Tailored Service
We will tailor our internal audit work according to the specific requirements of the academy or school rather than in support of the external audit programme or the particular interests of local authorities. We will refer to recent previous assurance work wherever possible in order to minimise unnecessary duplication of work and we will ensure that any specific concerns of key stakeholders (principal, directors, senior staff etc.) are addressed. The intended outcome of this tailored approach is an efficient and effective internal audit experience for academies and schools which is able to positively add value in relation to financial processes, risk and internal control.
Fully Independent
We are fully independent of local authorities and external auditors and are therefore able to focus exclusively on delivering services for the benefit of our customers. We have no agenda other than delivering effective internal audit services for the benefit of academies and schools.
Professional and Experienced Audit Staff
All internal audit work is undertaken by fully qualified (CIPFA / IIA) staff, highly experienced in academy / school finance and control. We will not use academies and schools as a training ground for non-qualified or inexperienced staff. This will allow us to provide a highly professional service efficiently and effectively, thereby reducing disruption often associated with the audit process.
Positive, Sensitive and Supportive Service
The focus of our internal audit approach is always positive. Our aim is to provide clear and definitive assurance to relevant stakeholders of academies and schools, while at the same time making constructive recommendations wherever possible. Our reports will always highlight areas the school does well, in addition to those where improvements are required.
We appreciate the damage that an insensitively written internal audit report can have for an academy or school. We therefore view the content and tone of our reports to be of paramount importance and, without ever compromising the integrity of our work, we will seek to produce reports which allow academies and schools to move forward positively. To this end we will always issue a draft report to designated officers in order that content can be discussed and agreed.
Ultimately we see the M3 internal audit process as being supportive of academies and schools. Our aim is to provide the required professional assurance, focussing on the issues that matter and facilitating tangible improvements in systems and controls.