United Kingdom: Compliance

Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) has formed a strategic partnership with Weightmans law firm to provide enhanced legal and compliance support to UK care providers facing workforce challenges, new employment legislation, and evolving regulatory requirements. The collaboration combines QCS's compliance expertise with Weightmans' specialist health and care sector legal knowledge to help care organizations navigate complex operational and regulatory environments. Together, they aim to deliver practical guidance

This monthly bulletin provides a comprehensive overview of the latest regulatory developments affecting financial services across the UK, EU, and US. From new FCA guidance on high-growth firms and wealth management to SEC proposals on crypto asset frameworks and CFTC initiatives on prediction markets, the update covers critical changes impacting asset managers, banks, insurers, and securities firms.

The UK Court of Appeal has clarified the test for valid consent under GDPR, ruling that an objective approach should be taken rather than examining an individual's subjective state of mind. This decision has significant implications for how data controllers assess consent from vulnerable individuals, particularly in sectors like online gambling where addiction concerns arise.

What happens when a disgruntled employee from a notorious brokerage firm decides to exercise their data protection rights? This podcast episode examines the intersection of privacy law and corporate misconduct through the lens of one of cinema's most infamous financial scandals, exploring how a simple data subject access request could have exposed a web of illegal activity.

The UK's Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation has released its Annual Review for 2025-2026, revealing significant insights into licence application processing times, investigation trends, and enforcement activities.

The Financial Conduct Authority has released CP26/26, proposing a comprehensive transformation of how UK and third-country alternative asset managers report fund information through a new regime called FRAME (Fund Reporting for Asset Management Entities). The consultation introduces size-based thresholds, revised reporting frequencies, and tailored requirements for different fund categories including hedge funds, private market funds, and third-country managers.

For overseas fund managers distributing to UK retail investors, the new Consumer Composite Investments regime represents a fundamental shift in disclosure requirements. Understanding manufacturer responsibilities, distributor arrangements, and the UK's financial promotions framework will be critical to meeting the June 2027 implementation deadline.

The Home Office is set to implement a revised Code of Practice on preventing illegal working from October 2026, fundamentally reshaping how immigration compliance risk is distributed across modern working arrangements. This expansion extends right to work obligations beyond traditional employment relationships to encompass worker contracts, individual subcontractors, and online matching platforms, while introducing extended liability provisions that may push civil penalty exposure upstream through contractu

Post-Brexit immigration rules have transformed how European workers can operate in the UK, creating new complexities for employers bringing non-UK workers for short periods. Understanding which business activities visitors can legally perform without sponsorship is crucial for compliance, as the distinction between permitted visitor activities and illegal working has become increasingly nuanced under current UK immigration law.