Bridging Compliance Challenges

SRA’s Thematic Review: Knowledge Gaps and Risks

Andre Grayson 2: Happy New Year! And welcome back to Compliance Pods for Legal Professionals. Andre here, joining you again with Paul . Today, we’re turning the spotlight on compliance officers, because the SRA’s latest thematic review is pretty eye opening and a little depressing.

Paul Crowther: Hey everyone. Paul here—good to be back, and yeah, eye-opening is one word for it, Andre. The review basically says a lot of COLPs and COFAs are not completely on top of their brief, and rather unsupported by their firms. The SRA found barely anyone could explain the difference between a notification and a report. That’s fundamental—I can't overstate how basic that is, yet it's not widely understood by these key officers.

Andre Grayson 2: Exactly. And what really caught me off guard, Paul, was fewer than half of compliance officers had read the SRA’s own guidance. And just 19% have looked at the Enforcement Strategy. So, you can see this is a real risk of missing reporting or managing a breach incorrectly. I think this might signal the SRA increasing focus on post holder competence, perhaps with new requirements or mandatory training, or even visits.

Paul Crowther: That’s right, and this isn’t just paperwork , it’s real risk for firms.

Andre Grayson 2: And it’s not just about language and definitions, either. The review made clear that very few officers knew their own firm’s process for escalation if something goes wrong. So, it starts to explain why the SRA’s talking about setting stricter expectations for competence—or maybe tightening up the rules altogether. The problem is governance just crumbles if people don’t get those basics, doesn’t it?

Paul Crowther: Oh, 100%. And back to your point, Andre, when COLP's and COFAs haven’t read SRA guidance—that’s a recipe for disaster. I think, moving forward, we’re sure to see more checks from the SRA and more push for documented processes. It is a challenge when your firm appoints you as an officer but then does not give you the respect of reducing your other work commitments - I know many firms are turning to help from legal compliance support businesses to help them - which is often a good solution .

Andre Grayson 2: I think you are right: more competence checks, more formal training expectations, and definitely a stronger regulatory stance. Honestly, firms have got to see this as a warning shot—all right, Paul, let’s dig into what’s driving some of those knowledge gaps and pressures on the ground.

Time Pressures, Resource Strain, and Role Conflict

Paul Crowther: Yeah, so, what the SRA review revealed is that almost every compliance officer’s wearing two—or three—hats. Nearly all of them are juggling the COLP or COFA role alongside fee-earning, or running the whole firm. That’s, uhh, relentless. I've spoken to lots who find it difficult to keep up and it affects their sleep, their home life, and their health.

Andre Grayson 2: Ha, yeah, and the numbers back it up—26% of their work week is compliance, the rest gets swallowed by other roles. I know most firms can't afford compliance roles to be full time posts, but squeezing it in between billing targets, management meetings, you name it, is not the answer. No wonder important updates slip through. If you’re splitting your focus that thinly, something’s bound to give.

Paul Crowther: Absolutely—and you get all these compliance officers doing endless admin, struggling to keep up with shifting regulations, when they really should be is the strategic oversight for compliance, right? But they’re stuck in the details. Sometimes, you even get this weird culture where the rest of the firm thinks, “Ah, that’s the COLP’s job, nothing to do with me.” Makes it worse.

Andre Grayson 2: Yeah, yeah—so, practical question: how do you fix that? I mean, I’ve seen real impact where firms start automating data collection. Or, honestly, even more useful—appointing an outside resource. There was one small firm client, always behind on compliance checks. Appointing external Legal Compliance Support suddenly overdue items dropped away, and the whole firm benefited. It’s not rocket science.

Paul Crowther: And even just simple things—delegating some tasks, getting the team trained so everyone chips in, not just the compliance officer. But still, it’s like some firms think you can just stack up more roles on one person forever. You can’t. That’s not enough, especially when the SRA’s making noises about more robust internal systems and maybe even mandatory deputy officers down the line. People need backup plans—simple as that.

Andre Grayson 2: Totally agree. And, coming back to our earlier episodes—you remember when we talked about how small firms feel the biggest squeeze? This is exactly that. If you give compliance officers the resources and tools, they’re freed up to focus on strategic risk management instead of drowning in admin. Firms can’t just use “no time” as an excuse. As the review says, the rules are there for everyone, like it or not.

Paul Crowther: And let’s be honest, sometimes it just takes firm leadership saying, “Look, compliance is everyone’s job.” Otherwise, burnout’s inevitable, which, segue, brings us nicely into the whole wellbeing angle. Andre, I know you feel strongly about that.

Wellbeing, Cultural Change, and Shared Responsibility

Andre Grayson 2: Absolutely. I mean, more than half of compliance officers told the SRA they’re stressed out—and not just the routine type. There’s a real sense of isolation and feeling undervalued. One story from the review—an owner/COLP had a full mental breakdown, and it nearly took the entire firm down with him. When you pile on personal responsibility plus business risk, something’s gotta give.

Paul Crowther: Yeah, that one really hit home. You see, if one person is stretched to snapping point, and they’re the only one holding up your compliance systems—well, you’re basically tempting fate. It’s not just unfair, it’s risky. The smart firms treat compliance as a team sport—share the load, cover each other, open up, check in regularly. Otherwise you’re heading for trouble, not just for the COLP, but for the whole firm and clients.

Andre Grayson 2: Making compliance a shared responsibility is the single biggest proactive step, if you ask me. When everyone owns a piece, the pressure drops, and your controls work better. Plus, if you normalize these check-ins, or offer a few wellbeing resources—just honest conversations about workload and support—it can stop the cycle. Even things like resourcing and mental health programmes show people actually care. The SRA has some useful guidance on this point.

Paul Crowther: And open dialogue’s key, right? Normalizing chats about stress or workload before it gets bad—bit like what we talked about in that “Lessons from a Moment of Madness” episode. Early communication can head off problems before they grow. And even just having a simple plan for if your compliance officer is off sick or overloaded… that’s massive. Succession planning sounds grand, but it’s really just practical good sense.

Andre Grayson 2: Exactly. No firm wants to learn the hard way. The endgame here? Prioritize open conversation, proper resourcing, and make compliance “everyone’s job.” Do that, and you get better regulation, happier teams, and a more resilient operation—full stop. All right, Paul, should we wrap?

Paul Crowther: Yeah, let’s. If this episode’s got you thinking, don’t forget—the SRA’s actually got a consultation open right now. Have your say, get involved. Andre, always good to chat. Looking forward to digging into more compliance headaches with you soon.

Andre Grayson 2: Thanks, Paul—loved it as always. Thanks everyone for tuning in. Stay compliant, stay safe, and we’ll catch you next time. Take care, Paul.

Paul Crowther: Take care, Andre. Bye all.