Advisor-owned wrap platform Nucleus has added the first tranche of a suite of trusts to its platform proposition, responding, the firm says, to growing demand from advisors for an on-platform option.

The initial group comprises bare gift, discretionary gift, onshore gift and onshore bond discretionary discounted gift trusts. Next month Nucleus hopes to add protection, discretionary loan, interest in possession and spousal bypass trusts.

All were designed specifically for the wrap.

The support available includes a trust selector aiming to help identify the best applied trusts for client requirement, a fund selector tool - intended to ensure only the most appropriate funds are selected for use in certain trust accounts - and user guides to how each trust should be set up, established on the platform and managed over time.

Advisor guides to the technical aspects of particular trusts and the key principles for advisors are also provided.

Nucleus has been gearing up on the staff front too: last week it hired Nicola Megaw from law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn as head of legal and Rachel Mullin as solicitor.

And last month the firm hired Philip Dublom, Alex Pemble, and Jerry Quince as regional account managers - newly-created roles within its business development team.