The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed Limited
Reference number: 434218
Instant download
Appointed representative
This firm does not hold FCA authorisation of its own, and acts under a principal firm, which is legally responsible for its regulated business.
- Appointed for 21 years
- Protected through the principal
- No FCA actions
- Active company since 1999
- Accounts filed up to 30 April 2021
Responsible principal firm
QDOS BROKER AND UNDERWRITING SERVICES LIMITED Reference number: 460886 View firm →What does this mean?
- An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct.
- The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed Limited (FRN 434218) is an AR of QDOS BROKER AND UNDERWRITING SERVICES LIMITED (FRN 460886). When you use The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
- Example: if you take financial advice from The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances.
- Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
Website, phone number and address
Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.
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Website
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Phone number
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Address
3rd Floor, Paternoster House, 65 St Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AB, United Kingdom
In the full report: 3 background checks
- When ipse.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
- What kind of line 020 8897 9970 is
- Who else gives the postcode EC4M 8AB
Other names (5)
If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.
- Freelance Corner Trading name: A name it trades under now.
- IPSE Trading name: A name it trades under now.
- Professional Contractors Group Ltd Former name: A name it was registered under before.
- Professional Contractors Ltd Former name: A name it was registered under before.
- The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed Ltd Former name: A name it was registered under before.
FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Protection through the principal firmProtection works through Qdos Broker and Underwriting Services Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
- Complaints Ombudsman, freeYou can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.
FCA disciplinary action and complaints
No FCA disciplinary action.
The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.
Companies House record
The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.
- Company number
- 03770926 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private company limited by guarantee
- Incorporated
- 14 May 1999 (27 years old)
- Registered office
- 3rd Floor, Paternoster House, 65 St Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AB, England
- Nature of business
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- Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified (SIC 82990)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemary Halfhead | Director | Jul 1957 | 6 Jan 2023 | 3 other companies |
| Joe Paul Woodhouse | Director | Aug 1971 | 26 Jan 2024 | None |
| Philip Jeremy Cowhig | Director | May 1968 | 26 Jan 2024 | 2 other companies |
| Robert Christopher Light | Director | Oct 1964 | 1 Oct 2024 | None |
| Martin Richard Spiller | Director | Dec 1974 | 26 Jan 2026 | 1 other company |
| Victoria Anita Rodwell | Director | May 1983 | 1 Feb 2026 | None |
| Lisa Geraldine Chadwick | Director | Apr 1971 | 1 Feb 2026 | 1 other company |
Other companies run by these 7 directors
A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.
- other companies
- 7
- still active
- 7
- is FCA-registered
- 1
In the full report: all 7 companies, named
- What each company does, and whether it is still trading
- Which of these 7 directors sit on each board, and since when
- Any that went into liquidation or administration
- The one on the FCA register
- All 54 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Filed accounts and finances
Net assets
£469k
+147% from £190k
Cash at bank
£1.79m
+10% from £1.62m
Employees (average)
25
−32% from 37
Owed within a year
£1.74m
−18% from £2.11m
Assets and liabilities
About these figures
- Turnover
- Money taken from sales in the year, before any costs.
- Profit before tax
- What was left after the year’s costs, before corporation tax. A minus figure is a loss.
- Net assets, or total equity
- Everything the company owns minus everything it owes. A minus figure means it owes more than it owns.
- Total assets and total liabilities
- Everything the company owns, and everything it owes, on the last day of the year. The gap between them is its net assets.
- Cash at bank
- Money in the company’s accounts on the last day of the year.
- Owed within a year, owed after a year
- Debts and bills due in the next twelve months, and those due later.
Accounts filed at Companies House for company 03770926. Every figure is as filed, apart from total assets and total liabilities, which are added up from filed figures. Nothing is estimated.
Key dates in its history
This firm’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2025
17 November 2025
- Changed its registered name from "The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed Limited"
- Changed its registered name from "The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed Ltd"
FCA register
2015
29 April 2015
- Changed its registered name from "Professional Contractors Group Ltd"
FCA register
2012
10 September 2012
- Changed its registered name from "Professional Contractors Ltd"
FCA register
2005
16 June 2005
- Became an appointed representative
FCA register
1999
14 May 1999
- Incorporated at Companies House
Companies House
In the full report: all 125 events
- All 125 events in its history (6 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 117
Connected firms
Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with this firm. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.
- connected firms
- 6
- share a director
- 1
- share its postcode
- 5
In the full report: all 6 connected firms, named
- How each is linked: shared directors (1), the same postcode (5)
- Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
Similar firms
Other firms of the same type (insurance broker), nearest first.
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Get the full report on this firm
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- 7 other companies its directors have run, named
- 3 background checks on its contact details
- All 125 events in its history
- 6 connected firms, named, and who links them
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Frequently asked questions about this firm
Is The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed Limited FCA authorised?
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed Limited (FRN 434218) is not directly authorised. It is an appointed representative acting under the responsibility of a directly authorised principal firm.
What does appointed representative mean for The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed?
An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct. The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed Limited (FRN 434218) is an AR of QDOS BROKER AND UNDERWRITING SERVICES LIMITED (FRN 460886). When you use The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm. Example: if you take financial advice from The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances. Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
What is The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed’s phone number and website?
The FCA register lists the phone number 020 8897 9970 and the website ipse.co.uk for The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.
Is The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed a scam or clone?
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.
Is my money safe with The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed?
Protection works through Qdos Broker and Underwriting Services Limited, the principal firm responsible for The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
Who runs The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed?
Companies House lists 7 directors of The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed: Rosemary Halfhead, Joe Paul Woodhouse, Philip Jeremy Cowhig, Robert Christopher Light, Martin Richard Spiller, Victoria Anita Rodwell and 1 more.
How long has The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed been in business?
The company was formed on 14 May 1999.
What do The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed’s latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 30 April 2021, show net assets of £469k (+147% from £190k) and cash at bank of £1.79m (+10% from £1.62m).
Does The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed use any other names?
It trades as Freelance Corner and IPSE. It has previously used 3 other names: Professional Contractors Group Ltd, Professional Contractors Ltd and The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed Ltd.
Sources and links
- Its entry on the FCA register register.fca.org.uk
- Its Companies House record gov.uk
- Complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service can help with financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Report a scam to the FCA fca.org.uk