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Timeline guidance

CASS 1A.3 Responsibility for CASS operational oversight

CASS 1A.3.1RRP
  1. (1)

    A CASS small firm must allocate to a single6 director3 or senior manager3 of sufficient skill and authority6 responsibility for:3

    1. (a)

      oversight of the firm’s operational compliance with CASS; and3

    2. (b)

      reporting to the firm's governing body in respect of that oversight.3

  2. (2)

    [deleted]8

    73

[Note: article 7, first paragraph of the MiFID Delegated Directive]6

1
CASS 1A.3.1-AGRP

3The material in CASS 1A.3.1BG about how CASS 1A.3 fits into the FCA senior managers and certification7 regime for SMCR firms7 also applies to a CASS small firm that is an SMCR firm7 and the function in CASS 1A.3.1R. 8

The senior managers regime and the certification regime1

3
CASS 1A.3.1ARRP

1A CASS medium firm and a CASS large firm must allocate to a single6 director or senior manager of sufficient skill and authority6 the function of:

  1. (1)

    oversight of the operational effectiveness of that firm’s systems and controls that are designed to achieve compliance with CASS;

  2. (2)

    reporting to the firm’s governing body in respect of that oversight; and

  3. (3)

    completing and submitting a CMAR to the FCA in accordance with SUP 16.14.

[Note: article 7, first paragraph of the MiFID Delegated Directive]6

CASS 1A.3.1BGRP
  1. (1)
    1. (a)

      This paragraph CASS 1A.3.1BG describes how CASS 1A.3.1AR applies to SMCR firms.8

      343
    2. (b)

      The8 function in CASS 1A.3.1AR is not a separate controlled function and performing that function does not require approval as an approved person.8

      37
    3. (c)

      7However, nothing in paragraphs (1A) to (4) affects the requirement for the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR to be allocated to a single director or senior manager of sufficient skill and authority in accordance with CASS 1A.3.1AR and CASS 1A.3.2AR.

  2. (1A)

    7There are three elements of the regime for SMCR firms that are particularly relevant to CASS 1A, although they do not all apply to all SMCR firms:

    1. (a)

      a firm’s obligation to allocate certain responsibilities to its SMF managers (see SYSC 24 (Senior managers and certification regime: Allocation of prescribed responsibilities));

    2. (b)

      a firm’s obligation to ensure that one or more of its SMF managers have overall responsibility for each of its activities, business areas and management functions (see SYSC 26 (Senior managers and certification regime: Overall and local responsibility)); and

    3. (c)

      the certification regime (the certification regime is explained in9 SYSC 27 (Senior managers and certification regime: Certification regime) and SYSC TP 7 (Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016: Certification and regulatory references) explains that the certification regime comes into force sometime after other parts of the senior managers and certification regime9).

  3. (2)
    1. (a)

      This paragraph (2) explains how CASS 1A.3.1AR applies to an SMCR firm to which SYSC 24 and SYSC 26 both apply.7

      53
    2. (b)

      The firm7 must allocate7 responsibility for the firm’s compliance with CASS to one of its SMF managers (see SYSC 24.2.1R7). That responsibility is an “FCA-prescribed senior management responsibility”. The full list of FCA-prescribed senior management responsibilities is in the table in SYSC 24.2.6R7.

      573
    3. (c)

      Although the CASS function in SYSC 24.2.1R is different from the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR, the firm7 may allocate the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR to the SMF manager in (b).3

      5
    4. (d)

      The firm7 may allocate the CASS FCA-prescribed senior management responsibility described in (b) to an SMF manager who does not perform any other function coming within the FCA7 regime for SMF managers in SMCR firms7. See SUP 10C.7 (Other overall responsibility function (SMF18)) and SUP 10C.8.1R (Other local responsibility function (SMF22))7 for details. Where this is the case, the manager will be performing the other overall responsibility function or the other local responsibility function.7

      53
    5. (e)

      The firm7 may choose to allocate the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR to someone who is not an approved person and SMF manager. If so:3

      5
      1. (i)

        that person will be subject to the employee certification regime described in SYSC 27 (Senior managers and certification regime:7 (Certification Regime);3

      2. (ii)

        that person will be subject to supervision by the SMF manager in (b); and3

      3. (iii)

        the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR will be the CASS oversight FCA certification function in SYSC 27.8.1R.7

        73
  4. (3)

    In relation to an SMCR firm to which SYSC 24 applies but SYSC 26 does not apply, the guidance in sub-paragraphs (2)(b), (2)(c), and 2(e) applies, but the guidance in sub-paragraph (2)(d) does not apply.7

    5
  5. (4)
    1. (a)

      The position of an SMCR firm to which neither SYSC 24 nor SYSC 26 apply7 is slightly different.5

    2. (b)

      The firm may choose to allocate the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR to an SMF manager.5

    3. (c)

      The firm may instead choose to allocate the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR to someone who is not an SMF manager.5

    4. (d)

      Where (c) applies, the person performing the function in CASS 1A.3.1AR will fall into the certification regime. The function in CASS 1A.3.1AR will be the CASS oversight FCA certification function in SYSC 27.8.1R.7

      5
1
CASS 1A.3.1CRRP

[deleted]8

2377
CASS 1A.3.1DGRP

[deleted]8

CASS 1A.3.2R

[deleted]1

1
CASS 1A.3.2ARRP

6Where a firm allocates the responsibilities in CASS 1A.3.1R or CASS 1A.3.1AR (“the CASS oversight responsibilities”) to a director or senior manager (“P”), the firm must not allocate any other responsibilities to P in addition to the CASS oversight responsibilities, unless the firm is satisfied on reasonable grounds that:

  1. (1)

    P will still be able to discharge the CASS oversight responsibilities effectively; and

  2. (2)

    the firm’s full compliance with CASS will not be compromised.

[Note: article 7, second paragraph of the MiFID Delegated Directive]

CASS 1A.3.2BRRP

6A firm may allow the CASS oversight responsibilities to be shared amongst one or more directors or senior managers where this is done as part of a job share between those persons.

CASS 1A.3.3RRP
  1. (1)

    Subject to (2), a firm must make and retain an appropriate record of the person to whom responsibility is allocated in accordance with CASS 1A.3.1 R or8 CASS 1A.3.1A R8.1

    2
  2. (2)

    A CASS small firm must make and retain such a record only where it allocates responsibility to a person other than the person in that firm who performs the compliance oversight function.

  3. (3)

    A firm must ensure that the record made under this rule is retained for a period of five years after it is made.