Training Diaries are a separate module from objectives, designed to allow users to quickly capture training activities, CPD entries, and continuing competence records. The module is fully configurable, allowing you to tailor forms, fields, categories, and jurisdictions (such as SRA) to align with your organisation's requirements. You can customise the module to track hours-based or reflection-based learning, depending on your regulatory framework. The Training Diary can be named according to your preferences (e.g., CPD Diary, Training Record, or Continuing Competence Log).

To set up a Training Diary, access the Training Diaries module as an administrator and configure the jurisdictions, categories (which can align with competency frameworks), and form fields. Before building one from scratch, check the Starter templates tab — it offers pre-configured starting points for several regulators' schemes, which you can enable and then adapt. They reflect our interpretation of each framework, so your firm should still confirm the final setup meets its obligations. You can add custom fields to capture specific information such as learning outcomes, reflections, activity dates, and supporting documentation. Once configured, the module will be available to users who can begin adding entries. Consider holding a planning meeting to determine what training types to track and what reporting requirements you need to meet for professional development hours or regulatory compliance.

Yes, users can attach supporting documentation to each Training Diary entry they create. This feature allows trainees and employees to upload certificates, attendance confirmations, or other evidence of their training activities. The document upload facility has received positive feedback from clients for making it easier to maintain comprehensive records in one location. This is particularly useful for compliance purposes when organisations need to demonstrate that individuals have completed required training or CPD hours.

To upload a document, users should open a Training Diary entry and look for the supporting documents section within the form. They can then select files to upload from their device. Administrators can configure whether document uploads are mandatory or optional for specific types of training entries, depending on organisational or regulatory requirements. Users should avoid uploading documents that contain confidential client information, and redact any client names or details before attaching a file.

Whilst there currently isn't a direct automatic integration between most Learning Management Systems and Training Diaries, it is possible to import training records from your LMS into Performance Leader.

To explore this option, work with your Customer Success Manager to discuss the specific LMS you use and the data format it exports.

Yes, Training Diaries are designed to support multiple use cases including trainee seat reviews, practising certificate renewals, and continuing competence tracking. The module is flexible enough to accommodate different regulatory requirements, such as those set by the SRA for solicitors in England and Wales. You can configure the module to track specific competencies, skill standards, or other requirements relevant to trainees throughout their training contract. The system can also be set up to support practising certificate declarations by ensuring individuals have completed their required CPD or continuing competence activities.

For trainee seat reviews, configure categories that align with the competencies or seat rotations your trainees complete. For practising certificate renewals, set up the module to capture the required types and hours of CPD, along with reflections if required by your jurisdiction. Users can then export their training records as Excel files or PDF reports when needed for supervisor meetings or regulatory submissions. Consider planning a separate configuration meeting to design the specific workflows for trainees.

Users can add entries to their Training Diary by accessing the Training Diaries module from the navigation menu. The process is designed to be quick and straightforward, addressing previous feedback that using objectives for CPD tracking was unintuitive and clunky. Users click to add a new entry, select the jurisdiction (if multiple are configured), choose the relevant category (such as a specific competency or training type), and then complete the form with details about their activity.

The Log activity form includes the jurisdiction, a title, a description, learning outcomes and reflection, the activity date, and any supporting documents (PDF, Word, or images up to 5MB each). Users also record hours where the jurisdiction is measured against a numeric target. Once saved, the entry can be reopened with View, which offers Edit and Delete, and the whole diary can be exported as needed. The system provides an overview of compliance and training activities, making it easy for users to see their progress towards goals or requirements.

Yes, Training Diary entries can be integrated with review cycles and check-ins. This allows diary entries to be pulled into supervisor check-ins or annual reviews, giving reviewers visibility of the training and development activities the individual has completed. This integration supports a more holistic view of performance and development, as supervisors can see both what objectives have been achieved and what learning has taken place. It's particularly valuable for trainee reviews where demonstrating competence development through training activities is essential.

To enable this integration, work with your Customer Success Manager during your review design or check-in configuration sessions. They can help you set up the workflow so that relevant Training Diary information appears in the appropriate review steps or check-in forms. This may involve configuring specific fields or sections within your review or check-in templates to pull through Training Diary data automatically.

Administrators can run reports across all users in the Training Diaries module to monitor compliance, track CPD hours, and identify trends in training activities. The reporting features show breakdowns by learning category, compliance status, and individual progress. This is valuable for ensuring that all staff members are meeting their professional development requirements and for planning future training initiatives. Users can also export their own training records as Excel files or PDF reports, which is useful for practising certificate renewals or discussions with supervisors.

To access reporting, open the Training Diaries module as an administrator and click Reporting on the jurisdiction you want. The dashboard adapts to how that diary is set up: diaries with a numeric target show progress against target and how many users are on target, at risk, or behind, while reflection-based diaries show how far users have moved through the cycle and who has declared. A Current period dropdown lets you look back at earlier reporting periods, and exports sit in the Export & Tools card at the foot of the page. Consider configuring your categories and fields with reporting in mind, ensuring you capture the information you'll need for regulatory compliance or internal performance tracking. Email campaigns can also be configured to remind users to update their Training Diary entries regularly.

Training Diaries can run in three styles. The Full Cycle workflow follows the SRA's continuing competence approach: users capture reflections, turn them into goals, log the activities they complete, evaluate them, and sign off an annual declaration. This is designed for qualified solicitors and fee earners. An Activity log version is available for trainees and people who aren't solicitors — they simply log activities against categories, with no planning step. Between the two sits a Lighter layout, where planning is available but optional.

You don't pick the style directly. It's derived from the Plan stage setting in Diary settings → Structure — Off gives an Activity log, Optional gives the Lighter layout, and Required gives the full cycle. The screen shows you the resolved layout as you change the setting.

Yes. In Diary settings → Details you set the month the CPD year starts, the cycle length in months, and the year the schedule is anchored to — so a two-year period for a full training contract, or a shorter period such as six months for a single seat.

Cycles are set to the month, not to a specific date: a diary always runs from the first day of its start month to the last day of its final month. A six-month diary starting in September runs 1 September to 28 February, and it isn't currently possible to pin a diary to exact dates such as a seat rotation that begins mid-month.

Most firms set up a two-year diary, as shorter cycles don't carry over: if you set up a six-month diary, you'll need to create a new one and reassign those users for the next period. Note that once a diary has CPD records against it, its timing is locked and can't be changed — the jurisdiction overview shows this as Cycle timing: LOCKED — so set it carefully before users start logging entries.

The declaration is configured per jurisdiction in Diary settings → Declaration. You can choose None for no in-app declaration, Self-certification where users simply confirm they've completed their requirement, or Cycle review where they're walked back through their Reflect, Plan, Do, and Evaluate stages first. You can also edit the declaration wording to match the statement your regulator requires, and ask users to write a short statement of their own before declaring.

On the user's side, a banner at the top of the diary shows how many days remain, with a Declare button. That opens the Declare compliance wizard, which steps through Reflect, Plan, Do, Evaluate, and finally Sign — summarising what was recorded at each stage and asking the user to confirm it. Empty stages don't block the declaration, as long as an empty record is accurate for the period. Their compliance status updates when they sign.

Yes, where your firm has enabled these options. You can add a secondary category (a multi-select field) so a single entry can cover more than one skill, and a "Work done for" field to record who allocated the work. Both are configured per jurisdiction through Activity Fields, where you choose the field type, give it a title, and add instructions that appear as help text under the field.

Note that the standard entry fields — Title, Description, and Learning Outcomes & Reflection — are built in, and their prompt wording can't currently be edited. If you need different wording, add your own Text Area field alongside them.

Continuing competence and Training Diaries are deliberately kept separate from the Objectives module, and there is no link between them. This is intentional: continuing competence is treated as an individual professional responsibility, distinct from the objectives that feed into someone's appraisal. Users can still export their continuing competence details if they need to corroborate their declaration.