Public Sector - External Audit
Our firm is an important provider of external audit services to the public sector. Our large portfolio of public sector audited entities includes local authorities and NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
We provide assurance over reported financial results and positions to help ensure our audited entities achieve value for money. Our high quality, thorough audits provide those audited entities with the confidence they need as they face scrutiny from stakeholders, including public sector bodies, regulators, media and members of the public. We work with the officers and Audit Committee to understand their particular risk environment and challenges. We maintain close contact throughout the year so that we can anticipate and promptly react to any areas of changed risk priority.
In 2017, we became part of a select number of firms to win a place on the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) framework for provision of external audit for local government, police and other principal bodies.
We maintain the ‘professional scepticism’ that our professional standards require, but we work with audited entities to reduce the audit burden wherever possible and focus on providing transparent findings and practical recommendations in our reports. In addition to our external audit services, we provide a number of related services, including:
- Grant funding certification and assurance – we undertake assurance reviews and provide agreed reports and opinions tailored to different grant schemes, including national UK government funding to UK public sector bodies, EU grants and international development schemes
- Housing Benefit Certification – We have prepared a flyer on the upcoming changes to this scheme
- Technical advice and support on accounting issues – we also assist and advise non-audit clients with accounts preparation and technical accounting issues such as consolidation of entities and valuation