Financial Investigation Centre of Excellence

The Financial Investigation Centre of Excellence (The Centre) provides for the training of investigators who specialise in tracing criminal assets and other areas of financial investigation.

The quality of training underpins the effectiveness of the financial investigator in the workplace and the Centre provides for this with specialist training and support in a broad range of relevant skills, together with a central point of reference for financial investigators working for the Police, Customs and other agencies.

The Centre provides the Agency with the capacity to deliver the Director’s statutory obligations for the provision of training, accreditation and monitoring, and the Agency’s strategic objectives by promoting the use of financial investigation as an integral part of criminal investigation. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, financial investigators must have appropriate accreditation or delegated powers to exercise some of the powers of investigation and restraint.

A modular-based training programme has been developed by The Centre to enhance the skills and knowledge of financial investigators within their specific area of work – the Training Prospectus provides more detail. Through the accreditation and monitoring process and the provision of a case law database, it provides support to them in the workplace, to ensure their continued professional development and maintain common standards.

The Act includes provision for Senior Appropriate Officers (SAO) as certain powers under the Act require their authorisation, e.g. restraint orders and customer information orders. Training and guidance is available for all SAOs to ensure that they understand fully the implications of their role. An integrated training programme has been designed for Financial Investigation Mentors who assist in the guidance, support, assessment and monitoring of those acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to become an effective Financial Investigator.

Training and accreditation is available to individuals nominated by their organisations working in and around law enforcement, including investigators working within organisations that are specified under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

the Centre of Excellence have training partnerships with HMRC, Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, Police Service of Northern Ireland and Merseyside Police.

You can contact The Centre:

By Post-
Assets Recovery Agency
PO Box 39992
London
EC4M 7XQ

By Telephone- 020 7029 5737

By Fax- 020 7029 5707