Social Housing

“Wbg have been an essential part of our business improvement journey over the last decade. The team robustly review our policies and procedures supporting our commitment to continuous improvement.

Good governance requires robust scrutiny, and internal audit is a key ingredient of this. Having constructive relationships with both our Board and Staff Teams are essential, allowing Wbg to provide critical friend comments about policies and their impact on service delivery.

Our staff now look at internal audit as a critical tool for business improvement, whereas previously there was some reluctance to embrace internal audit reviews, for fear of being criticised. Shire staff now appreciate the value that robust internal audit provides, and they have a positive relationship with Wbg.

We are delighted with the approach of Wbg’s team, which is about helping the organisation improve. Our relationship can be characterised as constructive review and challenge – informed by Wbg’s excellent understanding of the challenges facing the RSL sector and of best practice across their clients. This provides us with access to a bank of good practice and has allowed us to tailor our internal audit programme as new challenges evolve.”

“Wbg are a professional, knowledgeable and approachable firm that delivers a high-quality audit. They combine strong technical expertise with a good understanding of both our organisation and the housing sector reporting requirements. The team communicates clearly and work collaboratively whilst maintaining their independence.

Their audit gives our board confidence in the integrity of our financial reporting and control systems. They take the time to understand our business and focus on the areas of greatest risk, providing constructive feedback and practical observations rather than simply undertaking a compliance exercise.

The audit is well planned and managed, they are proactive when changes to regulation or legislation is required, providing insight to the changes, communication is clear and the team work collaboratively with our finance team whilst maintaining the appropriate level of independence and professional challenge.

As a Registered Social Landlord, it is essential that our statutory financial statements are accurate, comply with all relevant accounting standards and regulatory requirements, and provide assurance to our board, lenders, tenants and other stakeholders. It was also important that the audit was completed efficiently and to timetable, enabling us to meet our reporting deadlines without compromising audit quality.

Working with the Wbg team has been a positive experience.”

“Rural Housing Association appointed Wbg as our internal auditor in 2018. Our board and staff are delighted with the efficient service they have provided and the added value they have brought to our company.

Not only do they provide a first class internal audit service but they also provide insights and suggested improvements to our association which have enhanced many aspects of our internal systems, IT and governance. Having a fresh perspective from a Scottish based company with huge experience of the Scottish social housing sector has ensured continuous improvement throughout our association as well as providing professional assurance to our board.”

“Wbg have a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge. Their breadth of experience within our sector is invaluable, with benchmarking and good practice included in each audit report, and they highlight relevant good practice even outwith the audit.

They have greatly helped us to improve our process efficiencies, our staff skills, our relationships with external partners and our outputs for customers. They respond well within the contract agreed timescales and do so in a very supportive manner. They also work flexibly to meet client needs, for example Committee asked to bring forward the review of our reaction to Covid-19 and this was immediately rearranged. If you want an honest internal audit where the auditor will tell you what they find and make suggestions for improvement, then Wbg are the firm. They report without fear or favour, which only serves to help us learn where we can improve.”

“Scott Gillon, our engagement partner, is very knowledgeable on the sector and can support us through any problems we may have. Scott has an excellent relationship with the Executive team at Loreburn and also the Management Committee.

They value his input to the business. The audit team is also very well experienced in this area. I have a fantastic working relationship with the Audit Manager. She is always very responsive in meeting any requests I have and is genuinely easy person to get along with. Having been in audit prior to moving to Loreburn I can honestly say I think the fee charged is great value for money. We are in Dumfries and they travel down at least 4 times a year for the pre audit meeting, close out meeting, audit and compliance meeting and the AGM. This is all included within the fee as the fieldwork (5 days) and additional work completed back at the office. I know coming from the firm I previously worked for we would not be able to provide such a quality of service for the fee they charge.”

“Wbg provide Internal Audit Services to Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP). Wbg have met and exceeded HHP’s Board and Management Team expectations since appointment.

They have proved to be very professional, efficient and reliable. They have a responsive, knowledgeable team who understand the needs of their client. They have also been proactive in keeping HHP up to date with legislative changes and standards of reporting. They have a sound understanding of the housing sector.”