Trust through accountability

As a world-leading improvement regulator, our role is to help ICAEW members and firms to maintain high professional standards and hold them to those standards. We act in the public interest to strengthen trust in our members and firms by raising standards through a programme of continuous improvement.

Parjinder Basra, Chair, ICAEW Regulatory Board

IRB Chair’s Foreword

"I am particularly proud of the way our committees and staff have continued to serve the public interest with professionalism, integrity and determination.’’

Parjinder Basra, Chair, ICAEW Regulatory Board

Duncan Wiggetts, Chief Officer, Professional Standards Department

Chief Officer’s Outlook for 2026

“Despite a demanding agenda and an uncertain external backdrop, I know that all Professional Standards staff are determined to make 2026 another strong year of delivery and progress."

Duncan Wiggetts, Chief Officer, Professional Standards

1,835

firms registered for statutory audit*

321

firms accredited for probate services*

c10,000

firms supervised for compliance with AML regulations*

96%

satisfaction with the management of our monitoring process

1,314

investigations completed

7.46m

sponsored and organic social media impressions

(* as at 31 December 2025)

761

licensed insolvency practitioners*

1,507

firms authorised to provide investment business advice*

2,978

monitoring reviews carried out

1,235

new complaint files opened

1,247

regulatory applications received

328,170

unique website visits

Our role is to help members and firms to maintain high professional standards and hold them to those standards

Image of words 'Improve, strengthen, reinforce' on orange background

Image of words 'Clear, proportionate, fair' on green background

Image of words 'Looking, forward, evolution' on teal background

Image of phrase 'Sharing our experience to ensure effectiveness' on grey background

Case study: Improved visibility of higher-risk audit appointments

Over the past year, we have increased our ability to monitor proactively by introducing a significant package of enhancements to the Audit Regulations.

Case study: Crossing the Line - educating through film

In 2025, we launched Crossing the Line, a groundbreaking educational drama designed to deepen understanding of audit quality, professional scepticism and ethical decision-making across the profession.

Case study: Refreshing our disciplinary sanctions guidance

In 2025, we undertook a comprehensive review of ICAEW’s Sanctions Guidance to ensure it remained fair and aligned with the evolving needs of our disciplinary and regulatory committees.

Case study: Nurturing talent and promoting from within

We are committed to nurturing and developing our own talent by supporting continuous professional development and actively promoting from within. Several individuals have exemplified this ethos, demonstrating how our culture of internal growth supports both personal and organisational success.

Case study: Introducing Constructive Engagement

In 2025, a new project was launched to develop a new Constructive Engagement pathway for the resolution of lower‑level audit conduct matters outside the formal disciplinary process.

Case study: Helping to develop a new framework for local audit

During 2025, we worked closely with senior civil servants at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide input into key elements of the new local audit regulatory framework.

How we achieve our self-financing targets

Read how we maintain a self-financing model for our regulatory work.

Find out more

Oversight of ICAEW’s regulation and conduct roles

Find out which regulators oversee ICAEW’s regulatory and disciplinary work.

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Roles of ICAEW’s regulatory and disciplinary committees

All significant decisions are made by regulatory and disciplinary committees with a lay majority or lay parity.

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ICAEW Regulation and Conduct 2030 Strategy

Find out about the ICAEW Regulation and Conduct strategy (led by the ICAEW Regulatory Board), its strategic pillars and our commitments as an improvement regulator. This strategic initiative directly supports ICAEW’s Direction 2030 by ensuring that our regulatory and disciplinary work enhances the relevance, reputation, and resilience of the profession while also contributing to ICAEW’s other strategic initiatives.

View the ICAEW Regulation and Conduct 2030 Strategy

ICAEW Regulation and Conduct Annual Report 2025

Trust through accountability

Full report

Our role and commitment

Regulation and Conduct Strategy

IRB Chair’s Foreword

Chief Officer’s Outlook for 2026

KEY STATISTICS IN 2025

1,835