Level 5 Certificate in Professional Business and Enterprise Support

This is about establishing, managing and ending professional relationships with clients, whether you are working with an individual or a team, so that they trust you and the service you represent. It covers agreeing what support will be provided, communicating in the ways that suit each client, building credibility, handling difficulties, keeping accurate records and closing each engagement well. It also covers reaching people who could benefit from support and explaining clearly what you offer.

This is about helping clients to build a clear, evidence-based picture of their business: where it is, where it is heading and what needs to change. It involves gathering and analysing information, using recognised diagnostic tools, separating the symptoms of problems from their causes and agreeing priorities. Wherever possible you should work in a way that helps clients develop these analytical skills for themselves.

This is about helping clients turn decisions into action, sustain change and become more capable, confident and independent. It involves action planning, supporting implementation and adapting when circumstances change. It also involves choosing the mode of support that suits the client and the stage of the relationship, whether that is advising, mentoring, coaching, facilitating, training or consultancy.

This is about helping clients, impartially, to find, choose, access and evaluate the support they need from others. It involves knowing the national, local and sector support available, referring clients well, and helping them specify, select, fund and evaluate providers, while making sure the client keeps responsibility for their own decisions. Over time it means building the client's ability to do this for themselves.

This is about agreeing with clients how success will be judged, reviewing progress and outcomes, and recording and reporting evidence of impact for clients, your organisation, commissioners and funders. It also covers using what you learn to improve the support provided, by you and by your organisation.

To be a good business support professional you need a broad, current understanding of the essential areas of business and how they link to and support each other. You also need practical knowledge of the competing demands, pressures and motivations facing the people who run businesses. This Standard sets the level of knowledge expected of every practitioner. The Specialist Standards set out greater depth in particular areas.

This is about working to professional and ethical standards in everything you do. It covers integrity and impartiality, managing conflicts of interest, confidentiality and data protection, working within your competence and the limits of regulated activity, inclusive practice, safety and the responsible use of digital and AI tools. In the original standards, these were left to the guidelines of each organisation or professional body. They are now set out as part of the Standards themselves.

This is about disciplined reflection on your practice, continuing professional development and building the networks that make you a valued professional to work with. Whatever the focus of your practice, your aim should be to keep developing your ability to support clients, from a personal and career point of view and in line with the needs of the organisation you work for.

Business Finance pathway

This is about helping clients understand their financial position, plan and forecast with confidence, and find and secure the right finance for their stage and circumstances. It includes knowing where general business guidance ends and regulated financial advice begins.

Project Delivery pathway

This is about planning, managing and evaluating advisory projects and programmes so that they deliver for clients on time, within resources and in line with contractual and funding requirements. It includes managing a balanced caseload of clients and keeping their journeys moving.