Manual processes, limited visibility, and growing regulatory risk

Cheetham Jackson’s growth was built on a highly collaborative model. Partner firms shared in the long-term value of clients they introduced, creating strong alignment and trust.

Over time, that network expanded to more than 90 joint venture and introducer arrangements, with around 65 active relationships. A small central team was responsible for keeping everything compliant, commercially viable, and operationally sound. The underlying processes, however, did not scale at the same pace.

Referrals were initially managed through spreadsheets and later through Monday.com, allowing partners to log introductions directly. But Monday.com sat outside the firm’s core back-office system, Intelliflo Office.

Advisers still had to re-enter referral data manually, information drifted out of sync, and partners had limited visibility into what was happening with the clients they introduced, often chasing the central team for updates.

More seriously, audits by the AAT and ICAEW exposed weaknesses in how ongoing revenue sharing was monitored. While disclosures were made at the point of introduction, regulators expected clearer, ongoing client permission as revenue continued over time.

Some partners were required to contact historic clients to reconfirm consent. In several cases, clients asked for money to be returned. Confidence was shaken, referrals slowed, and firms became cautious about further regulatory exposure.

The firm needed a way to regain control - one that worked for advisers, partners, and regulators alike.

Integrated referrals with built-in oversight

Cheetham Jackson replaced its existing setup with RQ, using it as the central system for managing referrals and partner relationships.

RQ integrates directly with Intelliflo Office. When a partner sends a referral, the information flows straight into the adviser’s existing workflow. Advisers continue to work as normal, without re-keying data, while updates made in Intelliflo are reflected back to partners automatically.

RQ also embeds disclosure and consent into the referral process itself. Every introduction is recorded, client permissions are captured clearly, and ongoing revenue can be monitored and managed over time. This gives the firm and its partners a clear, auditable process without adding admin or slowing advisers down.

RQ is now the core infrastructure for partner referrals and revenue sharing. Referral agreements, disclosures, and payments sit inside structured workflows. Changes in revenue trigger clear communication and re-authorisation, closing the gaps exposed by audits and reducing regulatory risk for both CJ and its partners.

As Stuart Gallacher, Head of Operations, explains:

“RQ gives us a bomb-proof process for partner revenue sharing. We can now protect our partners, clients, and business, all while making advisers’ lives easier.”

RQ also supports CJ’s largest partners. One key partner uses Compass to surface financial planning needs across its client base and route opportunities efficiently into CJ. This has strengthened strategic relationships while maintaining consistency, oversight, and control.

Confidence restored, referrals unlocked

With RQ in place, Cheetham Jackson now has full visibility of referral activity across its partner network. Advisers enter information once. Partners can see progress without chasing. The central team has oversight without manual reporting.

During a Consumer Duty discussion with the FCA, the firm was able to clearly demonstrate how referrals, disclosures, and ongoing permissions are handled. The workflow stood up to scrutiny, giving the firm confidence in its approach.

Crucially, partners who had previously stopped referring due to regulatory concerns were able to re-engage, knowing there was now a clear, compliant process in place.

RQ replaced fragmented tools with a single, connected system - reducing admin, improving trust, and allowing CJ’s referral network to operate safely at scale.

Client referrals and a more connected journey

With partner referrals now safe, visible, and well controlled, Cheetham Jackson is turning its attention to client-led growth.

Using RQ, the firm plans to make it easy for existing clients to refer friends, family, and colleagues through a structured, compliant process. Instead of informal introductions, clients will be able to share unique referral links that route prospects directly into booking or enquiry flows. Each referral will be tracked, tagged, and passed into Intelliflo Office automatically.

For the first time, this will give the firm a clear view of client referrals - how many are made, where they come from, and how they convert.

By applying the same structure and oversight to client referrals as it does to professional introductions, Cheetham Jackson can continue to grow without reintroducing complexity or risk. Referrals remain simple, compliant, and easy to manage at scale, regardless of where they originate.