Thank you for joining us on 15 November to take your outsourcing game to the next level.

Thanks to the generous support of Assembly supporter, Aegon UK, we were able to team up with coach and consultant Rachael Hurdman to create a workshop where paraplanners could gather to exchange practical insights, knowledge and experience.

We hope you agree it turned out to be a day out of the office that made a real difference to you and your future in outsourcing.

Aegon UK’s Sarah Purves and Succession Wealth’s Ellie Welling return for a follow-up to last month’s ‘What kind of paraplanning leader will I be?’ Assembly.

Picking up where they left off in November, Sarah, Ellie and host, Richard Allum, explore a topic that every aspiring and existing leader will experience during their career: difficult conversations. 

Sarah shares ideas and techniques that can help paraplanning leaders successfully prepare for and navigate discussions that you might otherwise dread.

During the second half of this episode, our guests focused on questions, ideas and topics raised by paraplanners during the first Assembly.  

But whether or not you joined Sarah and Ellie last time, and haven’t had a chance to listen or watch it on catch up yet, you’re sure to gain plenty to inform your reflections on successful leadership by tuning into this discussion.

Watch or listen now

So if you’re on the lookout for an hour that’s packed with practical ideas and insights that could prove vital to your next steps in paraplanning, look no further.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about stepping into a leadership role in paraplanning. Or you’re already managing others and want to build your skills. Either way, our specially extended lunchtime Assembly at 12.30pm on Wednesday 13 November is for you.

What’s in it for me?

Over 90 minutes, you’ll explore what kind of paraplanning leader you could be and discover how you can make that step with confidence – all from the comfort of your own desk (or canteen, cafe, or kitchen table).

Wherever you’re joining from, we’ll have Aegon UK’s learning and organisational consultant, Sarah Purves, on hand to help. Throughout the Assembly, Sarah will be inviting you to try out a series of exercises that will help you:

• Identify the paraplanning leadership qualities you already have (you might be surprised)
• Discover your natural management style by learning from what’s worked (and what hasn’t) with your own managers
• Get better at those tricky conversations that come with leading others
• Build a practical toolkit you can use straight away to have more impact in your role

What’s more, Sarah will be joined by paraplanner Ellie Welling from Succession Wealth who will be sharing her own experience of moving into a leadership role – what she’s learned, what she wishes she’d known, and how she’s gone about developing her own approach to managing a team.

It’s an Assembly that’s specially designed so you can:

• share your thoughts about the challenges of leadership without judgment if you’d like to
• learn from the experience of others at different stages of their career
• gain practical tips you can actually use right away
• work out if leadership is right for you and what it could look like
• ask questions you’ve always wanted to ask about managing others

Save your spot now

There’s no magic formula for becoming a leader. But there are tools and techniques that really work. Whether you just want to tune in to listen and learn, or get stuck in and share your thoughts in the Chat, you’ll be really welcome.

So how about it? Save your spot now.

Don’t miss part two!

This Assembly was the first of a two-parter on paraplanning leadership. In the second part, Sarah, Ellie and Richard will dig into dealing with difficult conversations as well as exploring the questions raised in the Chat at today’s Assembly.

To save your spot for that Assembly, visit the event page.

Paraplanners from all over the country gathered for the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s Big Day Out 2024 on 12 September 2024.

From its first meeting in 2013, the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s annual gathering has created space for sparking collaboration and conversation among paraplanners that is unlike any other event in the world of wealth management.

Why?

The Big Day Out is an informal gathering that offers six hours’ worth of CPD thanks to its combination of tailor-made interactive sessions led by hand-picked experts (and designed especially for the event), and group discussions facilitated by paraplanner hosts.

It makes for a supportive and encouraging space in which you can listen and learn, and share ideas, knowledge and insights. And it’s a unique environment in which you can really focus and flourish – both professionally and personally.

You’ll feel you belong at The Big Day Out because The Big Day Out belongs to you. Here’s what happened at The Big Day Out 2024.

Welcome!

Assembled paraplanners joined us in the conference barn for a welcome from Big Day Out hosts, Sam Tonks and Chris Wormwell.

Then we got straight into…

Hone it. Own it: One hour to perfect your development plan

New for this year, and designed especially for the Paraplanners’ Assembly, we open and closed the day with two really interactive sessions led by Arch Inspire’s Rachael Hurdman.

What were they all about? How to create an actionable and practical plan to achieve your personal and professional development goals.

But this wasn’t some dry run-of-the-mill classroom-type session because IT WAS A BIG DAY OUT! So Rachael shared practical tools, techniques and insights that (1) participants could try out throughout the sessions at your Big Day Out and (2) will last participants (and people back at the office they shared them with) for years.

Crop Rotations

Following the opening session, the Assembly split into three groups (called Crop Rotations) to tackle three topics over three 45-minute sessions.

Lunch

Locally sourced and freshly prepared, we tucked into pulled pork or vegetarian chilli (or both!) along with loads of healthy salads and slaws that were grown on the farm.

Hone it. Own it: Part Two

Rachael Hurdman returned and, in this closing session, invited participants to take a couple of practical steps that will enable you to gather the loose ends of your personal action plan. It was another really interactive session where you could try out your new tools, and round off your development plan – and Big Day Out – perfectly.

And finally…

The Paraplanners’ Assembly

It was time for the session after which the Assembly is named. Just like at our first gathering in 2013, Sam and Chris will opened up the floor for you to share anything that’s on your mind.

If you’re a paraplanner who lives or works in striking distance of central London, then The Other London Assembly from 10am on Friday 20 October 2023 will be right up your street.

Hosted by Dan Atkinson and Andy Schleider, this is your chance to gather with paraplanners from your neck of the woods to learn what’s going on in each other’s worlds, share ideas, and discover practical tips and illuminating insights.

Book your spot and you’ll be able to shape the agenda for the two-hour get-together but – right now – we expect paraplanners taking part to exchange ideas on report writing and, now that the consumer duty is a feature of daily life, explore how we’re demonstrating ‘fair value’ in annual reviews.

Plus, the chance to tackle any other paraplanning topic that’s on your mind when we gather at the London Wall Place office of Barnett Waddingham.

From our very first meeting in 2013, the Paraplanners’ Assembly has created gatherings – in person and online and all over the UK – that spark collaboration and conversation.

Expect the same from The Other London Assembly.

After all, Assemblies only happen because paraplanners show up. You’ll feel you belong at The Other London Assembly because The Other London Assembly belongs to you.

So how about it? Book your spot now.

There are times when we’re recording an online Assembly or bitesize video or dedicated podcast episode and we just think OMG EVERYONE IS GOING TO ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS.

And that’s the case with this interview with consultant and founding director of About Consulting Group, Jon Dunckley.

Because this podcast is all about neurodiversity.

(Its origins lie in this comment by Planner12 posted at The Big Tent last year.)

And, as Jon (who is autistic) says very early on in the episode, neurodiversity matters to me, you and everyone.

After all, we each have a way of thinking that’s unique to us. We all occupy our place in a neurodiverse world.

But if the way we think is plotted on a spectrum, most of us would be considered ‘neurotypical’.

Yet plenty of us – at least 1 in 10 in the UK – function, learn and process information differently from the neurotypical.

Neurodifference and work

We may be neurodifferent but, despite thinking differently, we’re expected to adapt and succeed in a world that’s geared towards neurotypical people.

And that’s why we thought Planner12’s question – and the thread that their comment sparked – was such a great starting point to consider neurodiversity and its consequences personally and professionally whether we’re neurodivergent or neurotypical.

Because even if we’re not neurodifferent ourselves, people we work with will be. Either way, what do we need to consider about day-to-day working life so we each get the chance to thrive, contribute and gain fulfilment from work?

What do we mean by neurodifferent? What conditions are considered neurodifferent? If you’re neurodifferent, do you mention it to your employer? Do you need a diagnosis? What’s your approach to studying and sitting exams? How should you adapt your leadership style for a range of neurodifferent conditions? And how does your condition influence the way you manage your team?

Invaluable insights and practical tips

In just under an hour, host Richard Allum and Jon explore just about everything you could possibly want to cover.

Expect talk of autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dyslexia and dysgraphia. Learn about TIC syndrome, the ‘Pygmalion effect’, why people with ‘spiky profiles’ are good for business. Plus why job adverts should (a) encourage applicants with spiky profiles and (b) be really clear about what a job will actually involve.

And there’s so much more.

In fact, this is an area we’re going to explore more – and not leave it too long before we do. So if you think of anything that the Assembly could explore once you’ve listened please get in touch and tell us what you think.

Now, tuck in to this latest episode. We think you’re going to love it.

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A few of links mentioned by Jon during the episode

British Dyslexia Association: Dyslexia-friendly style guide

The Neurodiverse Workplace by Victoria Honeybourne

Think Human Business Writing course

BTS podcast: Neurodiversity and studying for regulated exams

PFS Power: Working with vulnerable clients

Cornell note-taking system (YouTube video)

Online Assembly: Design principles for reports

Paraplanners from all over the country gathered for The Big Day Out 2023 on 14th September 2023.

For the second successive year, our destination was the fantastic FarmED – right in the heart of the Cotswold countryside.

(Trust us, it’s lovely.)

This year, The Big Day Out was split into two halves:

1st half: All about paraplanning today
2nd half: All about paraplanning tomorrow

Three groups

Following The Big Welcome, we split the Assembly into three groups – Barley, Oats, and Wheat.

Each group had paraplanning hosts. Hosts volunteered to make sure you were where you needed to be when you needed to be there and to help facilitate conversations.

(The Big Day Out wouldn’t have been possible without our volunteers, so please gave a big hand 👏 to this year’s hosts: Kez Condy, Becky Jones, Jackie Manning, Sian Davies Cole, Pippa Oldfield, Jo Parkes, and Colin Stewart.)

First half: Paraplanning today – Crop Rotations

Each group spent 45 minutes in each of the following three sessions.

Technical top tips

Expert: Les Cameron, Head of Technical, M&G Wealth

This was a chance to quiz a popular Assembly regular in person with those burning technical questions that you’ve always wanted someone to answer.

Suitability reports: a fair value assessment

Leader: Caroline Stuart, Founder of Sparrow Paraplanning

Caroline invited groups to consider whether suitability reports were still fit for purpose and they’ve for a Consumer Duty world.

Were our planning assumptions still fit for purpose?

Leader: Dan Atkinson, Head of Technical, Paradigm Norton

Is it time to re-assess your planning assumptions? Could you really rely on what had happened in the past to plan for the future? This was a chance for participants to test the assumptions that apply to the ‘planning’ part of a paraplanners job title. To help, we were joined by three experts: Thomas Hogg of Timeline, Parmenion’s Jasper Thornton-Boelman and Jon Palin from Barnett Waddingham.

Lunchtime drop-in: Outsourced Paraplanners Banter + Chat x Paraplanners’ Assembly

Lunchtime drop-in: Outsourced Paraplanners Banter + Chat x Paraplanners’ Assembly

Christina Georgiou and Andy Schleider hosted a drop in for participants who are starting out as an outsourced paraplanner, thinking about it, or already are. The session was an IRL version of the ‘Outsourced Paraplanners banter + chat group’ hosted by Andy on WhatsApp.

The Afternoon: Paraplanning tomorrow

After lunch, we got right back to the roots of the Paraplanners’ Assembly.

Back in 2013, our first gathering proved that when paraplanners get together to learn, fix and share, we’re able to tackle the biggest issues.

A decade ago, we wanted the financial planning world to recognise paraplanning as a choice of professional career. (And just look at us now!)

Today, the big questions seem to revolve around the future of paraplanning itself and our role in it.

What does artificial intelligence and automation mean for paraplanning and for us? Are remote working and hybrid teams really here to stay? What skills and knowledge are paraplanners going to need for a fulfilling career from now on?

Learn, fix and share

When we began to think about how to tackle these questions, it crossed our minds to invite a keynote speaker to put the world to rights for us.

But we soon realized that that speaker didn’t exist.

Because the future of work was not just about technology. It wasn’t just about personal development and technical knowledge. It wasn’t just about teams and leadership. It wasn’t just about the future of business.

It was too big a job for one person. But a bunch of people? Perhaps even an assembly?

And so we decided that the best people to consider the future of paraplanning were…paraplanners!

Let’s get started

Assembly hosts, Sam Tonks and Sarah Lees, kicked off the afternoon’s session.

We worked with foresight and innovation expert, Eleanor Winton, to help us design three very interactive sessions.

Eleanor recorded two video contributions that we showed to spark your thinking.

But the future of paraplanning? That conversation was up to us.

We knew from the surveys you completed that this kind of thing had been on your minds for a while. And we thought the Assembly was the perfect space for paraplanners to explore it. But you only got out what you were willing to put in, so you were ready to share your thoughts!

We were sure you were going to really enjoy it. We were sure you were going to feel good about having the chance to talk about the future. And we were certain it would be the start of a conversation that – thanks to your participation – our Assembly was uniquely placed to encourage among colleagues across the world of financial planning.

(And, besides, we arranged ice-cream in the break to fuel conversations!)

If you were there, we hope you enjoyed it. If you weren’t, there’s always next year!

More than four years since it last gathered in person, Assembly in the Middle is back!

So if you’re a paraplanner who lives or works in the midlands of England, why not join organisers Caroline Stuart and Sam Tonks for an informal gathering at Hill Close Gardens in Warwick on 10 November 2023?

Assembly in the Middle will begin at 10am and finish at 2pm. But what happens in between is entirely up to you because, once you’ve booked your spot, we’ll invite you to submit ideas about what you’d like to learn, fix or share with other paraplanners on the day.

Why should I take part?

Because it’s part of the Paraplanners’ Assembly movement, Assembly in the Middle offers a supportive and encouraging space in which you can listen and learn, and share ideas, knowledge and insights.

And whether you’re in-house or outsourced, it’s a great way to meet other paraplanners from your neck of the woods – especially welcome when so many of us work from home these days.

It’s somewhere you can really focus and flourish – both professionally and personally.

Don’t forget to bring your lunch.

We’ll have coffee and tea and biscuits available throughout the day (plus chocolates, of course) but make sure you bring your own lunch or you’ll go hungry at lunchtime.

And finally…

You’ll feel you belong at an Assembly in the Middle because the Assembly in the Middle belongs to you.

Want to take part? Then tap ‘Book now’.

With a background that’s rich in paraplanning experience, Becca Timmins (pictured above at the Big Day Out 2022) is ideally placed to lead a session on personal development power-ups for paraplanners. But what’s in it for paraplanners – and the financial planning practices they work for?

What’s the one thing Becca Timmins wished she’d mastered when she started out as a paraplanner in 2003?

How to give feedback.

“I’ve been in an operations role since 2010, but was paraplanning for quite a long time before that, and I would have massively benefited from thinking about how to give feedback.”

“I’m not thinking about the kind of feedback you give to a team member as a manager – or vice versa – but the ‘the-information-you-gave-me-on-this-file-is-crap-and-this-is-why-I-need-it’ kind of feedback you needed to share with advisers. I just didn’t have those skills.”

These days, the coach and facilitator – and operations director of financial planning practice, Emery Little – recognises that the exchange of feedback relies on a vital quality that she would have loved to have been given techniques to practice earlier in her career too: “I wasn’t taught to listen. To REALLY listen. And that’s a skill that is massively valuable for giving and receiving feedback.”

“Take the crap file example. If I’m going to a planner and saying ‘this is a problem, the file isn’t good enough’ there’s a danger that all they hear is ‘there’s a compliance problem’ and the quality of the conversation is just doomed.”

“But if you can frame and share feedback constructively, and then sit back and really listen to what a planner says, more often than not you realise that you’re both trying to achieve very similar outcomes for clients but are just approaching it in different ways.”

“Paying attention to what people are actually saying and considering how to give feedback – both contribute massively to fostering understanding that results in healthier and happier working relationships.”

Giving feedback, learning to listen and another essential skill – time management – aren’t issues unique to Becca’s experience as a former paraplanner. They’re issues that have cropped up over the past year or so when Becca has been facilitating a small gathering of paraplanning team leaders for the Paraplanners’ Assembly.

And it’s the frequency with which they featured as a challenge for paraplanners during those team leader discussions that led us to invite Becca to develop a three-hour workshop – called ‘Personal development power-ups for paraplanners’ – that’s designed specifically to help paraplanners gain and practice those skills. 

Made possible thanks to the support of Aegon, and taking place online, the workshop begins at 9:30am on 12 May 2023.

Despite being online the format will echo the interactive style of the workshop sessions that Becca ran at the Big Day Out in September 2022. (To see what paraplanners thought of those sessions, scroll down and take a look at the post-it comments pictured at the bottom of this page.)

As for the power-ups, here are three things – in Becca’s own words – that taking part in the workshop will offer you and the business you work for.

1. Give feedback confidently and listen effectively

“I often hear people say they’d like to be able to communicate better. Or I don’t feel heard. Or I don’t feel like I can get my point across very well. Or I don’t feel very well listened to. One of the things that I think people will walk away with is a way to frame feedback in a way that others can hear more easily and so listen in order to reach a better outcome that takes into account both people’s points of view.”

2. Take away practical tools to help manage your time

“Because paraplanners sit in the middle of the organisation – between clients, planners and administrators – they’re pushed and pulled in all three directions. It means they have many demands on their time and often it’s things that are important but not urgent.

Meanwhile, investing time to make things better in a way that will save everyone time – like fixing those report templates, for example – that’s the kind of investment of time that tends to slip.

I want people to walk away with a different way of thinking about time management because, for me, it all comes down to priorities: it’s not that I don’t have the time, it’s that I’m unable to prioritise my time in the right ways or in different ways. Take part and you’ll leave the session with tools to take and try out the next day – practical methods to distinguish between important and urgent tasks and how to prioritise them.”

3. Good for you at work – and good for the business you work for

Historically, I think there’s been a greater emphasis on acquisition of knowledge technically, what exams do you need to pass to be a paraplanner, how do you write better reports – that that sort of thing. Or, for administrators, go and see such-and-such a brand for a day to find out more about their platform.

But the more you and the business you work for looks after the whole person, the better they’re going to perform at work. When we learn to listen to each other better, then we can begin to talk in ways that other people will understand. For instance, as a paraplanner, if you talk about the outcomes for a client, and wanting to give a client a great service, a planner is far more likely to listen to you than if you come from a ‘well-the-file-check-says-that-the-file-needs-to-look-like-this’.

As an employer, if you’re giving people to chance to learn this stuff, giving them the space to learn, and investing time and money for this sort of training. you’re affecting the lives of the people who are working for you in a much bigger way than just what they can do for your clients.

If you liked that, here are two things you can do right now which we think you might like too

Tax year end. ALREADY?

Yes. But it wasn’t just any old hour’s worth of tax chat (attractive though we know that would be). 

No. This is all about getting in the RIGHT MINDSET for 2023’s tax year end deadline. 

(Like a HIIT workout. But without the HIIT bit. Or the workout.)

What it involved was coach and facilitator, Becca Timmins, being joined by Kez Condy and Jo Parkes from Navigatus, Zoe Hitchcock from Crowe UK and Emery Little’s Satu Flynn to discuss how they were getting in the zone for this year’s tax deadline.

The audience were invited to tune in as the group answer three questions:

• What went well at tax year end last year?
• What was a challenge?
• What will you take with you into this tax year end?

By sharing their insights and experiences from last year – combined with your own contributions in the chat – everyone taking part – on screen or off it – gained ideas, tips and techniques that could prove invaluable in countdown to the tax year deadline.