Since the beginning of May, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been visiting towns and cities across England and Wales to meet solicitors to talk about the SRA Handbook and outcomes-focused regulation (OFR), our new approach to regulation which starts on 6 October.

By 16 June, when we complete this series of 15 roadshows in Liverpool, we will have met more than 2,000 solicitors to explain how OFR will work.

I am delighted that so many people have taken the time to come and learn more about OFR, and initial feedback from the events suggests they have been very well received.

Interest has been so high that we will stage further events in September as the launch date draws close.

Particularly satisfying has been the way in which attendees at each event have engaged with us, displaying genuine enthusiasm for learning more about the new approach and highlighting issues which need further clarification.

I will pick up on a few of these areas now.

As a risk-based regulator, we have been asked many questions about how we will assess and manage risk under OFR, and there has been a lot of interest in how firms will be risk-profiled.

Solicitors are entitled to expect us to operate in a proportionate manner, concentrating on the issues that matter most and the firms which pose the highest risk to our regulatory objectives.

Through obtaining better information we will gain a better understanding of firms.

This will help us to assess how much supervision is required so we can act appropriately and proportionately.

The firms that fall into the high-risk or high-impact categories will be supervised using our new relationship management approach which we are currently piloting.

It is likely that most large firms will fall into the high-impact category because, if a firm of that size should fail, there will be a proportionately greater impact on, for instance, the compensation fund and SRA resources.

We will be open with firms about the approach we take with them, and our emphasis will be on cooperation to minimise risk – formal regulatory action will be used only in serious cases, or for those who cannot or will not work with us.

Solicitors have also been keen to learn more about how outsourced work will be regulated under OFR.

The new Code of Conduct specifies outcomes aimed at firms or in-house solicitors who use a third party to undertake work that they would normally do themselves and for which they remain responsible.

It is important that when firms outsource work this does not affect our ability to regulate their activities and clients are fully protected.

When entering into an outsourcing arrangement it is important to be completely transparent and inform clients about any arrangements which are made.

It is also essential to assess thoroughly any risks before making the decision to outsource, and to monitor those risks throughout the term of the outsourcing, not just at the outset.

We have also been asked a number of questions about the amount and type of guidance that will be available from the SRA.

The new draft Handbook was published on 6 April to ensure that the profession has time to prepare.

We have also produced a summary of the Handbook and ‘OFR at a glance’ which are available on our website.

There is, and always will be, a demand for detailed guidance from some, but we have found that guidance can become entrenched and regarded as mandatory.

We are working hard to strike the right balance between providing support and guidance while not destroying the flexibility that we are seeking to achieve.

What is really important is that we provide the right level of support while ensuring that those we regulate also take responsibility for preparing for the changes.

All those we regulate will continue to have access to our ethics helpline (0870 606 2577), where advice is offered to help individuals and firms take decisions.

The roadshows have also given us the chance to talk to solicitors about how the SRA is changing in preparation for the rollout of OFR.

Delegates have had the opportunity to meet the team behind mySRA – the new online system which will replace the paper-based system of application forms and fees, enabling users to update details online throughout the year.

This system is being phased in throughout the year and we are pleased this development has been received so positively by the profession.

Solicitors will be able to register for the online service from late July, when we will be sending out activation codes by letter, including a unique username and password to access your SRA online account.

Personal and professional details can be updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it will mean no longer having to write to us to tell us about changes.

From your account you will be able to make a range of applications, such as renewing your practising certificate and paying your fees, as well as obtaining information and guidance from the SRA.

Applications such as the ‘keeping of the roll’, for those solicitors who practise within government departments or who wish to be kept on the roll even if they are no longer practising, will also be going online.

MySRA will save you time and make engaging with the SRA easier and more accessible.

We will tell people when each online service becomes available.

More information about mySRA.

We will continue to support firms and individuals in the adoption of OFR until 6 October and beyond.

To complement the roadshows, we are holding a series of webinars which will take place between 23 June and 14 September as the sector gears up for introduction of OFR.

Full information about OFR can found on our website.

Charles Plant is chair of the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority