Since 2007 Xperient Training has worked with regulatory bodies to deliver training on regulatory law and fitness to practise processes as well as behavioural training and coaching. Since 2020, we have been partnering with qualified lawyer and executive coach, Toni Smerdon. Our collective experience delivering bespoke training in regulatory law and fitness to practise goes back over 20 years.
We specialise in: Training for Chairs; Adjudicators; Committee Secretaries and Hearings Assistants; Legal Advisers; Investigations Teams and Case Examiners.
We work co-creatively with our regulatory clients so that they get exactly what they need at that time, fully up to date and totally relevant.
When we moved a majority of our training deliveries online in 2020, we found innovative ways to keep the regulatory training as engaging as it would have been if face-to-face, using drama-based activities, facilitated discussions, interactive exercises, mock hearings and bespoke videos of case studies. This was highly successful and as a result, many of our clients have made a positive choice to continue hosting much of their training with us via online platforms.
Regulation clients include:
- General Dental Council
- Social Work England
- Bar Standards Board
- Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants
- General Optical Council
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Professional Standards Authority
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General Pharmaceutical Council
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Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register
Training events include:
- Fitness to Practise Induction Training
- Chair Development Training
- Questioning Skills for FtP Panellists
- Feedback Training for Committee Secretaries and Hearings Assistants
- Investigations Committee Chair Training
- Specialist List Appeal Panel Training
- Training for Triage, Case Examiners and Investigation Teams
- Legal Adviser Training and Case Law Updates
- One-to-One development coaching for potential Chairs
including modules on:
- Assertiveness
- Unconscious Bias
- Public Speaking
Nicola has been a Lay Member/Chair since 2000 of various Investigations, Fitness to Practice, Disciplinary and Appeals panels at the General Dental Council, Chartered Institute of Accountants, Taxation Disciplinary Board, British Institute of Interior Designers and the Construction Industry Council. She has brought her insights and experience to bear when designing training for panellists and staff at regulatory bodies and contributing to consultations on developing/improving regulatory guidance documents.
Toni is a qualified lawyer with substantial regulatory experience. Toni has been delivering ftp training since 2002: induction/refresher training for FTP and IOC panellists, chairs, legal advisers, case examiners and committee secretaries, initially for the General Medical Council and MPTS; since September 2015 bespoke programmes for other regulators including: General Dental Council; General Pharmaceutical Council; General Osteopathic Council and Social Work England covering:
- Case law and other legal updates;
- Questioning and listening skills;
- Evidence – types and assessment;
- Witnesses – lay and expert;
- Equality, diversity and inclusion;
- Unconscious bias;
- The unrepresented registrant;
- Chairing skills;
- Managing hearings;
- Drafting determinations and giving reasons;
- Misconduct;
- Impairment and sanction; and
- Insight and remediation.
Feedback over the years has been universally positive – recently e.g. the individual comments confirmed that Toni knows her subject; is able to explain everything clearly and concisely even when the subject matter is complicated. She is able to provide practical hints and tips to support participants’ learning – one participant stated: “I would like to put her in my pocket and take her to hearings with me”.
Toni keeps up to date on key issues and case law via e.g. Bailii; Lexology; and the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers’ newsletters.
Clients say:
“Xperient have received great feedback for the sessions they’ve given and the work they’ve done has helped the organisation maintain a strong team of FTP chairs.” General Dental Council
“We found Xperient to be a valuable partner in delivering remote training for our fitness to practise team. They absorbed information quickly and effectively, and used this to design and deliver engaging sessions.” Social Work England
“Xperient training workshops have had a significant impact. The workshops are engaging, entertaining, refreshing and have been very well received” Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants
“Nicola is a very effective facilitator who brings a level of understanding to the type of questioning techniques required by a healthcare panel. Panellists privately expressed how much they had learned and how easy it was to understand Nicola’s style” General Optical Council
Participants say:
“I really enjoyed the recent training day. It was a valuable experience for me and I am so grateful you were there to guide me through the process.”
“…a truly bespoke session, using real-file source material that participants can relate to”
