Stonebridge has created a new compliance team for new joiners and enhanced its compliance operating model to expand the support to appointed representative (AR) firms.

The new partner compliance team will assist new firms and advisers in attaining competent status by providing focused support and training in the early stages of trading as a member of the network. 

The team will run alongside the existing business standards teams and will be both a compliance development and compliance operations team.

Stonebridge has made a series of internal promotions and the creation of eight new permanent roles at its Basildon head office, bringing the total number of employees to over 115.

Meanwhile, the updated model will have larger ARs supervised by dedicated teams, while smaller and sole trader operators have their own dedicated support units.

Stonebridge chief executive Rob Clifford says: “As the network continues to grow, it is vitally important we support our exciting trajectory by continually enhancing our already excellent compliance operating model so it can continue to deliver the bespoke and tailored support each of our AR firms has come to expect.”

“We also have the establishment of the new partner compliance team and its aim is two-fold: to provide a dedicated service for new firms and advisers as they transition into our supervision program, and to allow the remaining business standards teams to focus purely on delivering quality service and support to the existing 1,000-plus advisers currently operating within the network,” Clifford adds.