UK sanctions regimes have grown dramatically in scope and complexity, and regulators expect firms to understand far more than who is designated.

The FCA’s recent report into sanctions systems and controls the FCA found that entities lacked detail on applicable sanctions regimes and stressed the importance that screening names was not sufficient for identifying activities breaching sanctions.

Firms remain heavily exposed to non-compliance through indirect risks, trade prohibitions, sectoral restrictions, and weak third-party oversight. 

At SanctionsIQ, we deliver practical, scenario-based training that equips your teams to move beyond basic hit-resolution and navigate complex risk with complete confidence.

Aligning training to meet expectations

The FCA expects firms to maintain robust, end-to-end controls across customer and transaction journeys. We know this can be a challenge and target the exact areas where regulatory reviews consistently highlight poor practice:

• Beyond asset freezes: Shift focus from basic designated-person screening to complex trade, sectoral, and jurisdictional restrictions.

• Mastering ownership and control: Uncover hidden indirect exposures through multi-tiered corporate structures, supply chains, and non-designated entities.

• Defensible enhanced due diligence (EDD): Stop asking generic "more info" questions; train staff to gather targeted evidence and build audit-ready case files.

• Effective governance and escalation: Embed clear escalation frameworks that protect your firm without relying on business management to overrule legal boundaries.

Our core methodology: The C.L.E.A.R. framework

We’ve developed a training framework to equip your teams with a single, repeatable investigation methodology to deconstruct and analyse even the most ambiguous transactions.