FCA Complaints Handling & procedure

FCA Complaints Handling

​The FCA complaint handling requirements are contained in the Dispute Resolution Sourcebook and require firms to operate a complaint handling process, including ensuring that complaints are acknowledged promptly and that a full response is issued within 8 weeks of the complaint date.Once the firm has completed its internal complaint handling process by issuing a final response, or if a final response is not issued by the firm within 8 weeks of the complaint date, the complainant may choose to take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Scheme.

If this occurs the firm must assist the Ombudsman and comply with any decision made by it.As part of the firm’s systems and controls, it must undertake root cause analysis to ascertain what remedial action should be undertaken in order to prevent future complaints of the same nature from occurring.Failure to undertake complaint handling in the appropriate way, or failing to assist the Ombudsman, can lead to the FCA taking enforcement action against your firm.

FCA Complaints Procedure

There are a number of ways we can help ensure that governance of your complaints processes is appropriate and include:

  • Review or design of your overall complaints process
  • Review and/or production of a written Complaints Procedure
  • Establishing the accuracy of current written procedures against firm actions
  • Review or design of supporting documents such as summary procedures and letter templates
  • Training of staff to implement new or revised procedures
  • Root cause analysis workshops to establish potential weaknesses in the business and prevent relapse

Ongoing FCA Compliance

As an FCA authorised person or firm, you might need help to ensure you comply with the FCA’s rules.

We provide our clients with support they need to maintain compliance and avoid breaching the rules. Our bespoke service is individually tailored to each of our client’s requirements and objectives to help them meet in the best way possible.

Whether you need documentation to help you remain compliant, want ongoing advice or support, impartial monitoring of your activities or anything else, MEMA may be able to help.

Why Choose MEMA?

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MEMA has been supporting firms through the FCA compliance process since 2019. In that time, we have helped hundreds of businesses to successfully gain and retain FCA authorisation.

We have a unique blend of experience from ex-regulators, big 4 consultants and fin/regtech specialisation. Our team is highly experienced and expertly skilled. We specialise in providing our clients with solutions to often complex regulatory requirements and compliance needs.

Our unique industry insight and comfort with compliance enables our team to support you to the fullest extent possible, helping to develop your business model and compliance.

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April 11, 2021

Preparing financial projections for the FCA

In this article, we briefly cover the financial projections that companies are expected to produce when submitting their application to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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June 20, 2022

How to navigate the Skilled Person Review

As part of our How to series, we thought to release a brief guide on what to do when you are required to appoint a Skilled Persons by the regulator.

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December 6, 2021

Funeral plans come under FCA regulation July 2022

The FCA has confirmed that from 29 July 2022, it will take on responsibility for regulating and supervising the pre-paid funeral plans market.

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Insights

January 7, 2022

FCA Fee Cap on CMCs

You will be aware that the FCA’s price cap is coming into existence on 1 March 2022. As a quick primer, this means there will now be five redress bands with a maximum fee charged per band.
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May 23, 2025

FCA Regulatory Brief – Priority Actions for Firms 9 May – 22 May 2025

The FCA’s announcements between 9 May – 22 May 2025 underscore three immediate themes for regulated firms
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November 29, 2025

FCA updates : centre on market integrity, crypto oversight and operational efficiency.

This week’s FCA updates centre on market integrity, crypto oversight, and operational efficiency. The regulator progressed the move to T+1 settlement, expanded crypto policy work, and made several enforcement interventions.
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March 7, 2025

Navigating the UK Crypto Landscape: Key Definitions and Regulatory Overview

The United Kingdom has a rapidly evolving crypto market with growing consumer interest. Yet, despite increased adoption, many crypto businesses and investors remain uncertain about the rules governing this space.
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March 8, 2023

Buy now pay later agreements to become regulated in the UK

Currently, BNPLs and STFC companies benefit from the exemption under Article 60F of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (RAO). Firms providing BNPL products benefiting from the 60F Exemption do not have to be FCA authorised and the agreements do not need to be in a prescribed form under the CCA.
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January 4, 2026

FCA Investigation Signals Crackdown on Claims Management Firms

The FCA has opened an investigation into a claims management company over how it marketed and sold motor finance claims. The regulator is concerned about misleading compensation claims, pressure selling, and failure to tell consumers they could claim for free. The case signals tougher enforcement and greater scrutiny across the claims management sector.
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May 12, 2025

FCA Regulatory Brief – Priority Actions for Firms

The FCA's recent activities highlight its focus on several key areas: conduct and culture, tech adoption, data and reporting efficiency, and global reach. The blog emphasizes that firms should proactively align with these themes to prepare for future supervision.
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March 24, 2025

Preparing for Future Challenges: Emerging UK Crypto Regulations and Strategic Planning

In the concluding part of our series, we shift focus to tomorrow’s regulatory environment—including pending legislation, potential expanded authorisation requirements, and international alignment trends.
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October 12, 2021

Understanding the Regulatory Landscape

At MEMA, in discussions with our customers (current and prospective) we identified a common theme, understanding the regulatory landscape is problematic and requires clearer descriptions aid understanding.
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December 19, 2022

What is the Senior Managers & Certification Regime ?

The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) replaces the Approved Persons Regime (APR) which is how the FCA used to regulate people working in financial services.
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May 2, 2021

Estate agency guidance for money laundering supervision- Part 1

If you are supervised by the HMRC for anti-money laundering purposes, you will need to meet requirements under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017.
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December 6, 2021

Funeral plans come under FCA regulation July 2022

The FCA has confirmed that from 29 July 2022, it will take on responsibility for regulating and supervising the pre-paid funeral plans market.
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August 29, 2022

What is Customer Due Diligence and what controls should you focus on?

Customer due diligence (CDD) is a key element in helping your firm:
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February 6, 2023

5 Steps for Conducting Effective Compliance Control Monitoring for Financial Firms

Compliance control monitoring is a crucial aspect of maintaining regulatory compliance for financial firms. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires firms to have robust controls and monitoring systems in place, and it is up to individual firms to implement these measures effectively. In this article, we will discuss the steps that firms can take to conduct compliance control monitoring.
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April 25, 2024

Improving Oversight of Appointed Representatives in the Credit Broking Industry Introduction

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently assessed the key harms and drivers of harm caused by Appointed Representatives (ARs) and Introducer Appointed Representatives (IARs) in the credit broking sector. The regulator has identified areas for improvement in the due diligence checks conducted by principal firms when appointing ARs and in their ongoing monitoring of these representatives. This article will discuss the issues identified by the FCA and how firms can address these concerns to ensure better oversight of their ARs and IARs.
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Your key contacts

ADEMOLA OMOSANYA

Ademola is an accomplished consultant with over a decade of experience across regulation, banking, and consumer credit. As MEMA Consultants co-founder, he leverages extensive regulatory expertise to guide clients through critical processes and full compliance. His experience across sectors enables tailored solutions to complex business challenges. Ademola partners with clients as a strategic advisor to help futureproof their business through an in-depth understanding of the regulatory landscape.

MISAH MARAGH

Misah is a director at MEMA Consultants with over a decade of experience in financial services. Holding a legal background and postgraduate qualification, she previously worked at the Financial Conduct Authority. Misah has led compliance transformation for global consumer services organisations across Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Her expertise includes implementing compliance frameworks for financial regulations, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, data privacy, and Sarbanes-Oxley. Misah is skilled at advising clients on operational and strategic projects, leveraging her in-depth knowledge of regulatory environments to deliver solutions tailored to complex business needs.

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FCA Complaints Handling