Assurance Services

Assurance services provide independent comfort over specific financial information, reports, claims, controls or processes. They are often used when a full statutory audit is not required, but an organisation still needs an independent accountant or auditor to review and report on particular information.

A statutory audit provides a formal audit opinion on the financial statements as a whole. Assurance services are usually more focused and tailored. They may look at a specific claim, balance, report, control process or set of agreed procedures.

Not usually. The level of comfort depends on the type of engagement agreed. Some assurance reviews provide limited assurance, while agreed-upon procedures report factual findings rather than an audit opinion. We’ll explain the options clearly before work begins.

You may need assurance services if a funder, regulator, lender, investor, board or other stakeholder asks for independent verification of financial information. Assurance can also be useful where management wants external comfort over a specific area before making decisions.

Yes. Many organisations request voluntary assurance where they want additional confidence, stronger governance, or reassurance for stakeholders without undertaking a full statutory audit.

This depends on the scope of the engagement. We’ll provide a tailored request list, which may include accounting records, supporting invoices, bank statements, payroll records, grant agreements, reconciliations, management reports or board papers.

The timetable depends on the scope, reporting deadline and quality of supporting information. For focused engagements, the process can often be completed more quickly than a statutory audit, especially where the requirements are clear from the start.

We’ll raise it early, explain the impact, and agree the next steps. Where appropriate, we’ll help you understand whether additional evidence, corrections or disclosure changes are needed.