×
Home
By Solution
Security Awareness HR Compliance Suite Financial Crime Prevention Workplace Health & Safety Code of Conduct Private Equity & Venture Capital Suite India ESG Awareness
By Courses
Who We Are?
Contact Us About Us
Request Demo

Sales@succeedtech.com

Phone: +91 98765 43210
☰

SMCR Employees eLearning Training

The SMCR Employees eLearning Training equips your employees with the understanding of how their day-to-day roles across functions needs vetting. It guides them on the SMCR six conduct rules and accountability standards as set out by the FCA and their application with due-diligence and answerability. The SMCR Employees ...

For Corporate

Request Demo

Course Duration

30 Mins

Course Price

SMCR Senior manager course

Course Level

Beginner Level

Category

Private Equity and Venture Capital Suite

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Understand the SMCR structure and the category they fall under
  • Know the six FCA Conduct Rules and what each expects of them
  • Identify how these rules apply in their daily work
  • Learn when to raise concerns and how to escalate them properly

Why SMCR Employees eLearning Training?

Practical scenarios

Help employees decide when to wait for authorisation, act independently, prioritise accuracy over deadlines, escalate issues, and contribute to the firm’s overall success.

Emphasis on living the FCA Conduct Rules

From failing to escalate a potential mis-selling risk to choosing between presenting the firm in the best light or transparently explaining associated risks, the course explores a wide range of real-world integrity challenges.

Reinforces a culture of accountability and good judgement

The course teaches employees at all levels, from junior staff to senior leaders, their responsibility to raise concerns promptly and confidently, without fear of repercussions.

Empowers early misconduct detection

Employees learn how to spot red flags, understand the consequences of inaction, and intervene appropriately before issues escalate.

Clarifies roles, responsibilities, and decision-making boundaries

Helps employees understand where they sit under SMCR (e.g., Certification Regime) and prevents them from unknowingly performing regulated activities without proper oversight.

Prevents costly compliance breaches

Helps staff avoid actions like sharing sensitive client information, which can lead to FCA investigations and reputational harm.

Supports consistent behaviour across teams and function

By aligning everyone to the Conduct Rules and shared expectations, the course ensures uniform standards of behaviour firm-wide.

Demonstrates that your org has taken reasonable steps to train staff

The HR dashboard in our LMS provides clear training records, completion status, and audit-ready documentation - helping your firm evidence the “reasonable steps” taken under SMCR.

Laws & Regulations Addressed in this Course:

Legislation / Concept Relevance in the Course
The FCA’s Six Conduct Rules The FCA’s Six Conduct Rules are set out in the Code of Conduct Sourcebook (COCON) and form the foundation for how all regulated employees are expected to behave.
The course helps employees understand how to apply the FCA Conduct Rules, why compliance matters, and how breaches can result in regulatory penalties, personal accountability, and reputational damage for both individuals and the firm.

Course's Screenshots

Course Structure

Learning elements

  • Engaging animated explainers
  • Concise, voice-narrated slide content
  • Hands-on, scenario-based interactions
  • Practical, real-world workplace examples
  • Regular quizzes to reinforce learning
  • A final evaluation with certificate issuance

Format & accessibility

The platform offers fully responsive design across desktop, tablet, and mobile, along with a learner dashboard, progress tracking, employee reminders, and seamless integration with your existing systems.

Certificate

On successful completion and passing the assessment, learners can generate a completion certificate as proof of training (configurable per org).

Target Audience

The SMCR Employees eLearning Training is ideal for individuals across all FCA-regulated sectors such as Banking and Building Societies, Credit Unions, Investment Firms and Asset Management, Insurance and Reinsurance Firms, compliance and supervisory roles who may, directly or indirectly, influence or transact in situations involving securities or funds. It is tailored for:

  • Senior Managers’ direct reports
  • New joiners in FCA-regulated firms
  • Support functions such as HR, Finance, IT, and Risk
  • Temporary, contract, or outsourced staff
  • Employees transitioning into regulated roles

In short, for all employees subject to the FCA Conduct Rules such as customer-facing staff, operations teams, compliance-adjacent roles. 

Case Studies: Real Consequences of Non-Compliance

The FCA is the UK regulator responsible for enforcing SMCR rules, and individuals who breach these rules can face personal regulatory action, including fines or bans from working in regulated roles.

Organisations could also be penalised for governance and integrity issues. The following examples strongly imply that non-compliance with SMCR regulations can result in severe backlash and regulatory risks:

  • Julius Baer International Limited was fined £18,022,500 in 2022 for major governance and oversight failures, including breaches of FCA Principles 1, 3, and 11. The case shows how gaps in conduct, diligence, and accountability can lead to serious compliance issues - reinforcing the need for strong SMCR Conduct Rules training to help employees understand their responsibilities and act with integrity.
  • Blue Gate Capital was fined £14 million in 2017, with a further £139,000 penalty for CEO John Joseph March, due to governance failings, mismanaged client assets, and integrity concerns. The FCA identified breaches of Conduct Rules 1 and 2, showing gaps in integrity and due diligence. The case illustrates how weak understanding of conduct expectations can lead to serious failures and personal accountability under SMCR, as highlighted in the article.

Course Outline 

Understanding SMCR: The Three Tiers and Who They Apply To

  1. Senior Managers
  2. Certified Persons
  3. Conduct Rules Staff (All Other Staff)

Importance of Certification Regime

  • Accountability
  • Trust
  • Risk Management

The Six Individual Conduct Rules

  • Rule 1 – You must act with integrity
  • Rule 2 – You must act with due skill, care and diligence
  • Rule 3 – You must be open and cooperative with regulators
  • Rule 4 – You must pay due regard to the interests of customers and treat them fairly
  • Rule 5 – You must observe proper standards of market conduct
  • Rule 6 – You must act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers

Scenarios explaining each rule. 

Annual Attestation 

Reporting and Escalation

See how Succeed will work for your Organization

Please fill out this field.
Please fill out this field. Please enter a valid email address.
Interested In
Please lengthen this text to 10 characters or more.
Please fill out this field.
🎉
Submitted Successfully
Thank you! Our team will contact you soon.
❌
Submission Failed
Please check your information and try again.

FAQs

What is Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) and how did it come into being?

The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) was introduced in the UK after the 2008 financial crisis to address widespread governance and conduct failings. Following the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards’ 2012 findings that accountability across firms was too weak, the regime replaced the old Approved Persons Regime and expanded across all FCA-regulated firms. While it strengthens responsibility at the top, SMCR also sets clear expectations for employees, requiring them to meet the FCA’s Conduct Rules, act with integrity, treat customers fairly, avoid conflicts of interest, and escalate issues promptly. Its purpose is to ensure that every employee - not just senior leaders - understands their role in maintaining high conduct standards, reducing risk, and supporting a culture of accountability across the org.  

What is the purpose of the SMCR Employees eLearning Course?

The course helps your staff understand their responsibilities under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, ensuring they comply with FCA Conduct Rules and support a culture of accountability.

What role does FCA play in SMCR compliance?

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK regulator that oversees financial services and protects consumers. Under SMCR, the FCA sets the rules, approves senior managers, and ensures firms meet conduct and accountability standards. It also monitors compliance and can take enforcement action against firms or individuals who fail to meet SMCR requirements. 

Why do employers need this course?

Firms must take “reasonable steps” to train all Conduct Rules staff. This course helps you meet regulatory expectations, reduce conduct-related risks, and demonstrate compliance to the FCA. 

Who in my org should take this course?

All employees subject to the FCA Conduct Rules, including certification staff, customer-facing teams, operations, risk, HR, finance, IT, and new joiners in regulated roles. 

Does the Senior Managers and Certification Regime Employees training help us meet regulatory obligations?

Yes. The training is required under the FCA’s Conduct Rules (COCON 2.1 and 2.2.),  

COCON 2.1 sets out the six basic Conduct Rules that apply to almost all employees of FCA-regulated firms. These rules define how individuals must behave in their everyday roles. They require employees to act with integrity, exercise due skill and care, treat customers fairly, be open with regulators, and follow proper standards of market conduct. 

COCON 2.2 outlines four additional Conduct Rules that apply specifically to Senior Managers. These rules focus on accountability, requiring Senior Managers to take reasonable steps to ensure their areas of responsibility are effectively controlled, meet regulatory requirements, and properly oversee staff and risk. 

In line with this, the course provides structured, documented learning that you can evidence during audits, reviews or FCA supervision. 

What happens if our employees are not trained?

Lack of training can lead to breaches, regulatory scrutiny, and potential enforcement under SMCR, especially if the firm cannot show it took “reasonable steps”. 

Is the course suitable for different sectors?

Absolutely. It applies across all FCA-regulated sectors, including banking, insurance, securities, fund management, investment firms, consumer credit, payments, and fintech. 

Does the course include real-world scenarios?

Yes. It features practical, industry-relevant situations that help employees understand judgement calls, escalation duties, and common compliance pitfalls. 

Can the course be tailored for our org?

Yes. The course can be tailored to include your policies, business examples, branding, reporting lines, and sector-specific scenarios.

Will employees receive a certificate?

Employees receive a completion certificate, which helps your firm document training, track compliance, and maintain audit trails. 

Does the course support SMCR “reasonable steps” requirements?

Yes. Providing structured Conduct Rules training is an important reasonable-steps measure for senior managers under the Duty of Responsibility. 

Can this course help reduce regulatory and compliance risk?

Definitely. Well-trained staff are less likely to mis-handle client information, fail to escalate issues, or breach Conduct Rules thereby reducing your risk exposure. 

How long does the course take to complete?

Typically, 30-40 minutes, depending on your customisation needs and assessments. 

Does the course work on all devices?

Yes. It is fully responsive and works seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile. 

How often should employees complete SMCR training?

Training is recommended annually, or whenever regulations change, staff roles shift, or new joiners start a Conduct Rules-covered function. 

How are the courses delivered?

The delivery is fully flexible. If you have an in-house LMS, we can provide the course as a SCORM-compliant package. If not, we offer a seamless SaaS-based hosting option for easy access and deployment. 

Related Courses