Date posted: 8th Oct 2025
By James Davies, Audit & Assurance Partner
It has been widely reported across the accountancy sector, particularly in trade media titles, that the audit profession is under increasing pressure, fuelled by tighter regulation and heavier workloads.
This has supposedly seen a shift in the audit landscape, impacting on recruitment and resulting in some firms stepping away from audit altogether.
However, at Clive Owen LLP, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
While other firms are reviewing their service lines and adjusting, we are actively continuing to invest in our audit provision and workforce, maintaining a strong presence in the sector because we understand how vital high-quality audit is to the success, credibility and compliance of our clients.
In the last year alone, we have recruited some of the brightest, aspiring trainees across the North, with our latest intake of future auditors eclipsing double digits for the second consecutive year.
Our ongoing commitment to learning and development, especially among young people across the firm, is imperative to meet the needs of today’s business and commercial environment.
Compliance and credibility are becoming increasingly more crucial. Not only does it ensure that organisations meet legal and regulatory requirements, but we are seeing a renewed requirement from lenders and investors for businesses to be audited.
Equally, our team and network of professional connections are advising that businesses that would otherwise be below the audit threshold, are seeking to be audited, providing new challenges to organisations of this size.
As an experienced auditor with more than 15 years’ experience, I have seen firsthand how the industry has shifted. The demand for bespoke audit services is growing and has created a bottleneck, particularly for mid-sized businesses that rely on tailored, hands-on audit support that larger firms are often criticised for not prioritising.
While many firms have stepped away from audit or reduced their client base, Clive Owen LLP has continued to strengthen our offering. We have the luxury of calling upon a dedicated team of experienced auditors, many of whom have Big 4 and national firm experience, combined with those who have trained and developed through the firm.
We pride ourselves on our adapted approach that meets clients’ needs, ensuring that technical compliance is maintained whilst supporting businesses on their growth journey.
This ongoing commitment is driven by our dedication to supporting our clients. We work closely with many different organisations across a multitude of sectors, including owner managed businesses and charity clients to education providers and family-run businesses, ensuring that our clients have constant access to our audit partners who appreciate the bigger picture and who invest time in understanding their clients’ specific needs.
We are actively investing in talent, providing training opportunities, mentoring and development for our junior colleagues, helping to shape the next generation of auditors.
The future of audit will no doubt continue to evolve, particularly with the continued development of data analytics and the emergence of AI, but the need for clear, independent assurance and compliance will remain.
If you are finding it difficult to access reliable support, our expert team is approachable and highly skilled, and ready to support thriving, entrepreneurial businesses. Contact a member of the team here.
