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Our values

We were set up by Parliament to sort out complaints between financial businesses and their customers in a fair and reasonable way. Our values reflect the way we do this and how we work as an organisation.

Playing our part

Our values define our culture, influence our decisions, and underpin our vision and strategy. They set out how we play our PART through purpose, ambition, respect and trust.

  • We feel proud of the work we do and are ambassadors of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

    • We are proud of our critical role in the UK financial services industry
    • We have a strong public purpose that guides each of us in our work
    • We listen to feedback from our stakeholders and that informs how we improve
    • We share insights and knowledge from our work to improve the financial services system in the UK

  • We challenge ourselves to strive towards excellence, embracing continuous improvement and always learning.

    • We set ambitious targets and meet them
    • We stay curious and learn from failure and experience
    • We share insights and knowledge with each other so we can all learn and develop
    • We have a strong learning and development culture that provides continuous development at all stages of your career

  • We treat everyone with respect, recognising diversity and ensuring inclusion.

    • Colleagues feel like their voices are heard and they are able to contribute to the impact the Financial Ombudsman makes
    • We are an organisation that reflects the communities we serve and a great place to work
    • We have a performance management culture that brings out the best in people
    • We have an unwavering commitment to respect and inclusion at all levels

  • Our customers trust us to deliver on our promises. Colleagues collaborate and build trust.

    • We live up to our promises
    • We do the right thing, not the easy thing
    • Our leaders foster open dialogue and colleagues feel able to give feedback and feel listened to
    • We trust our colleagues to deliver on our strategic priorities and great customer service while achieving a good work/life balance

How we live our values

As a public body, we believe it’s important to be transparent and open. You can look at the following information to find out more about the part our values play in what we do and how we operate:


Delivering our service

We want to provide an excellent service. It’s particularly important way we play our part, because our purpose is to resolve disputes. So, we’ve put standards in place to provide assurance and accountability for the service we provide. 

Read our Service standards  

Careers with us

To achieve our service standards – and provide the best possible service to our customers – we need to reflect the communities we serve. That’s why we’re determined to help our people realise their ambition and to make our organisation inclusive and a great place to work. 

Find out more about careers  

Social responsibility

We also understand that the part we play goes far beyond our organisation. It’s important that we also respect the communities in which we operate and the wider environment in our shared world. 

Read our policy  

Governance and transparency

Trust is key to the part we play – not just in resolving individual disputes – but in the way we demonstrate we’re a well-run and efficient service, operating effectively as part of the financial services regulatory family, and wider financial system. 

Find out how we’re governed