Training and Development 

Training and Development

The Academy

All new Investigators joining the Financial Ombudsman Service begin in our training Academy. This is a specialist area of our service specifically set up for teaching, coaching and supporting those joining our service as Investigators.

In our Academy, you’ll receive the necessary training to reach fair and reasonable outcomes on a range of financial complaints and manage your own caseload to our service standards.

Throughout this process you’ll be supported by specialist staff who are experienced and skilled Investigators already. They will be there to guide and mentor you in how to become independent and effective in the Investigator role.

Throughout this four-month training journey, you’ll have access to your mentor’s knowledge and skills and get continuous support and feedback from them. Alongside this, your Ombudsman Manager will be on hand to support your development and make sure you both enjoy and are equipped to be successful in the role.

Usually, an Investigator stays in the Academy for four months. After this, they graduate into their product directorate.

Hear from a mentor

“As a mentor in the Academy, the role is very broad and rewarding. It involves supporting new Investigators in a variety of ways throughout their Academy journey.”

“The programme begins with a residential week in London which is a great chance to provide in person coaching and help the team familiarise themselves with what the service is and how it works.”

• The first week in London

  The first week of Academy training takes place in our London office.

  Our London-based residential week is a great way to meet the other new Investigators that will form your Academy team. You will all be learning together during your four-month stay in the Academy, so this first week is a great way to get to know each other.

  You’ll also be able to meet the Financial Ombudsman Service staff who will be supporting you throughout your training journey: your mentors and Ombudsman Manager.

  The training in this week will be face-to-face, so it’s designed to be as interactive as possible. There will be lots of opportunities to work together to weigh up evidence and begin to understand how to solve problems for the real disputes we see.

  Spending this first week in the London office enables you understand the breadth of our work and meet people in both our casework and enabling areas at all levels.

• The second week onwards

  After your residential week in London, the role becomes remote – but with a required visit to your designated remote office around every eight/nine weeks.

  Over these next few weeks, you’ll continue with further online classroom training, as well as practical learning from your mentors. You’ll be able to start taking the knowledge and skills you’ve gained so far and apply them to the live complaints you’ll start investigating from this point onwards.

• What you will learn

  There is a lot to learn as an Investigator at the Financial Ombudsman Service. It’s a unique role and one where you are constantly gaining knowledge. But as a starting point, we’ll make sure each new investigator is provided the training to not just be a good Investigator – but also the best ambassador for the Financial Ombudsman Service you can be.

  We’ll cover the journey of a case from start to finish, including the rules our service must follow. We’ll teach you how to use our case-handling system, as well as cover the relevant product knowledge that you’ll need. We also provide training focused on customer service, managing a caseload effectively, and sharing your outcomes both in writing and on the phone.

  In addition, you’ll have regular catch ups with your team to discuss the complaints you are investigating. This means you can not only share what you are learning, but also get help when you need it.

  We are proud of the standard of training we provide for you, which is proven to give you the skills and knowledge you need to be a great Investigator.