Whistleblowing

Auditors in Scotland and England and Wales have a common statutory duty to report matters of material significance to the charity regulators.

OSCR and the Charity Commission for England and Wales have agreed a common list of matters of material significance to assist the auditor in reporting important matters on a timely basis.

The Whistleblowing guidance mirrors that contained in Appendix 5 of Practice Note 11, The Audit of Charities in the United Kingdom (Revised), published by the Auditing Practices Board in March 2011.  Auditors should refer to this publication for more detail regarding both the audit of charities and the 'whistleblowing' duty.

The guidance applies to auditors and independent examiners of Scottish charities.

In addition to the duty to report matters of material significance to the charity regulators, there is also a discretionary right for auditors and independent examiners to report to the regulator any matters that they believe may be relevant to the work of the regulator.