Your colleagues
What's it like to work here? Meet a few of your new colleagues
Lindsay Johnson
Compliance Monitoring Associate
Risk & Compliance
Started at StepChange in 2009
My average day...
First job of the day is to check my emails and our inboxes and to keep up to date with any regulatory updates or changes checking for any new FCA papers or other regulatory communications I need to be aware of. Making time in my diary to read these.
Depending where we are in the quarter and what review we are working on I might be planning and scoping a new review so I may have meetings with key stakeholders to talk them through the approach I will be taking and obtain any information and data I will need. Setting up meetings and agreeing a point of contact. If I’ve already scoped a review, I will be completing the testing and this would involve reviewing various different types of data and include listening to calls, checking emails/files or reviewing training materials. My findings will then be collated together, and a report produced and shared with the stakeholders and then documented and actions agreed. Depending on the complexity or size of a review I might be working on a review with another colleague so we would agree our daily workload and individual tasks together.
A weekly team meeting and regular communication via teams keeps the team updated on who is doing what and identifies where additional support is required or that everything is on track, and any important updates or news is cascaded to us.
I’ve a 1 to 1 shortly so ensure I take time to update my form on MYLO and I always end the day checking emails and my diary for the following day.
How did I get here?
I worked in various people management roles across the charity before joining the compliance team. I’ve always had a keen interest in quality and oversight and seen how important it is to ensure that we are treating our clients fairly and providing them with the advice they need to support them in becoming debt free. When the role came up in Compliance I was immediately interested as it meant I would be able to use all my operational knowledge and expertise and continue to focus on quality and oversight but now at 2nd line. It was a big learning curve stepping into the world of regulatory risk and compliance but also a great opportunity to be involved from the beginning when the team was first being formed and the main focus was on obtaining our FCA authorisation. I’ve learned a lot and gained a great deal of risk and compliance knowledge along the way and been part of supporting the operational teams in understanding our 3 lines of defence.
It’s been an opportunity to be able to focus on my own development, in previous roles my focus had always been on developing and supporting my team. I’ve been able to use and share my knowledge and expertise whilst also learning and developing new skills myself.
I am busy with...
Being part of the compliance monitoring team it is our role to provide the charity with independent assurance over the adequacy and effectiveness of conduct risk controls, covering the risk management framework and all applicable regulation. This is achieved through formal oversight, as set out in the compliance monitoring annual plan.
The plan sets out our schedule of reviews for each quarter and I am allocated specific reviews to complete within set timescales, these form part of my objectives.
I love it here because...
All the people I’ve met and work with who share the same aim to ensure that we can provide free debt advice to all those who need it.
I’ve worked in many different roles and departments across the charity and like the fact that there are opportunities to be able to do this. Internal development and progression is encouraged.
Working here you are a person not just a number, it's about filling the vacancies with the right people not just getting people through the door.
