The FCA's new accountability regime for banks, building societies, credit unions, and designated investment firms, which came into force in March 2016, again brought into focus that the need for effective training and robust processes for evidencing competence has never been greater.

ComplianceServe has been enhanced and given a new look and feel that helps firms embed the knowledge and understanding of why this regulation matters and drive the behavioural changes that will lead to better outcomes for customers.

Simon Mercer, ComplianceServe Product Manager, explains, "The new regulation has not only challenged firms to improve their compliance training practices, but also to provide robust evidence of their employees' competency at whatever level they work.

"Staff must really understand what the regulation means and how to apply it, and firms must be able to prove they can. The key is delivering personalised, 'snackable' chunks of learning on demand from their device of choice, while highlighting the potentially serious consequences of non-compliance for employee and employer. It lets them 'fail' in a safe environment where they can learn from the experience."

ComplianceServe's fresh new appearance reflects the latest thinking in user experience, whilst it is also easier and quicker for employees to find the right learning and create personalised training plans.

With the ability to evidence ongoing competence central to the regulators' demands, ComplianceServe's new integrated CPD system automatically tracks completed online learning against a generic scheme based on FCA guidelines. It also allows the recording and tracking of other CPD activities such as face-to-face training, attending conferences or accredited body events, research, and reading.

Over the past six months, with the support of industry partners including FSTP and the British Bankers' Association (BBA), eleven new eLearning pathways have been added to the ComplianceServe library to help firms respond to regulation.

These pathways immerse learners in realistic scenarios relevant to their job roles, with the opportunity to make decisions and see the consequences in a way that shapes new behaviours. The eLearning features various bite-size learning activities, including teaser videos, case studies, and quick summaries, which all contribute to elevated engagement levels, knowledge retention, and cultural change.

The new ComplianceServe also provides on-demand refresher training, using highly visual PDF summaries to overcome the infamous "forgetting curve".

Simon adds, "We know new knowledge is rapidly lost if it's not applied quickly following a training intervention and where there is no regular reinforcing activity. Instead of the once a year "sheep-dip" approach, ComplianceServe allows firms to push short bites of learning, tests, and refreshers to learners on a regular basis to ensure understanding improves over time, behaviours change and culture shifts."

New ComplianceServe learning pathways include

• The new Regulatory Framework in Banking
• Conduct Rules
• Consumer Credit - Handling Arrears
• Cybercrime
• Senior Managers Regime
• Foreign Tax Compliance Act 2010 (FATCA)
• The basics of CASS (Client Assets Sourcebook)
• The Certification Regime
• Three Lines of Defence
• Transaction Reporting
• Vulnerable Customers

In 2016, Unicorn's learning and performance platform, SkillsServe, has been ranked the world's top LMS for the financial sector for the second successive year, and fourth overall across all sectors in the Top 50 LMSs Report 2016.