PBS CODE OF CONDUCT, CERTIFICATION, POLICIES AND FAQS

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CODE OF CONDUCT

PBS will comply by the below code of conduct in all its dealings with all its clients without exception.

Always abide by the ICB code of conduct and practice for bookkeepers.
Always abide by the CMI code of conduct and practice for Managers and Consultants.
Comply fully with MLR and anti-bribery requirements as per the Money Laundering Regulations (MLR) 2017 and The Bribery Act 2010 - our HM Treasury appointed supervisory authority for MLR is the ICB
Comply with all the applicable regulations in relation to all matters of Bookkeeping - Payroll, VAT, TAX etc.
Store, use and control client information in line with the requirements of both the data protection act and GDPR. Where cloud-based solutions are offered - they will use bank level security systems. Our preferred systems in these cases are Sage for all bookkeeping activities and Rush Drives for cloud storage, uploading and downloading. Please see the policy section below for a copy of our Data Protection and Privacy Policy.
Use a Letter of Engagement to form a plain-English contract to manage clients’ expectations – this letter will be used for any new clients or in the event of a change in the scope of the services provided to an existing client. It will contain the services agreed upon, any associated timelines, the reporting mechanisms for those services and the associated costs. PBS will never use any hidden fees – costs agreed upon will remain as per the letter of engagement.
Hold our own agent link with HMRC for Tax VAT, CIS and Payroll - meaning that with client agreement we can act on your behalf directly with HMRC.
Hold valid and applicable professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Hold an up to date and valid ICB practice license.
Have current DBS checks in place.
Where we are required to attend a clients premises, we will comply with any and all regulations and requierments of the client inlcuding any health and safety requierments.
Adhere at all times to our to our own internal code of ethics - namely to conduct our affairs with our clients openly and honestly, with professional integrity, loyalty and trust. We will not engage with nor tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment or predjudice.

Certification

Copies shown below of certification and approvals held by PBS

Privacy Policy

Please see below for PBS's Date Protection and Privacy Policy

FAQS

What software do you use? Do I have to subscribe to yours or can I use my own?

At PBS we champion Sage as the preferred solution for bookkeeping, payroll, and accounts. Part of our service package includes a paid for subscription to the relevant Sage package. However, we are able and happy to support the use of other packages such as Xero and QuickBooks or even Excel based systems. If you already have a subscription to any package and wish to keep it then that’s fine too, simply send us an invite and we will work from your link and of course remove the subscription element from your service package with us. From a business development perspective the software used is not part of the costs for the service and in all cases utilises standard Microsoft packages such as PowerPoint, Excel and Visio.

If I engage your services will the agreement be formalised in a simple contract for clarity?

PBS always us a letter of engagement when onboarding a new client, however big or small the job may be. The letter is written in plain English and details the services agreed upon, the necessary inputs and outputs, methods of reporting and the associated timelines along with a clear and accurate detail of the costs. There are no hidden fees with PBS - the price is as per the letter of engagement. Should the scope of work change, the letter will be updated and agreed upon once more. That way you have peace of mind with a signed document stating clearly what it is we will be doing, when we will be doing it and how much it will cost.

What if I am based outside of your locality? Can you do work for outlocated clients?

PBS can provide remote bookkeeping and payroll services but the scope of business development work for out located clients is limited to advice and remote coaching. The reason for this is that most business development work requires attendance to site. For Bookkeeping tasks, the use of cloud-based software such as Sage means that data can be processed and accessed remotely meaning that tasks such as Tax and VAT returns, Payroll etc. are not limited by geographical location. To help facilitate this we also offer a portal to a cloud-based storage system allowing you to upload/download documents remotely. Both Sage and the cloud-based storage system used (Rush Drives) offer bank level security and encryption. By way of guidance, a remote client for us is one based more than 30 miles from our location. Within this radius we also offer a document collection service.

Can I pick and choose any combination of services or do I have to have certain ones?

The services provided by PBS are truly bespoke. Not only can choose exactly which service, or combination of services you wish us to provide, you get a full say in how they are provided. For example, you may wish us to provide Payroll services for you - that could be short term, long term, using your software, our software, onsite, done remotely - the possibilities and permutations are all up for inclusion in our scope of work. At PBS we do not try to sell you a rigid system of working - we sell you a service based on what you want, the way you want it, and when you want it. The only caveat to this is, of course, in areas of legal compliance - when it comes to meeting statutory deadlines and requirements, we will do so without fail.

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