Sesame Bankhall Group is recruiting a team to telephone clients in order to check that advisers have followed a compliant sales process.
A job advertisement posted on 1 March says SBG is looking for someone to call consumers in the evenings to “ensure that any mortgage/financial advice they have received has been understood and that a compliant sales process has been followed”.
The candidate must have a Certificate in Financial Planning and a Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice or equivalent qualifications, and experience working in the financial services industry.
A spokesperson for SBG told FTAdviser this is part of a larger customer engagement programme.
“We have been talking to our members and the wider market for many months about our commitment to continually improve our service and the value we offer to advisers and consumers.
“These roles are simply part of that planned work and our ongoing programme to deliver and evidence quality outcomes for customers.”
In a business update issued to the market in March 2013, SBG said: “As part of its continuous improvement programme, Sesame is making further investments in its compliance and technology infrastructure to ensure that the right customer outcomes are being delivered.
“Enhancements to core oversight activities reflect the new regulatory environment and the need for deeper evidence of controls and risk management.”
Rumours of the sale or winding-up of SBG’s adviser network have intensified recently following the announcement that Skandia parent Old Mutual was buying Intrinsic.
However, one barrier to sale might be Sesame’s historic liability, which will have grown over time owing to the lack of a regulatory long-stop for advice.
At time of writing, the company was unable to clarify if this includes legacy business or is solely for newly transacted advice business.
