needed to advise their clients successfully in this area. The training is endorsed as structured CPD.
Social impact investment is gathering momentum, due to a number factors. Traditional asset managers are responding to investor demands by providing impact investment products and advisers are being approached by their clients to provide values-based investment opportunities and recommendations.
The ACT manual was designed and authored by practitioners for practitioners. It has been developed specifically for advisers who have a desire to be able to articulate clearly to clients any social impact investment opportunities, evaluate the risks, blend such investments into a portfolio and then measure and report on the social outcomes as part of a review process. The ACT also includes two chapters which are dedicated to helping advisers understand how Social Investment Tax Relief works and how their clients might benefit from it.
The ACT manual has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment as a learning tool for which 18 hours of structured CPD may be claimed. As part of the package, advisers can take a multi-choice test and earn a certificate for social investment, together with a competency mark for their website and marketing materials as evidence to clients of competence in this area.
Big Society Capital is supporting the take up of the ACT manual by enabling the first 100 financial planners to purchase the ACT at a reduced price of GBP100.
Evita Zanuso, director, financial sector and investor engagement at Big Society Capital, says: “We are excited to support advisers’ take up of this social investment training manual. We know from talking to advisers that clients are increasingly looking for investments that reflect their personal values. This will become even more relevant in the future as wealth is transferred to the millennial generation. Advisers that recognise the importance of satisfying client demand for social investing and future-proofing their business are already engaging with social investment as an option for their clients.”
