Nicola Clark obtains SOLAS qualification

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Nicola Clark obtains SOLAS qualification

Aug 16, 2021

I started with The McKinstry Company as Financial Controller in January 2020. Prior to working with The McKinstry Company, I worked in financial roles with The Station Hotel in Ayr, The Royal Bank of Scotland and latterly The University of the West of Scotland.

I have always enjoyed working with numbers, finance, and budgets and when I saw the opportunity to join The McKinstry Company as Financial Controller I jumped at the opportunity. Curiously, I also have a keen interest in all legal Documentaries on Television, although I remember during my first interview, Chairman, Graeme McKinstry stating, “the Law is not like it is on TV!”.

During my second interview with Partners, Robert Honeyman and Thiona McQuiston, they advised that as part of accepting the position to join the Firm l would be tasked with getting up to speed with the Cash Room processes and undertaking further professional training. This meant becoming SOLAS qualified, which is an essential qualification for all Scottish law firm Cash Room Managers to fully skill myself to discharge the role of Financial Controller.

As I had recently achieved my degree in BA Business Management with Distinction through The University of Glasgow, I was familiar with the rigors of studying along with working full time, so I welcomed the challenge and opportunity to study towards another qualification.

I started the role learning all the Cash Room processes and in tandem was actively investigating the availability and timetabling for starting my SOLAS course.

My studying was somewhat derailed by Covid, but as soon as the Universities got back on track, they offered to run the course by Zoom lectures every Tuesday/Wednesday. I had the full support of the Partners to start the course in October 2020.

Partner Robert Honeyman with Nicola Clark

The SOLAS course has three distinct elements, all of which require successful navigation and an examination pass for each part to become SOLAS qualified.

The first element was Cash Room Accounting and Administration which was over 10 weeks followed by the 2-hour Exam on 10 February 2021. On the 18th of March 2021 after an anxious wait, I received my results for the exam. I was happy to report that I achieved a pass with a mark of 100%.

I started the next element on 16 February 2021 which was Executry Procedure which was over 12 weeks followed by the 3-hour exam on 12 May 2021. During my studying for this element, I had great support from Partner, Thiona McQuiston and the Private Client staff within the Firm who were able to explain the processes which I was learning and how you put them into real practice.

I received my exam results for this element on 17 June 2021 which I again achieved a pass with a mark of 100%. Needless to say, I was delighted.

I started my final element on 19 May 2021 which was Feeing which was over 6 weeks followed by the 2-hour exam on 23 June 2021. I really enjoyed this element and found it very interesting to explore the ways in which a file may be feed and to understand the role of the Law Accountant. It was a very short course element and the Lecturer explained that with this element it is all perception and to some extent subjective, and everyone would have different answers when submitting our homework each week. I regularly spoke to Partner, Robert Honeyman during my studying for this element to get his views and explanations to help towards sitting my exam. I received my final exam result on 29 July 2021 which I achieved a result of 78% which I was again delighted with (after a very difficult exam).

I will graduate in October 2021 with an overall Distinction for the course with a final mark of 93%.

I am extremely grateful to the Partners for their support and advice throughout and thankful for the opportunity to obtain the SOLAS qualification. The process has given me a great insight in too much of the legal work we do within the Firm and allows me to carry out my role to the best of my ability with a greater understanding.

Now to put all of that studying and learning into practice!

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