The Senior Managers and Certification Regime touches almost every FCA-regulated firm in the UK. It decides who needs regulatory approval, what each Senior Manager is personally accountable for, and how firms show the regulator that accountability is real. Yet for many of the people affected, the rules are learned piecemeal: from a compliance manual, a hurried conversation before an approval application, or after something has gone wrong.

To help, SMF Capital, the specialist recruitment practice for Senior Manager Function appointments, is running a series of free online briefings. Each lasts 45 minutes, focuses on one practical topic and ends with live questions. The sessions are led by Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Chartered Accountant, Fellow of the ICAEW and former listed-company Finance Director, who leads every SMF Capital search personally.

Why short, focused sessions work

Most Senior Managers and compliance professionals don't need another long course on the regime. They need clear answers to specific questions:

• How should a Statement of Responsibilities be worded?
• Can our compliance officer also be our MLRO?
• Does our new risk committee chair need approval?
• How do I build a fractional career without overcommitting?

The briefings are designed around those questions, using examples from real Senior Manager searches rather than a recital of the rulebook.

Briefing 1: Getting Your SMCR Documents Right

When the regulator looks at whether a firm is meeting the regime's expectations, it starts with the documents: Statements of Responsibilities, the Responsibilities Map, fitness and propriety assessments, regulatory references and the board's skills. This session explains what each document must do, the mistakes that come up again and again, and how to keep them consistent with each other.

For: compliance officers, company secretaries, HR teams and Senior Managers.

Attendees get links to SMF Capital's free Word templates for all five documents, available on its free guides and templates page.

Briefing 2: Who Should Be Your MLRO and Compliance Officer?

For smaller firms, choosing who runs compliance and money laundering reporting is one of the most important decisions they'll make. The session covers:

• who can hold the SMF16 and SMF17 roles
• whether a director can be the MLRO, and whether the roles can be combined
• the costs and risks of fractional versus full-time arrangements
• what the regulator expects to see
• what to do when an MLRO leaves unexpectedly

For: founders and directors of smaller firms, firms seeking authorisation or leaving an appointed representative network, and payments, fintech and advice businesses.

Our events can be found as follows:-

Briefing 3: Board Accountability Under the Senior Managers Regime

Chairs and committee chairs can hold Senior Manager Functions in their own right, and every non-executive is bound by the Conduct Rules. The session covers:

• which board roles need regulatory approval
• the Consumer Duty and whistleblowers' champion roles
• how much time regulated board roles really take
• what the PRA's collective suitability expectation means at banks, building societies and insurers

For: chairs, non-executive directors, company secretaries and nomination committees. It's held early in the morning to fit around board diaries.

Briefing 4: Candidate Clinic — Building a Fractional or Interim Senior Manager Career

Demand for fractional and interim compliance officers, MLROs and risk leaders is growing, particularly at smaller firms. This evening clinic explains:

• how to hold Senior Manager Functions at several firms
• how to manage time and conflicts between clients
• typical day rates and retainers
• how to protect yourself through engagement terms and insurance
• what firms look for when appointing a fractional Senior Manager

For: experienced compliance officers, MLROs and risk leaders considering portfolio work. Registrations are private and never shared with employers.

How to register

All four briefings are free and online. Dates and registration links are on the SMF Capital events page, and the sessions are also listed on Eventbrite. You'll receive a joining link by email after registering.

Can't make a session?

SMF Capital publishes a free library of resources on the regime: guides to every Senior Manager Function, a Conduct Rules training guide, an SMF and compliance salary guide, and downloadable templates. You'll find them at smfcapital.co.uk/free-guides. There's also SMF Unlocked, a podcast on the Senior Managers regime, available through the SMF Capital media centre on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.

A note on CPD

Many attendees record the briefings as part of their continuing professional development. Requirements vary between professional bodies, so check your own body's rules on what counts.

The briefings provide general information, not legal or regulatory advice.

Adrian Lawrence FCA is the founder of SMF Capital, a specialist recruitment practice for Senior Manager Function appointments at FCA and PRA-regulated firms.