FAQs for training providers

You must be able to: 

• enable a trainee to develop the skills needed to meet the Practice Skills Standards and comply with the Principles
• provide appropriate supervision
• meet all the requirements of recognised training set out in the SRA Education, Training and Assessment Provider Regulations 2019.

If you wish to make an application to become an authorised training provider, you should complete the application for Authorisation of a Training Provider under the Organisation Application tab in your mySRA account.

We no longer accept these applications by email or through the post.

Information can be found in our Authorised training provider information pack.

The organisations AUS or ORC can complete this application in their mySRA account. Please note, if you are an overseas organisation, you will need to add these roles first.

The current fee is £100. 

The current fee is £100 per trainee.

Authorisation lasts for the lifetime of the organisation.

We retain the right to apply conditions to any approval and, if we have serious concerns about the quality of training being provided, revoke authorisation altogether.  

There is no restriction as long as you can meet all of the requirements for training.

The organisations AUS or ORC can complete this application in their mySRA account. Please note, if you are an overseas organisation, you will need to add these roles first.

 

You must notify us in the Declaration of a new Training Principal form of any change in the Training Principal.

Trainees must be paid at least the single hourly rate for employees under the National Minimum Wage Regulations. 

Salary and annual leave issues are a matter of employment law. These should be included in the terms and conditions of the employment contract.

You must pay the fees and expenses for the trainees' first attempt at the PSC,

as set out in regulation 3.1(b) of the SRA Education, Training and Assessment Provider Regulations 2019.

Yes, the trainee must apply to register a period of recognised training through their mySRA account. The training principal or authorised signatory will then approve the application. The application should be made 30 days before the trainee is due to start.

If a PRT is not registered within three months of the start date we will use our discretion to decide whether to register the training.  Read further information.

The fee is £100.

You can, at your discretion, recognise relevant prior experience and take this time into account to reduce the period of training. This is known as relevant work-based experience. You can recognise relevant work-based experience on a like-for-like basis up to a maximum of six months (131 working days).

Part-time experience is calculated pro rata; for example a trainee who worked two and a half days per week for six months may be awarded a three month reduction to their training period.

The experience needs to have been gained in the three years preceding the period of recognised training.

Further information can be found on managing trainees.

We do not prescribe how the trainees record their training, only that a training record is maintained.

It should link the experience they have gained to the skills they have developed. The supervisor must verify the record.

The training principal or authorised signatory will sign-off the training and declare the trainee:

• Is of proper character and suitability to be admitted as a solicitor
• Is competent to meet the practice skills standards
• Is competent to comply with the principles
• Has full record of training
• Has satisfactorily complete the profession skills course.

The total length of time spent training depends on the usual number of days worked each week (not including overtime or weekend work). A full-time training period, in which the trainee works five days per week, is for two years.

So, as a guide, if the trainee works:

• two and a half days per week, the period is four years 
• three days per week, the period is three years and four months 
• four days per week, the period is two years and six months 

Secondments can also be arranged where the trainee would benefit from experience in another organisation.

Secondments do not have to be approved by us.