CASS 5 Audit Companies in Birmingham: A Guide to Providers
AC
Acumon Chartered Accountants·9 min read
Managing client money under CASS 5 requires more than meeting regulatory obligations. For insurance intermediaries and regulated firms, effective oversight of client assets plays an important role in maintaining operational resilience, regulatory confidence and trust with customers.
Birmingham is home to a diverse range of accountancy and advisory firms offering CASS 5 audit services. These range from national professional services networks to specialist practices with experience supporting FCA-regulated businesses across the insurance sector. While firms may provide similar services on the surface, their expertise, industry focus and approach to compliance can vary considerably.
This guide highlights a selection of companies providing CASS 5 audit services in Birmingham. Rather than ranking providers, the aim is to offer practical context on the firms operating in the market, the organisations they typically support and the areas where their expertise may be most relevant.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors providing CASS 5 audit services to firms and organisations across Birmingham and the wider UK market.
The firm works with regulated businesses ranging from insurance intermediaries and brokers through to larger corporate groups operating within FCA-regulated environments. CASS 5 audit engagements are designed to assess compliance with client money rules, strengthen governance arrangements and support effective regulatory oversight.
Acumon provides CASS 5 audit support across a range of regulatory and reporting requirements, including client money reviews, control testing, compliance assessments and reporting obligations under the FCA Client Assets Sourcebook (CASS). Services are delivered using a structured risk-based methodology tailored to the scale, complexity and regulatory profile of each organisation.
Acumon holds a Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence, enabling the firm to support organisations subject to enhanced regulatory oversight in the United Kingdom. Alongside its UK statutory audit registration, the firm also maintains audit licences in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Jersey and Isle of Man, supporting organisations operating across international structures and reporting environments.
Firms handling client money often operate within increasingly complex regulatory frameworks requiring effective controls, governance procedures and ongoing compliance oversight. Acumon works with compliance teams, directors and senior management to support regulatory reporting, control environments and adherence to FCA requirements.
CASS 5 Audit Capabilities
Acumon provides CASS 5 audit services across a range of regulated entities and compliance environments.
These include:
insurance intermediaries and brokers
FCA-regulated firms handling client money
organisations subject to CASS 5 requirements
multi-entity and group structures
businesses with cross-border operations
regulated entities with complex control frameworks
CASS 5 audit engagements are managed by experienced professionals with direct involvement throughout the review and reporting process.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations
The firm operates within a range of UK and international regulatory frameworks supporting organisations with domestic and cross-border reporting obligations.
These include:
UK statutory audit registration
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
Jersey audit licence
Isle of Man audit licence
Cayman Islands audit licence
British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations support organisations operating across international group structures, regulated sectors and multi-jurisdictional compliance environments.
Core Services
Alongside CASS 5 audit engagements, Acumon provides a wider range of services supporting governance, reporting and regulatory compliance.
These include:
statutory external audit
group and subsidiary audits
CASS 5 audits and compliance reviews
client money control assessments
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
charity and not-for-profit audit
internal audit and governance reviews
risk management and compliance support
CASS 5 reviews are often delivered alongside discussions regarding client money arrangements, governance responsibilities, regulatory reporting and internal control procedures.
As regulated firms expand operations or develop more complex business structures, compliance obligations and oversight requirements often become increasingly demanding.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
managing client money obligations
preparing for FCA oversight
operating within corporate group structures
strengthening governance and control procedures
expanding regulated activities
Early involvement can help organisations strengthen compliance frameworks, improve control environments and support ongoing regulatory obligations.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Phone: 020 8567 3451
Menzies
Menzies provides audit and assurance services to businesses operating in regulated sectors, including financial services. Their published guidance on CASS 5 highlights the practical requirements surrounding client money reconciliations, record keeping and compliance with FCA rules for mortgage and insurance intermediaries. The firm covers areas such as client money calculations, reconciliations and oversight processes linked to the protection of client funds.
CASS 5 compliance often extends beyond an annual audit, particularly where firms need to maintain ongoing controls and accurate records. Menzies addresses these areas through assurance services and support for FCA-regulated businesses, with attention given to governance, reconciliations and the handling of client money under the Client Assets Sourcebook framework.
Key Highlights:
Experience supporting FCA-regulated firms
Knowledge of CASS 5 client money requirements
Focus on reconciliations and control processes
Audit and assurance services for financial services businesses
Guidance on client money calculations and record retention
Reflex Accounting serves businesses across the UK with audit and assurance services, including support for FCA-regulated firms. Their materials refer to CASS compliance requirements and the management of client money, reflecting an involvement in audits where regulatory oversight forms an important part of the engagement. The firm works with organisations that require assurance over financial reporting and internal controls.
Financial services businesses often face changing regulatory expectations, particularly when handling client assets. Reflex Accounting incorporates risk-based audit planning and reviews of control environments, helping firms assess compliance obligations and identify areas that may require additional attention from a governance perspective.
Key Highlights:
Supports FCA-regulated businesses
Experience with CASS and regulatory requirements
Risk-based audit methodology
Reviews of internal controls and compliance processes
Address: 17 School Rd, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8JG
Phone: +44 121 262 1528
Onyx Accountants
Onyx Accountants offers audit services to organisations operating in a range of sectors, including businesses subject to FCA regulation. Their CASS and FCA audit offering covers firms that hold client money or custody assets, such as insurance intermediaries, investment firms and brokers. The firm outlines the role of CASS audits in assessing how client assets are protected and recorded under FCA rules.
Client asset regulation has become an increasingly important area for regulated firms, particularly where governance and oversight are under greater scrutiny. Onyx Accountants approaches these engagements with a focus on compliance frameworks, financial reporting and control processes linked to the safeguarding of client money.
Address: 12 Phoenix Business Park, Avenue Close, Birmingham, B7 4NU
Phone: 0121 753 5522
Forvis Mazars
Forvis Mazars provides audit, tax and advisory services across multiple industries, with dedicated teams supporting financial services firms. Their CASS and safeguarding practice covers businesses subject to FCA client asset rules, including insurers, banks, brokers and payment service providers. The firm addresses areas linked to governance, control frameworks and regulatory oversight.
Following increased regulatory scrutiny around client assets, many firms have expanded their focus on systems, reconciliations and operational controls. Forvis Mazars combines assurance work with risk assessments and remediation support, while also incorporating specialist knowledge of technology and IT environments that underpin CASS compliance.
Key Highlights:
Dedicated CASS and safeguarding specialists
Experience across regulated financial services sectors
Address: 3 Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3AX, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 121 232 9500
Bishop Fleming
Bishop Fleming works with a broad range of FCA-regulated businesses, including wealth managers, financial advisers and insurance firms. Their financial services team provides assurance work covering CASS requirements alongside wider regulatory obligations faced by firms operating in a closely supervised environment.
Regulatory expectations continue to evolve, particularly in areas such as Consumer Duty, operational resilience and client asset protection. Bishop Fleming integrates audit, risk and compliance considerations into its approach, supporting organisations as they manage FCA requirements while maintaining effective governance arrangements.
RSM UK provides audit and assurance services to businesses across a range of sectors, including regulated financial services firms. Their approach to audit places emphasis on risk assessment, financial reporting and internal controls, all of which are closely linked to CASS compliance where firms hold client money or assets.
For businesses subject to FCA requirements, maintaining effective oversight of client assets goes beyond meeting annual reporting obligations. RSM UK addresses areas such as operational risk, governance and control environments, helping firms gain visibility over processes that support compliance with client asset rules.
Key Highlights:
Works with regulated financial services firms
Focus on risk-based audit approaches
Emphasis on governance and internal controls
Supports oversight of financial reporting processes
Selecting a CASS 5 audit provider is not simply about meeting a regulatory requirement. For insurance intermediaries and other FCA-regulated firms, client money arrangements sit at the centre of governance, operational controls and regulatory oversight. An effective audit process can help organisations identify gaps, strengthen controls and maintain confidence in their compliance framework.
Birmingham is home to a diverse mix of firms involved in CASS 5 assurance, ranging from accountancy practices and specialist auditors to legal and compliance providers. Each organisation brings a different perspective, whether through audit delivery, regulatory advisory, technical guidance or legal support. The most suitable provider will often depend on factors such as the firm's business model, the complexity of its client money arrangements and the level of ongoing compliance support required.
This guide is intended to provide practical context on companies operating in this area rather than rank providers. As CASS requirements continue to evolve, many firms review not only whether they remain compliant today, but also whether their systems, controls and governance arrangements are equipped to meet future regulatory expectations.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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