This course includes the most comprehensive mapping in the industry today of the legislative, welfare, financial and practical issues which interplay when advising vulnerable and older clients and their families when planning for or responding to mental capacity, health and disability difficulties.
This Advanced Certificate can be taken as part of the STEP Diploma.
This course provides practitioners with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to provide a more specialist service and holistic approach when advising older and vulnerable clients.
Course starts: 4 May 2026
We sat down with Rhiannon Gogh, PlanIt Future, to chat about her experiences as an advocate for vulnerable clients.
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If you are not already a member of STEP, you need to join before enrolling onto this course as you will need your STEP membership number to hand when booking. Find out more here. Please allow five working days for your membership application to be approved by STEP. Applicable local taxes and discounts will be added to your basket on checkout for this course.
Our courses can become oversubsribed quickly and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. We advise that you book early to ensure you receive your requested workshop dates and to check the dates as soon as you receive your booking confirmation email.
Tailored pricing plans and group rate cards are available for firms seeking to train multiple team members or larger groups of employees. We are happy to work with you to design a cost-effective solution that aligns with your training goals and budget.
You can pay for your course fees in instalments if you choose the interest-free instalment plans available for certain courses. Specifically, you can opt for three equal monthly instalments for Certificate and Advanced Certificate level courses that total over £800 (excluding VAT), or six equal monthly instalments for the Professional Postgraduate Diploma. Payments can be made using a credit or debit card.
We recently held a briefing session with tutor Caroline Bielanska, where delegates found out more about the course and had their questions answered.
To take this course you need to be a member of STEP at Affiliate level or higher.
This course is available for study once a year and takes seven months to complete. It is delivered online in two parts.
Enrolment onto this course will include access to an online learning platform containing:
The course fee includes attendance at 12 online workshops led by a subject matter expert.
The course is assessed by way of a 3,500-4,000 word written assignment, based on a case study published two months before submission.
Once you have successfully completed this course, you will be awarded the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients (England and Wales).
Digital Certificates from April 2026
From April 6th 2026, printed certificates will no longer be issued. All certificates will be provided digitally via Diplomasafe.
This change supports our commitment to sustainability and modernisation. Digital certificates are:
Certificates are issued by our credentials partner, Diplomasafe. CLTI will securely share data with Diplomasafe in line with GDPR to enable digital credentialing. Learn more: https://diplomasafe.com
The course is ideal for practitioners looking for professional accreditation who work with vulnerable clients and require a thorough understanding of the legal and practice framework encompassing issues of mental and physical incapacity.
Students of this course typically include:
The STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients can be taken as part of the STEP Diploma and will count as two Advanced Certificates worth 60 Diploma Level credits until the end of 2026.
To be awarded the STEP Diploma you will need to comply with the mandatory rules and complete one Advanced Certificate from Set 1 (Private Wealth Administration and Governance), and one Advanced Certificate from Set 2 (Tax and Compliance) in addition to Advising Vulnerable Clients.
STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice
