The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has released details of a widespread membership consultation and engagement initiative on its membership offering, including consulting on the relationship the body has with its Personal Finance Society (PFS) arm.

The consultation will launch in September and will ask members to share their views on their current relationship with the CII, with their societies (including the PFS), and how they think the CII can best support its members over the next five years.

The consultation will also put forward proposals for the future of the professional body’s learning and assessment offerings.

The CII has recently faced opposition to plans to deregister its PFS arm. The PFS is the biggest UK professional body for Financial Planners and runs the Chartered Financial Planner designation.

The consultation will be completed by the end of the year with key findings to be published along with the CII’s response in the first quarter of next year.

It will include virtual and face-to-face consultations around the country to ensure members have the opportunity to contribute. Members will also be able to submit written feedback.

The CII also plans to host a number of member events over the summer to “follow-up and extend the conversation from our recent AGM” and for members to meet chair Helen Phillips and CEO Sian Fisher.

Sian Fisher, CEO of the CII, said: “Ahead of the launch of our Professional Map later this year, we had a planned consultation exercise in development. While input to this will remain a key area for focus, we are extending the breadth of the consultation to ensure it covers all aspects of our membership offering and our relationship, as a society of professional members, with the public.”

The announcement comes as this morning campaigners opposing the deregistration of the 40,000 member PFS have sent a letter to Ms Fisher pushing for AGM voting numbers to be published on the CII website this week.

The group of Past PFS Presidents and many leading Financial Planners launched their campaign last month against the deregistration of the PFS after the CII revealed its plans.

In the letter to Ms Fisher, the Financial Planners requested the CII announce the details of member votes at the AGM “in the interests of transparency, and good governance.”

Several leading Financial Planners shared their thoughts with Financial Planning Today last week about their thoughts on the CII plans to deregister the PFS.