If you become aware of wrongdoing by an individual or firm we regulate, you can report your concerns to us in confidence. Find out who can make a report and what to expect when you contact us.
Who can make a whistleblowing report
You can contact the Whistleblowing Team and tell us about your concerns in confidence if you are:
- An employee or ex-employee who has witnessed wrongdoing at work.
- An individual who is aware of wrongdoing due to a close personal relationship (for example, if your partner is employed in a financial services firm and witnessed wrongdoing).
- A family member or close associate of an individual who is committing wrongdoing in a financial services firm.
The Whistleblowing Team may not be the right point of contact to manage your concerns. If you don't meet these criteria, you can still speak to the FCA about your concerns. Use the decision tree below to find out who to contact.
How to make a whistleblowing report
The information we receive from whistleblowers helps us to act. As a regulator, we can only act on your concerns if you tell us about them.
If you have more questions about our process, or are ready to report to us, you can contact us via the below channels.
- call: +44 (0)20 7066 9200 between 10am to 3pm, or leave a message
- email: [email protected]
- write to: Intelligence Department (Ref PIDA), Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN
- use our online form to make a report
We record all calls to make sure we capture your information correctly.
For any wrongdoing related to prudential issues in a PRA-regulated firm, you can contact the PRA.
Confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure agreements
We understand that some reportable matters may be very difficult for you to discuss and in some instances, you may have signed a confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the firm you wish to report.
There may be legitimate reasons why firms use confidentiality agreements or confidentiality clauses within settlement agreements, such as protecting commercially sensitive information when an employee leaves the firm. The FCA have made clear to firms that confidentiality agreements or NDAs cannot be used to prevent public interest disclosures to us.
If you believe you may be impacted by a confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement, we advise you seek appropriate legal advice prior to reporting to the FCA. But this should not deter you from speaking to us.
Preparing your report
What happens when you contact us
If you have any questions, or if you’re ready to make a report, we will make sure you understand the process and will help you where possible.
Our dedicated Whistleblowing Team will:
- Listen to your concerns in full.
- Take the time to understand your concerns.
- Ask questions to make sure they have the information they need to progress your report.
Depending on the content of your report, we may suggest that you make reports independently to other regulators or public bodies, such as law enforcement agencies, if appropriate.
We will formally acknowledge that we have received your information and provide you with a reference number. You'll be assigned a point of contact within the Whistleblowing team who will contact you, should we require any further information.
Once you have contacted us, our team will capture the information you provide in an anonymised intelligence report which will be stored on FCA systems. It is important to remember that this report will not identify you.
Our team will assess the information within your report and carefully consider the detail provided alongside other information available to the FCA. All intelligence provided will be recorded and stored within an intelligence report on FCA systems.
Should the intelligence provided require further review, it will be shared securely with the relevant teams who are considered the subject matter experts for the firm and/or the activity reported. They will assess the potential harm you have raised alongside any prior, current or proposed work we are doing with the firm, without disclosing your identity.
The Whistleblowing Team manage the relationship with the whistleblower. However, we do not carry out the investigations. We pass the intelligence to the relevant area of the FCA who are considered subject matter experts for the firm or activity reported.
As part of our work, we may decide to contact the firm. We may need help from you to ensure we're doing this in a way that doesn't put you at risk.
If considered appropriate, we may also share your report with other regulators or public bodies, such as law enforcement agencies, without disclosing your identity.
How we handle reports
All disclosures received and determined to be whistleblowing cases, whether they contain limited intelligence or detailed intelligence, will be recorded in an anonymised whistleblowing report and stored as intelligence on the FCA’s searchable intelligence systems.
-
1
Report received
The Whistleblowing team receives a report.
Intelligence deemed not to constitute whistleblowing is sent to the relevant FCA area for review.
-
2
Prepare an anonymous report
The Whistleblowing team develops the intelligence and produces an anonymised intelligence report. The whistleblower receives an acknowledgement and a reference number.
-
3
Review and assess
The intelligence is assessed alongside other information available to the FCA. Intelligence is shared securely with the FCA teams considered to be subject matter experts for the firm or activity reported.
If the intelligence received is limited in detail and non-specific, we will upload the report to the FCA’s searchable intelligence system to inform us in future regulatory interactions with the relevant firm.
-
4
Investigation by relevant teams
The intelligence is assessed and investigated by relevant FCA teams. Determination on required action (if any) is made.
-
5
Outcome provided to us
Outcome of review and feedback is provided to the Whistleblowing team.
-
6
Case closed
The whistleblower receives feedback and the case is closed.
What we can and can't do
As part of the Whistleblowing Team's remit and responsibilities, we can:
- Listen to all whistleblowing concerns submitted to us.
- Draft intelligence reports based on information provided to us by whistleblowers.
- Take appropriate steps to protect the identities of those who whistleblow to us.
- Pass the intelligence reports to the most relevant and appropriate team who will review, assess, and/or investigate the intelligence provided.
- Be the assigned point of contact for whistleblowers who report to the FCA.
- Act as the conduit between a whistleblower and the relevant team within the FCA who will review, assess, and/or investigate the whistleblowing intelligence.
- Provide feedback to whistleblowers of how their information has been used upon the closure of a case.
We cannot:
- Provide you with legal advice or guidance.
- Accept reports that solely relate to employment disputes or personal grievances.
- Provide regular substantive updates of the progress of your case or be specific on how long the process will take. Assessing and acting on whistleblowing information can take time and will vary on a case-by-case basis. It may also become part of our ongoing supervisory work with a specific firm.
- Share confidential information restricted by the Financial Services and Markets Act. This includes confidential information about the supervision work we do and enforcement investigations.
