Assurance risk is moving in the sector. Prepare for DfE assurance review or other external audit with confidence.
DfE Assurance reviews and external audits expose weaknesses across systems, evidence and operational practice. If you’re fully prepared, you can avoid the disruption caused by implementing corrective actions under pressure.
This focused three-hour webinar will help you understand the apprenticeship compliance assurance landscape for 2027, recognise common findings, assess your readiness and prepare you for funding compliance scrutiny and external audit.
Strengthen your organisational readiness and get practical tools and greater confidence in your organisation’s ability to withstand review.
We’ll help you to understand:
- Common assurance findings and what they indicate about underlying control weaknesses
- The typical assurance review approach, including controls questionnaires, evidence testing including PDSAT sampling, enquiry and validation
- The tools that support effective preparation
- How to use an action plan to assign ownership, timescales and evidence of completion
- How to build and maintain a compliance risk register that supports active oversight
- Practical steps to prepare teams, records, systems and governance arrangements for review
Delegate Toolkit:
You’ll receive a delegate toolkit for use during and after the webinar. Use these resources to translate the webinar content into a readiness plan for your organisation.
- Action Plan Template: Helps turn priorities into clear, accountable actions.
- Controls Questionnaire: Enables self-assessment of current controls.
- Compliance Risk Register: Supports prioritisation and oversight of compliance risks.
About your session
The session will be facilitated by David Lockhart-Hawkins is an experienced apprenticeship compliance, assurance and governance specialist who supports education and training organisations to understand funding requirements, strengthen internal controls and prepare for external scrutiny. His work includes compliance assurance reviews, risk-based audits, due diligence and advisory support, with a particular focus on translating complex funding rules into practical, proportionate action. David brings an evidence-led and operational perspective to assurance, helping leaders identify emerging risks, address the root causes of recurring findings and build sustainable approaches to compliance.
This webinar is for those responsible for compliance, quality, governance or audit readiness.
“Very informative, and clearly delivered by David – helps make it all make sense!! Thank you.”
– Clare Gibbons, Compliance Officer, University of Warwick
“David’s knowledge and expertise is unparalleled.”
– Event attendee
“Very well delivered, clear and very good subject knowledge”
– Team Leader Horticulture Apprentices, Capel Manor College
Booking and payment:
You can either attend a live session or be sent the recording and materials, if you prefer to review them in your own time. You can also mix and match for whatever works best for your schedule.
If you’re a public sector body (e.g. Local Authority), and unable to book via card, please email us. When you make a booking, you agree to these Terms and Conditions (including those who request a booking via email and invoice)
SDN Mesma Group CPD is designed for Government funded Training Providers. If you’re not a Government funded Training Provider but are still interested in attending please email events@strategicdevelopmentnetwork.co.uk to discuss your attendance in more detail before booking.
Webinar
- Live webinar
- Webinar recording
- Slide deck
- Attendance Certificate
- Action Plan Template
- Controls Questionnaire
- Compliance Risk Register
Date – Monday 30 November 1:30-4:30pm
Single ticket: £165.00 + VAT
Group rate (for 5 delegates to attend the session): £395.00 + VAT