Information for STEP Members

• Why CPD?
• What is CPD?
• CPD Forms for Download

Why CPD?

With ever changing legislative measures, it is clearly essential that Members keep up to date and also advance their skills. This is to ensure that Members maintain a high standard of professional practice and so protect the interests of their clients and the Society.

Article 5 of the STEP “Code of Professional Conduct’ states that:

“A Member shall ensure that he keeps himself at all times technically competent to advise and is fully abreast of developments in his areas of professional expertise. To this end he shall comply with the rules of the Society’s Continuing Professional Development Scheme.”

What is CPD?

STEP’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme was introduced in April 1997 with the following objectives:

1. “Relevant to the needs of Members in their professional lives.
2. Flexible enough to cater for particular circumstances (e.g. a career break).
3. Capable of being fulfilled in large measure without research or reading that is outside the normal usual activity of the different practitioners.
4. Not administratively burdensome.”

CPD comprises both structured and unstructured training:

Definition of Structured Training

1. Attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops, discussion meetings or similar events involving active contributions.
2. Preparation of lectures or other forms of presentation.
3. Writing books, articles or reviews.
4. All learning media involving interaction with other individuals or completion of interactive printed material by an authorised provider, whether or not in conjunction with video support (including group research; listening to audio tapes; viewing videos and television programmes; using video discs and computer-based training packages).

Definition of Unstructured Training

1. Reading
2. Research
3. Any other form of learning where there is no interaction with other individuals. This would include the use of learning media as above where undertaken on a personal basis.

Some basic guidelines for STEP Members under the CPD Scheme include:

1. Minimum requirement is 35 hours of which 15 hours should be structured training and 20 unstructured training.
2. No more than 50 per cent of the CPD requirements should be in non-core related topics of law, accounting, banking and financial services.
3. The CPD year commences on 1 April annually and ends on 31 March in the following calendar year. For Members joining part way through the CPD year, CPD will apply on a pro-rata basis for the proportion of the year since becoming a Member.
4. The scheme works on the basis of self-assessment by members. At the end of the CPD year the self-certification form should be completed by the Member and retained with the Member’s CPD record forms for a minimum of six years. Members will confirm that they have completed their annual CPD requirement by signing the declaration on the Membership subscription remittance advice issued in March each year.
5. Exemptions exist in the following situations:
   a. Temporarily engaged in other full-time work - Secondee
   b. Non-earner, e.g. ill health, career break, redundancy, maternity leave – Non-earner
   c. Retired and not in receipt of remuneration for any advice or work connected with trusts and/or estates - Retired

For more details, read STEP’s CPD Guide here.

CPD Forms for Download

• Code of Professional Conduct
• Continuing Professional Development
• Personal Record Sheet
• Self-Certification Form

Information for Training Providers

1. Conference providers normally self-assess on an hourly basis, subject to a maximum of six hours per day (or a maximum of seven hours for each full day of a residential conference).
2. It is the responsibility of Members to determine that the conference is at the appropriate level (i.e. post qualification).

STEP Foundation Certificate & Diploma in International Trust Management (Singapore Enrollees)

If you are interested in taking the STEP International Foundational Certificate or Diploma, please click on the following links:

• Course details
• Singapore course dates

For more information on the benefits of STEP membership and on joining STEP, please visit www.step.org/joining.

For enquiries, please email secretariat@step.org.sg.