Notice for a Funding Assurance ESFA audit

I haven't seen anything formal since this, but in a letter published a few years ago they said the following;

Notification of assurance review visit

We plan to give providers between two- and four-weeks’ notice of the assurance review visit. It is important that providers make arrangements to facilitate the visits in this period to ensure that the Assurance Team is given access to individuals, who have knowledge of ILR and learner records. To facilitate the assurance visits, we will normally send you the sample of learner files, that we will need to see, 3 to 5 working days before the visit date, so that you can collate the individual learner files and associated evidence including any information required from subcontractors. This will enable our Assurance Team to complete the assurance checks efficiently and effectively. The records must be available on the first day of the visit.

Thanks Ben.

I am trying to write a timetable of actions required and people who need to be available and was working on 14 days as a notification period but couldn't find anything either. I think I have read previously that the files can now be electronic rather than printed. Have you seen this? 

If anyone on here has had an assurance visit, can you give any indication on how long they remain on campus reviewing the evidence?  

We had four weeks notice in June.

As our office was under refurbishment we did everything remotely and uploaded documents. All our documents are electronic anyway.

Was about 2 weeks for the sample of 30 learners.

Rules changed half way through so be aware result is now based on sample and total population.

Thanks for the insight Tracy that is very useful

Out of interest did they contact your Nominee as they would for Ofsted or another named individual?

Yes, came to me as the Apprenticeships Director.

We had 2 weeks' notice to get our sample together for 30 learners. The audit was done remotely by an external company. 

My advice is if you use lots of paperwork is to get it scanned in as soon as you are happy with it as this adds lots of time onto the initial process. 

How long they will be depends on what they find and how many queries they have.  

Thanks 

Hi,

Following on from this - when you are given noitce do they already have the ILR they will be asking for sample from?  I have only ever assisted with an Audit, so not sure of the whole process/timetable.

Thanks

They'll reach out to you via whatever contact information they have to book the audit and outline the general process, and you're normally given no more than 4 weeks notice. Regarding where they get the sample from, they'll use the most recently uploaded ILR to generate it, so you won't be asked to provide anything.

They did a webinar on audits not all that long ago, which you can find here. 

Thanks Ben James I will give that a watch - when they contact you do they give you notice at that point and will they already have your recent ILR?

Yes, to both. They'll arrange the date(s) with you (which you'll have notice from that point) and they'll already have your ILR as they use the one you most recently submitted.