TAL has launched a training course to help financial advisers understand and support their clients who may be suffering from grief.
Conducted through the TAL Risk Academy, the insurer’s ‘Supporting Grieving Clients Course’ is run by its Head of Mental Health, Glenn Baird, who has more than 14 years’ experience as a qualified psychotherapist, facilitator and trainer.
In a release announcing this initiative, TAL’s Head of Licensees and Partnerships, Beau Riley, said the course was developed to help advisers gain a greater understanding of the support they can provide customers who may be suffering from grief as well as knowledge on other resources advisers can draw on when their customers need additional help.
Very little training is available to equip advisers to have the right conversations when their customers are suffering from grief
He said that while current education options for advisers traditionally offer a lot of course content in the technical space, there is a need for more support in helping develop advisers’ soft skills:
“Very little training is available to equip advisers to have the right conversations when their customers are suffering from grief,” said Riley, adding, “Feedback from advisers tells us that this is the most important area they need to get right to effectively support their customers and that having these skills can be a real differentiator.”
Riley says the course aims to provide easily accessible resources that advisers can use to develop skills such as:
- Improving empathy
- Recognising grief symptoms
- How to respond to those who are grieving
TAL referred to adviser, Nathan McCullum, who it says is an advocate for more advisers to complete training in this space. It advises McCullum completed a similar course last year and has found value in the training to improve his ability to deal with difficult customer conversations.
“I encourage other financial advisers to do more training in this space, particularly young advisers,” said McCullum. “Many advisers may not be aware of their responsibility to get these conversations right, but advisers have a key role to play in providing trusted support to our customers,” he added.
TAL advises its grief support training course is available on-demand and is free to attend with one CPD hour available.
Advisers can click here and follow the links to enrol in the course or find out more information.
