Risk Advisory - Internal Audit and Third Party Controls Assurance
Independent and objective assurance designed to add value.
No two organisations are the same, so a one-size-fits-all approach won’t deliver. We tailor our risk advisory services to fit your needs, drawing on our deep experience and expertise across the charity and not-for-profit, education, financial services, and legal sectors.
We build relationships for the long-term and take a collaborative approach to risk management.
We go beyond surface-level ‘checks’ to get behind the detail of your internal controls, processes and procedures – helping you embed best practice approaches to risk management and drive continuous improvement. We don’t rely on templates. Instead, we take a risk-based, tailored approach that aligns with your organisation’s unique context and priorities.
Our services
Fully outsourced internal assurance
We take full ownership of your internal audit function, providing independent, objective assurance, reporting directly to your board. This saves you time, strengthens governance, and keeps your organisation on track — all while ensuring a risk-based, tailored approach that aligns with your strategic priorities.
A co-sourced approach
We work alongside your in-house internal audit team, acting as an extension of your existing function. This collaborative model enhances flexibility, helps minimise risk, and ensures deadlines are met — all while strengthening your internal capabilities and supporting continuous improvement.
Bespoke engagements
We provide support through governance and specific risk management reviews. For high-risk, high-complexity areas, we perform bespoke reviews, using specialist personnel with the appropriate subject matter expertise to ensure the right fit, focus and outcomes for your organisation.
Systems and Organisation Controls (SOC) reporting
Our independent assurance reports on internal controls of service organisations (SOC reporting), are designed to be shared with third parties, giving stakeholders confidence in your control environment and operational integrity. These reports are delivered in accordance with UK and internationally recognised standards, including AAF 01/20, ISAE 3000, ISAE 3402, SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3.
Hear from our clients
When looking for an alternative AAF auditor, we were introduced to Buzzacott and have been highly impressed with their ability to work with us, understand our processes quickly and offer proper diligence and challenge throughout their audit. Communication and service throughout has been excellent and our experience has been extremely positive.
Martin Armstrong, Quality Assurance Manager, Gallagher Benefit Services
Buzzacott’s audit team are highly professional and very well organised. As a new client, Buzzacott spent time understanding our business, governance and operating environment, and agreed with us an audit timetable that took account of resource availability and consideration of our clients’ expectations on delivery of the final independent assurance report. The audit included onsite testing at our Edinburgh office, and we were also able to upload testing data to Buzzacott’s secure portal which was very user-friendly. Regular meetings took place throughout the period to ensure progress and to provide thoughtful insight. The independent assurance report delivered was in digital format and the presentation was of a very high standard, meeting the expectations of our sophisticated institutional investor client base. We are very pleased to have engaged with Buzzacott and look forward to retaining their independent assurance services going forward.
Karen Lumsden, Chief Operating Officer, Skerryvore Asset Management Ltd
The internal audit team at Buzzacott demonstrated a deep understanding of our business and its key risk areas, which helped to deliver a robust internal audit service. The team is well prepared, organised and communicated clearly and professionally throughout, meaning the whole process ran extremely smoothly.
Kirby Mardle, Chief Financial Officer, Dentists’ Provident Society Limited
“We engaged Catherine and the Buzzacott team for our first audited controls report covering Operations and IT. Their in-depth knowledge and vast experience made the whole process seamless from start to finish. The team worked diligently through testing, working with our various outsourced service providers. We are very pleased with the end product – a comprehensive review of our systems and controls.”
Christopher Hart, Chief Operating Officer, Harwood Capital Management
When looking for an alternative AAF auditor, we were introduced to Buzzacott and have been highly impressed with their ability to work with us, understand our processes quickly and offer proper diligence and challenge throughout their audit. Communication and service throughout has been excellent and our experience has been extremely positive.
Martin Armstrong, Quality Assurance Manager, Gallagher Benefit Services
Buzzacott’s audit team are highly professional and very well organised. As a new client, Buzzacott spent time understanding our business, governance and operating environment, and agreed with us an audit timetable that took account of resource availability and consideration of our clients’ expectations on delivery of the final independent assurance report. The audit included onsite testing at our Edinburgh office, and we were also able to upload testing data to Buzzacott’s secure portal which was very user-friendly. Regular meetings took place throughout the period to ensure progress and to provide thoughtful insight. The independent assurance report delivered was in digital format and the presentation was of a very high standard, meeting the expectations of our sophisticated institutional investor client base. We are very pleased to have engaged with Buzzacott and look forward to retaining their independent assurance services going forward.
Karen Lumsden, Chief Operating Officer, Skerryvore Asset Management Ltd
The internal audit team at Buzzacott demonstrated a deep understanding of our business and its key risk areas, which helped to deliver a robust internal audit service. The team is well prepared, organised and communicated clearly and professionally throughout, meaning the whole process ran extremely smoothly.
Kirby Mardle, Chief Financial Officer, Dentists’ Provident Society Limited
“We engaged Catherine and the Buzzacott team for our first audited controls report covering Operations and IT. Their in-depth knowledge and vast experience made the whole process seamless from start to finish. The team worked diligently through testing, working with our various outsourced service providers. We are very pleased with the end product – a comprehensive review of our systems and controls.”
Christopher Hart, Chief Operating Officer, Harwood Capital Management
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