Pilot Consumer Working Group
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RICS has confirmed the formation of the Pilot Consumer Working Group (PCWG); an advisory panel which will act in the interests of consumers to help shape the way in which RICS develops professional standards and approaches the regulation of the profession.
The PCWG is established by the Standards and Regulation Board (SRB) as a sub working group and will report to the Board on consumer issues and the extent to which regulation is effective in the public interest. Its formation represents one of the final remaining recommendations from the Bichard review (published in June 2022).
The PCWG will advise SRB and any other governance groups and formulate and recommend a model for a future permanent consumer insight group (if necessary). The group will focus on guiding RICS and its members to provide the best possible outcomes for consumers, from regulating new services to bringing consumer concerns to light. It will exist to support RICS in protecting consumers as well as championing their needs and expectations.
The PCWG will launch in April 2024, and is due to operate for 12 to 18 months before being subject to a review.
The PCWG is formed of individuals with extensive independent consumer advocate experience, and those from major consumer organisations. Its members have been chosen for their capacity to represent the broad interests, aspirations, and concerns of UK consumers of surveying services.
Chair - Pilot Consumer Working Group
Francis McGee
Francis is an independent consumer advocate and consultant helping businesses, public bodies and charities with issues around policy and practice. He has specialised in financial services and issues relating to diversity, inclusion and vulnerability. He is a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, Executive Chair of GAIN, a non-profit advocating for neurodiverse people working in financial services, a member of the Board at the Money Advice Liaison Group a debt advice sector body, an independent member of the governance board of Lenders Compared, a comparison website for cash loans set up by the Competition Commission. He has done work with the Money and Pensions Service and in the financial technology sector around Open Banking. Earlier in his career, Francis was Director of External Affairs at StepChange, the UK’s largest specialist debt advice provider, Head of Corporate Affairs at AEGON UK and Head of Regulation and Strategy at the Association of British Insurers. Before that he held a number of positions in HM Treasury, the Bank of England and in financial services regulation. Appointed in December 2023, Francis joins the PSSG as an independent member and Consumer Advocate.
Members of the Pilot Consumer Working Group
Independent consumer advocate members
Mike O’Connor CBE
Independent consumer advocate member
Mike held former roles as CEO at StepChange Debt Charity – the UK’s largest debt advice body debt, Consumer Focus, the Olympic Lottery Distributor and the Millennium Commission. He has also worked at a senior level in Government with posts in the Department of Health, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office. Mike has significant experience in advocating for consumers across a number of different regulators, and access to a strong network of consumer intelligence.
Dr David Holden
Independent consumer advocate member
David is the Chair of the Customer and Community Group of Affinity Water. Former member of the Ofcom Consumer Communications Panel and the Consumer Engagement Group of Electricity North West.
Independent consumer organisation members
Joanne Pain
Independent consumer organisation member
Joanne has over 30 years’ experience in complaint handling. Her career began in the financial sector with Lloyds and subsequently the Financial Ombudsman. Most recently she has held positions at The Property Ombudsman dealing with lettings, sales, and residential leasehold management complaints, and is currently the Ombudsman Administration Manager overseeing quality, compliance, and project work.
Ben Meredith
Independent consumer organisation member
Ben is Consumer Director at Trustmark, the only Government Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in or around the home.
The PCWG provides advice to the Standards and Regulation Board. Its remit does not include involvement in individual complaints. Any complaints about an RICS member or firm should be reported here. If you have a complaint about the way that a regulatory concern has been handled, RICS has a complaints procedure.
If, bearing in mind the working group’s remit, you have general information that you would like the consumer working group to consider you can send it to the Regulation Policy team at regpolicy@rics.org.
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The regulatory functions of RICS are led and overseen by the Interim Standards and Regulation Board (SRB).