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credit unions in Northern Ireland

From 31 March 2012 credit unions in Northern Ireland will be regulated by the FSA – and automatically covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service, alongside their equivalent credit unions in England, Scotland and Wales.

This means that these businesses will need to have in place – and operate – in-house complaints-handling procedures that comply with the complaints-handling rules published by the FSA.

The ombudsman service has a range of information and support services available for businesses new to the official procedure they have to follow if a consumer complains.

how can I get more information about the complaints-handling procedures and the ombudsman?

There is a wide range of information for businesses on this website including:

news and updates;
our online video for smaller businesses;
a series of guides for businesses explaining more about the ombudsman service and the way we work; and
an online information resource specifically for businesses that have little direct contact with – or experience of – the ombudsman.

what support does the ombudsman offer businesses?

As well as settling disputes, we help promote "complaints prevention". This involves working with businesses to identify and reduce problems that might otherwise lead to time-consuming complaints. The free services we offer include:

our technical advice desk for queries about the ombudsman service and our general approach;
our regular newsletter ombudsman news – covering a wide range of information and case studies; and
our involvement in a wide range of events – from hands-on workshops to formal conferences. This is part of our commitment to sharing our complaints-handling experience and listening to the views of our customers.