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CityLearning

Sector

Compliance training for banking

Banks face the broadest compliance burden in financial services – from financial crime and SM&CR through to Consumer Duty and operational resilience. CityLearning's banking courses are tailored to the risks and regulatory expectations specific to deposit-takers and lenders.

Regulated by FCARegulated by PRARegulated by Bank of England

Priority courses for banking

Also relevant

~20 min

Anti-Bribery & Corruption

Anti-bribery training for UK firms, covering the Bribery Act 2010, the firm's obligations, and how to handle gifts, hospitality and third-party risk.

Financial crime
~20 min

Anti-Harassment & Inclusion

Support a respectful, inclusive workplace and explain responsibilities under the Worker Protection Act and the FCA's focus on non-financial misconduct.

Ethics & culture
~15 min

Business Ethics

Strengthen ethical decision-making and conflicts-of-interest awareness, reinforcing the culture and values regulators expect firms to embed.

Ethics & culture
~20 min

Client Assets (CASS)

Explain how firms must protect client money and custody assets under the FCA's CASS rules, so they can be returned promptly if the firm fails.

Regulatory & conduct
~25 min

Combating Financial Crime

A single overview of the financial crime landscape, covering money laundering, fraud, bribery and sanctions, and every employee's role in preventing it.

Financial crime
~20 min

Competition Law

Explain UK competition law in practical terms: what anti-competitive conduct looks like and how to avoid it in everyday business dealings.

Regulatory & conduct
~15 min

Complaints Handling

Ensure staff can identify, record and handle complaints in line with FCA DISP rules and deliver fair outcomes for customers.

Regulatory & conduct
~20 min

Conduct Risk

Help staff recognise conduct risk in their day-to-day decisions and understand how poor conduct leads to customer harm and regulatory action.

Regulatory & conduct
~15 min

FCA Conduct Rules

A focused course on the Individual Conduct Rules and what acting with integrity, due skill and care looks like in real situations.

Regulatory & conduct
~20 min

Cyber Security Awareness

Cyber security training for UK financial services that equips staff to be the first line of defence against phishing, ransomware and social engineering.

Data & operational
~20 min

Data Protection (UK GDPR)

Data protection training for UK firms: a practical grasp of the UK GDPR, lawful processing, data subject rights and breach response.

Data & operational
~20 min

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion

Build an inclusive workplace by explaining the Equality Act, tackling bias and discrimination, and showing how diversity supports better outcomes.

Ethics & culture
~20 min

FCA & PRA Regulation

An accessible introduction to the UK's regulators: who the FCA and PRA are, what they expect of firms, and how regulation affects everyday work.

Regulatory & conduct
~20 min

Fraud Prevention

Fraud prevention training for UK firms, helping staff identify, prevent and report fraud, including authorised push payment (APP) and social engineering.

Financial crime
~20 min

Market Abuse (MAR)

Market abuse training on the UK MAR for financial services, covering insider dealing, unlawful disclosure, market manipulation and STOR reporting.

Financial crime
~20 min

Financial Sanctions

Financial sanctions training for UK firms, equipping staff to screen against and comply with sanctions regimes, including OFSI obligations.

Financial crime
~20 min

Sexual Harassment

Explain what sexual harassment is, the employer's preventative duty under the Worker Protection Act, and how to challenge and report it safely.

Ethics & culture
~20 min

Supporting Vulnerable Customers

Help staff recognise the drivers of vulnerability and adapt their service to deliver good outcomes, in line with FCA guidance and the Consumer Duty.

Ethics & culture
~15 min

Whistleblowing

Build confidence in speaking up, explain the firm's whistleblowing arrangements and the legal protections available to those who raise concerns.

Ethics & culture
~15 min

Workplace Health & Safety

Explain everyone's responsibilities for health and safety at work, covering common office and hybrid-working risks under UK law.

Ethics & culture

Frequently asked questions

What compliance training do UK banks need?
UK banks must train relevant staff on AML (MLR 2017), SM&CR Conduct Rules, Consumer Duty where they distribute retail products, market abuse, data protection and operational resilience. The FCA and PRA both set expectations. The exact programme depends on each individual's role — front-office, certified persons and senior managers each carry distinct regulatory obligations.
How often do bank staff need to complete compliance training?
Annual refresher training is the industry baseline. AML training should be completed on joining and annually. SM&CR Conduct Rules training is required when the rules first apply and when regulatory changes occur. Event-driven training is also expected after a rule change, internal incident, or whenever an individual changes role.
Do UK banks need SM&CR training?
Yes. SM&CR has applied to banks and building societies since 2016 — the longest of any sector. All staff subject to the Conduct Rules need tier-appropriate training: Individual Conduct Rules for all staff, Senior Manager Conduct Rules and Statements of Responsibilities for SMFs, and fitness and propriety training for certified persons.
What AML training must UK banks provide?
UK banks must provide ongoing AML training under Regulation 24 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. Content must cover customer due diligence, suspicious activity reporting and the firm's AML risk profile. Training must be role-relevant — front-office and onboarding functions need greater depth than pure back-office roles.
How do banks evidence compliance training to the FCA and PRA?
Banks must hold time-stamped completion records identifying who was trained, on which module version, and when. Supervisors from both the FCA and PRA typically request training evidence during visits. Records should be retained for at least five years and be producible on short notice across all regulatory topics.

Further reading

See the banking library in action

Book a short, no-obligation demo and we'll show you the courses and the CityREPORTS platform tailored to your firm.