
• The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those
principal risks, what procedures are in place to identify
emerging risks and an explanation of how these are being
managed or mitigated;
• The directors’ statement in the financial statements about
whether they considered it appropriate to adopt the going
concern basis of accounting in preparing them, and their
identification of any material uncertainties to the group’s
and parent company’s ability to continue to do so over a
period of at least twelve months from the date of approval
of the financial statements;
• The directors’ explanation as to their assessment of the
group’s and parent company’s prospects, the period this
assessment covers and why the period is appropriate; and
• The directors’ statement as to whether they have a
reasonable expectation that the parent company will be
able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they
fall due over the period of its assessment, including any
related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary
qualifications or assumptions.
Our review of the directors’ statement regarding the
longer-term viability of the group was substantially less in
scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries
and considering the directors’ process supporting their
statement; checking that the statement is in alignment with
the relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance
Code; and considering whether the statement is consistent
with the financial statements and our knowledge and
understanding of the group and parent company and their
environment obtained in the course of the audit.
In addition, based on the work undertaken as part of
our audit, we have concluded that each of the following
elements of the corporate governance statement is materially
consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge
obtained during the audit:
• The directors’ statement that they consider the
Annual Report, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and
understandable, and provides the information necessary for
the members to assess the group’s and parent company’s
position, performance, business model and strategy;
• The section of the Annual Report that describes the review
of effectiveness of risk management and internal control
systems; and
• The section of the Annual Report describing the work of the
Audit and Risk Committee.
We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to
report when the directors’ statement relating to the parent
company’s compliance with the Code does not properly
disclose a departure from a relevant provision of the Code
specified under the Listing Rules for review by the auditors.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND THE AUDIT
Responsibilities of the directors for the financial
statements
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’
Responsibilities in respect of the financial statements, the
directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial
statements in accordance with the applicable framework
and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. The
directors are also responsible for such internal control as they
determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial
statements that are free from material misstatement, whether
due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the directors are
responsible for assessing the group’s and the parent
company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing,
as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the
going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either
intend to liquidate the group or the parent company or to
cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial
statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether the financial statements as a whole are free from
material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error,
and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion.
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not
a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs
(UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered
material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could
reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions
of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-
compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures
in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect
material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including
fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of
detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Based on our understanding of the group and industry,
weidentified that the principal risks of non-compliance
withlaws and regulations related to employment regulations,
andwe considered the extent to which non-compliance might
have a material effect on the financial statements. Wealso
considered those laws and regulations that have a direct
impact on the financial statements such as the Companies
Act 2006. We evaluated management’s incentives and
opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial
statements (including the risk of override of controls), and
determined that the principal risks were related to the posting
of journals with unexpected account combinations, which
manipulate revenue or profits, and management bias in
accounting estimates and judgements. Audit procedures
performed by the engagement team included:
Financial statements
174
DUNELM GROUP PLC
ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2022
Independent auditors’ report continued
to the members of Dunelm Group plc