Complaints Service

We have a dedicated team of specialists who support clients with all aspects of complaints handling. Whether it’s outsourcing your first line complaints handling processes, conducting periodic compliance reviews, or offering expert advice on how to improve policies and procedures, our team of specialists can help.

We understand that different expertise is required depending on what sector you operate within, as well as the products and services you provide. That’s why we pair our complaints specialists to suit the sector you operate within, the products and services you provide, as well as the size, scale and complexity of your firm.

Our dedicated team regularly advises firms in a wide variety of financial services sectors. This includes wealth, investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, credit, funeral planning, funds, payment services and capital markets sectors. We have subject matter experts with a mixture of industry, Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Conduct Authority experience. This allows us to be pragmatic and tailor what the right approach is for each client we work with.

Our support can be agile and tailored to your needs with as little or as much support as you need. A list of our services is provided below:

Complaints outsourcing

For firms that are looking for a partner to run all, or some, of their complaints handling procedures, we are there to help. We can perform all the key functions of a complaints department, allowing you to focus on the core of your business. This includes:

• Identifying complaints (triage);
• Conducting complaint investigations and drafting complaints responses (inclusive of recommended redress);
• Conducting root-cause analysis;
• Overseeing action monitoring and tracking;
• Producing MI and reporting; and
• Supporting with FCA returns.

We have access to an approved, high-quality panel of skilled candidates within the UK, who are available to be deployed quickly. Operations will be overseen and quality assurance provided by highly experienced complaints professionals and regulatory consultants.

Periodic reviews

Whether as part of your compliance monitoring or internal audit programme, we can support you with independent assurance on your complaints handling procedures.

Staff training

We can conduct tailored complaints training, which focuses on the FCA’s expectations surrounding complaints identification, complaints handling, MI, reporting and root cause analysis, including case study discussions.

Advisory support

We can carry out one-off pieces of work to ensure your complaints handling procedures measure up to FCA expectations and industry practice.  Our approach is pragmatic and focuses on what’s essential.  Whether you need help setting up complaints handling procedures from scratch, a review of your current approach, or support with remedying issues you’ve identified yourself, we can help.

Complaint file checks

Whether you wish to have a one-off review, or use this service as part of ongoing quality assurance, we can review a sample of complaints you have dealt with either post-response to complainants, or before you intend to communicate the outcome of your investigation to the complainant. Our review includes an opinion on whether the FCA’s expectations and good industry standards have been met, whether redress awards are fair, consistent and in line with the FOS’ approach and whether outcomes reached are fair, reasonable and consistent.

Governance and complaints oversight

We can review whether MI and pertinent messages are being discussed at the right governance fora, with appropriate and relevant senior management oversight. This includes reviewing whether it is clear that issues are escalated and actioned where required.

Examples of previous work undertaken

Recently, we have conducted an end-to-end complaints framework review for a large UK insurer and a design and operational effectiveness review of complaints for a large UK wealth manager. Additionally, we have conducted several policy/procedural reviews and have provided complaints training for large UK wealth managers, as well as medium/small firms in the lending, insurance and outsource providing sectors.

Additionally, we have helped firms manage their complaints pipeline by acting as an outsourced complaints function, providing solutions for firms in reducing and managing their complaints volumes.

Please reach out if you’d like to discuss your firms approach and/or what types of services and support packages we can provide.