Compliance Management for Accountancy Practices
Handle workplace safety, professional standards, and GDPR compliance with digital tools designed for accounting professionals.
The Challenge
Accountancy practices face dual compliance pressures - professional body requirements from ICAEW, ACCA, or CIMA alongside workplace safety, GDPR, and AML obligations. Managing CPD tracking, quality assurance documentation, client due diligence, data protection measures, and office safety across multiple offices and remote workers creates overwhelming administrative burden. Paper systems can't track CPD across all staff, prove data protection compliance to ICO, or demonstrate AML procedures to HMRC, leaving practices exposed to regulatory action from multiple authorities.
How Assistant Manager Solves Accountancy Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges accountancy businesses face every day.
Training & Development
Accountancy practices need CPD tracking aligned to ICAEW/ACCA/CIMA requirements, mandatory AML training with annual refreshers, GDPR training for all staff, and the ability to prove training compliance to multiple regulators
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- CPD requirements vary by professional body and role, tracked on spreadsheets that show hours but not actual completion evidence or relevance to competencies
Practice assurance reviews find incomplete CPD records, you can't prove hours were relevant to practice areas, and practising certificates are at risk
- Anti-money laundering training is assigned but completion isn't enforced, with no way to prove all staff completed training before handling client work
HMRC AML inspections find staff working on client engagements without current AML training, creating regulatory exposure and potential practice closure
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
Learning management system with professional body CPD tracking, mandatory compliance training enforcement, automatic reminders, and practice-wide competency reporting
Every staff member completes required CPD and AML training before working on clients, professional body requirements are automatically tracked, and you can generate instant compliance reports for practice assurance reviews
Use Cases:
- • CPD tracking by professional body requirements (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA)
- • Structured vs unstructured CPD classification and reporting
- • AML training with annual refreshers and completion enforcement
- • GDPR and data protection training for client data handling
- • Ethics and professional conduct training
- • Technical updates on accounting standards and tax changes
- • Specialist training tracking for audit, tax, and advisory staff
- • New starter induction with competency sign-off before client work
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: CPD requirements vary by professional body and role, tracked on spreadsheets that show hours but not actual completion evidence or relevance to competencies
Real Scenario
"ICAEW conducts a practice assurance review. You claim 150 CPD hours but can't produce evidence of what training was completed, how it related to client work, or that it met structured learning requirements. Your practising certificate is suspended pending remediation."
Example 2: Anti-money laundering training is assigned but completion isn't enforced, with no way to prove all staff completed training before handling client work
Real Scenario
"Following suspicious activity, HMRC inspects your AML procedures. They discover three junior staff who've been doing client due diligence without completing mandatory AML training. You face enforcement action and potential criminal sanctions for the firm's principals."
HR Management
Accountancy practices need systematic tracking of professional qualifications, practising certificates, AML responsibilities, DBS checks for finance work, and policy acknowledgements for professional standards
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- Professional memberships, practising certificates, and DBS checks for client-facing roles are tracked on spreadsheets with manual reminder emails that get ignored
Staff work without current practising certificates, DBS checks expire for those handling financial data, and you discover non-compliance only when problems arise
- Policy acknowledgements for anti-bribery, conflicts of interest, and independence are handled via email with no systematic tracking of who has read and acknowledged policies
You can't prove staff understood and acknowledged key policies when conflicts arise or regulatory inspections occur
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Centralized staff records with professional membership tracking, automatic certificate expiry alerts, policy acknowledgement workflows, and instant compliance reporting
Every staff member's practising certificate and memberships are tracked with 90-day renewal alerts, policies are acknowledged electronically with audit trails, and you can prove compliance instantly
Use Cases:
- • ICAEW/ACCA/CIMA practising certificate tracking with renewal alerts
- • Professional body membership verification and renewal
- • DBS checks for staff accessing client financial systems
- • Anti-bribery and corruption policy acknowledgement
- • Independence and conflicts policy acknowledgement for audit staff
- • Client confidentiality and data protection policy acceptance
- • Partner and manager competency tracking for client responsibility
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Professional memberships, practising certificates, and DBS checks for client-facing roles are tracked on spreadsheets with manual reminder emails that get ignored
Real Scenario
"A client discovers that the audit senior assigned to their engagement has an expired ICAEW practising certificate. They lose confidence in your practice and complain to ICAEW. Investigation reveals your 'tracking system' is a spreadsheet last updated 9 months ago."
Example 2: Policy acknowledgements for anti-bribery, conflicts of interest, and independence are handled via email with no systematic tracking of who has read and acknowledged policies
Real Scenario
"An audit partner faces an independence challenge from a regulator. You need to prove they acknowledged and understood your independence policy. Your email records are incomplete, and you can't demonstrate systematic policy acknowledgement."
Risk Assessment
Accountancy practices need risk assessments covering GDPR compliance, client confidentiality, secure document handling, AML risk management, and office safety - all aligned to professional body requirements
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- Data protection impact assessments are done inconsistently when new client systems are implemented, with no central register or systematic review process
ICO investigations find inadequate data protection measures, client data is processed without proper impact assessment, and GDPR breaches result in fines
- Office risk assessments exist but don't cover specific risks for accounting practices like secure document storage, client confidentiality, and handling of sensitive financial data
Client documents are left insecure, confidentiality is breached, and you can't demonstrate appropriate safeguards for sensitive information
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Risk assessment system with practice-specific templates for data protection, client confidentiality, AML risks, and workplace safety
Every data processing activity has a proper DPIA, office security risks are properly assessed, and you have comprehensive risk management documentation for professional body reviews
Use Cases:
- • Data Protection Impact Assessments for client data processing
- • Client confidentiality and document security risk assessments
- • AML risk assessment for practice and high-risk client sectors
- • Office security and clean desk policy risk management
- • Home working data protection risk assessment
- • Cloud software and data processor risk assessment
- • Cyber security and ransomware risk assessment for practice systems
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Data protection impact assessments are done inconsistently when new client systems are implemented, with no central register or systematic review process
Real Scenario
"You implement cloud accounting software for managing client data. Following a data breach, ICO investigation reveals you never conducted a DPIA, have no privacy-by-design documentation, and didn't assess risks to client data. You face a £50,000 fine."
Example 2: Office risk assessments exist but don't cover specific risks for accounting practices like secure document storage, client confidentiality, and handling of sensitive financial data
Real Scenario
"Cleaners find client tax returns on desks overnight and one gets misplaced. The client complains to ICAEW about data security. Your office risk assessment covers DSE and fire safety but doesn't mention clean desk policy or document security."
Accident & Incident Records
Accountancy practices need incident management that handles both GDPR data breaches (72-hour ICO notification) and workplace safety incidents, with proper documentation for multiple regulators
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- Data breaches and confidentiality incidents are reported informally to managers, with no systematic logging, impact assessment, or follow-up
ICO reportable breaches go unreported within 72 hours, patterns of security incidents aren't identified, and you can't demonstrate proper breach management
- Workplace accidents in offices are barely recorded because 'nothing serious happens here', with no paper accident book or digital system
When accidents occur, there's no documentation for insurance claims or HSE compliance, and RIDDOR reportable injuries go unreported
The Solution
How Accident & Incident Records Helps
Unified incident management for data breaches, workplace accidents, and security incidents with automatic ICO reporting determination and 72-hour tracking
Every data breach is logged immediately with ICO notification obligations tracked, workplace accidents are properly documented, and you have complete incident records for regulators
Use Cases:
- • Data breach logging with automatic 72-hour ICO notification tracking
- • Client confidentiality incident recording and impact assessment
- • Workplace accident documentation with RIDDOR determination
- • Cyber security incident logging and response tracking
- • Near-miss and hazard spotting for office safety
- • Document loss or misplacement incident recording
- • Corrective action tracking to prevent recurrence
Feature Screenshot
Accident & Incident Records
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Data breaches and confidentiality incidents are reported informally to managers, with no systematic logging, impact assessment, or follow-up
Real Scenario
"A junior accountant accidentally emails 50 client invoices to the wrong recipient. It's mentioned to the manager who 'deals with it' verbally. Three months later, a client complains to ICO about the breach. You have no record of the incident, the impact assessment, or actions taken."
Example 2: Workplace accidents in offices are barely recorded because 'nothing serious happens here', with no paper accident book or digital system
Real Scenario
"A partner trips on a loose carpet tile and breaks their wrist. The injury is RIDDOR reportable but nobody knows, and there's no accident record. Three months later, HSE asks why it wasn't reported. You have no documentation of the incident."
Checklist Management
Accountancy practices need systematic checking for data retention compliance, office security, document destruction, clean desk enforcement, and GDPR compliance tasks
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- File room document destruction schedules exist on paper but aren't followed systematically, leading to retention of client data beyond required periods
GDPR breaches from retaining personal data too long, storage costs for unnecessary documents, and inability to prove proper data retention compliance
- Office security checks like alarm testing, document cabinet locks, and secure disposal bins exist informally but aren't documented
Security lapses go unnoticed, client confidentiality is at risk, and you can't demonstrate proper security measures to professional bodies or clients
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Digital checklists for data retention reviews, security checks, GDPR compliance tasks, and office safety with completion tracking and audit trails
Document retention is reviewed systematically, security checks happen on schedule with photo evidence, and you have complete records proving information governance
Use Cases:
- • Monthly file room reviews with retention schedule compliance
- • Weekly secure disposal bin checks and document destruction logging
- • Daily clean desk policy compliance checks
- • Monthly client data access log reviews for GDPR compliance
- • Quarterly software and system backup verification
- • Annual GDPR compliance review checklist
- • Office security and alarm system weekly testing
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: File room document destruction schedules exist on paper but aren't followed systematically, leading to retention of client data beyond required periods
Real Scenario
"ICO investigation finds client tax data from 15 years ago still in your file room. GDPR requires data minimization and documented retention schedules. You can't prove systematic reviews happen, and old files are just 'kept in case we need them'."
Example 2: Office security checks like alarm testing, document cabinet locks, and secure disposal bins exist informally but aren't documented
Real Scenario
"A confidential client document is found in a regular waste bin. Investigation reveals the secure disposal bins haven't been locked for months, and nobody checks them systematically. The client questions your data security measures and considers changing accountants."
Quality Assurance
Accountancy practices need systematic quality assurance to meet ICAEW, ACCA, and CIMA practice assurance requirements, with documented file reviews, quality procedures, and continuous improvement evidence
The Problems
Why This Matters for Accountancy
- File reviews for quality assurance are done sporadically by partners when they have time, with findings scribbled on paper and no systematic follow-up
Practice assurance reviews find no evidence of systematic quality procedures, recurring issues aren't identified, and you can't demonstrate continuous improvement
- Quality procedures documented in a practice manual aren't reviewed or updated, and there's no verification that staff actually follow them
Documented procedures are outdated, staff don't follow quality requirements, and professional body reviews find disconnect between documented and actual practices
The Solution
How Quality Assurance Helps
Quality assurance management with file review scheduling, findings tracking, corrective action workflow, and continuous improvement monitoring
File reviews happen systematically on schedule, findings are tracked with corrective actions, and you can demonstrate quality procedures to professional bodies
Use Cases:
- • Scheduled file review program with completion tracking
- • Quality findings documentation and categorization
- • Corrective action workflow with responsibility assignment
- • Recurring issues identification and trend analysis
- • Quality procedure documentation with version control
- • Practice manual review and update scheduling
- • Professional body practice assurance preparation and readiness checks
Feature Screenshot
Quality Assurance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: File reviews for quality assurance are done sporadically by partners when they have time, with findings scribbled on paper and no systematic follow-up
Real Scenario
"ICAEW practice assurance review asks to see your quality assurance procedures. You produce a folder of handwritten file review notes from random dates, with no evidence of follow-up, no trend analysis, and no systematic review program."
Example 2: Quality procedures documented in a practice manual aren't reviewed or updated, and there's no verification that staff actually follow them
Real Scenario
"Your practice manual says all audit files are reviewed by a second partner. Practice assurance inspection finds this hasn't happened on 30% of audits. The manual was written in 2018 and never reviewed as practice workflows evolved."
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