For Immediate Release: Tuesday 2 December 2003

NEW CLIENT SERVICES QUALIFICATION (CSQ™) LAUNCHED TO RAISE STANDARDS IN INVESTMENT FIRMS

The Securities Institute today announced the launch of its new Client Services Qualification (CSQ™) in conjunction with the Investment Management Association (IMA). It has been welcomed by both the FSA and the Skills Council for financial services.   

Developed by a working party of practitioners from fund management firms, third party administrators and members of the IMA, the CSQ™ has been designed to help companies improve their standards of customer service and hence the quality of their business.

Victoria Nye, Director, Training and Education at the IMA commented:

"This qualification has been inspired by firms who see well-trained and motivated staff as crucial to the quality of their customer service. They recognise that their front line is their bottom line.”

CSQ’s purpose is to motivate and benchmark new entrants to the industry.  It also adds value as a framework for training, developing and assessing staff; and is a means to complement firms’ existing quality assurance processes.

David Kenmir, Director, Investment Firms, Financial Services Authority commented:

"The FSA welcomes initiatives, such as the CSQ™, that aim to increase the professionalism of staff working in financial services through training and competence and to foster a culture of customer service."

David Jackman, Chief Executive at the Skills Council for financial services said:

“The CSQ™ provides a firm grounding for individuals early on in their careers in the investment management industry and proves they can deal with customers competently and efficiently. The syllabus fits in very well with our proposed framework for the industry and our wish to encourage work-based assessment.”

The qualification is awarded on the basis of an exam and an approved in-house assessment designed to evaluate both the candidate’s knowledge and the quality of their work in practice.  

Ruth Martin, Director of Qualifications at the Securities Institute commented:

“CSQ™ is the first qualification we have set at this level and the first time that competency endorsement has been a distinct part of our assessment”.  

A copy of the CSQ™ brochure is enclosed. For more information and to register for the qualification please visit the Securities Institute website at www.securities-institute.org.uk

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Press Enquiries

Victoria Nye, Director, Training and Education, IMA, 020 7831 0898/ Mobile: 07860 498 668

Helen Stephenson, Communications Officer, IMA, 020 7831 0898

Qualification Enquiries

Peter Watkins, Educational Assessment Adviser, Securities Institute, 020 7645 0673

Notes to editors:

1. CSQ™ is a registered trademark of the Securities Institute

2. The Securities Institute is the professional body for the securities and investment industry. Its prime purpose is to set and maintain professional standards of integrity, skill and competence among its 17,000 members and the industry as a whole. For more information please visit the Securities Institute website at

www.securities-institute.org.uk

3. The Investment Management Association (IMA) is the trade body for the UK investment management industry. IMA’s members provide investment management services to institutions and to private investors, through individual fund management agreements and pooled products such as authorised investment funds. Between them, IMA’s members manage over £2,000 billion worth of assets. More information can be found by visiting the IMA’s website at www.investmentuk.org

65 Kingsway London WC2B 6TD 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7831 0898 Fax:+44 (0) 20 7831 9975 

www.investmentuk.org 

Investment Management Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales Registered number 4343737.  Registered office as above.