About Us.
At Littlechild & Haley, we specialise in helping organisations across sectors manage the complexities of risk, governance, and internal controls
Founded by experienced Chartered Internal Auditors Donna Littlechild and Paul Haley, our firm is dedicated exclusively to internal audit and risk assurance.
With over 50 years of combined experience, we offer a people-centred, tailored approach to governance and control that supports both public and private sector organisations across the UK and Ireland.
At Littlechild & Haley, we believe that strong internal frameworks drive sustainable success. Our unique focus on internal audit means we’re able to provide clear, unbiased insights and strategic guidance without the conflicts of bundled services often seen in larger firms.
We’re here to make risk management simple, impactful, and accessible to organisations of all sizes.
"We wanted to build a firm that doesn’t just serve clients but truly partners with them to create lasting resilience and peace of mind. With Littlechild & Haley, our clients know they have a trusted adviser by their side, always ready to see what’s coming over the horizon."
– Paul Haley, Co-Founder
Our Story
During this time, Donna and Paul recognised a growing gap in the market for a dedicated, independent risk assurance provider—one that focused solely on corporate governance, risk management, internal controls assurance, across the Three Lines.
They noticed that many organisations, particularly those scaling quickly, those protecting organisational value and meeting ever growing compliance & regulatory demands, or managing complex public sector mandates, and those particularly at risk of fraud through cyber threats, needed a more hands-on, tailored approach to risk and governance. Their complementary strengths—Donna’s keen focus on governance and Paul’s expertise in risk management and internal controls—laid the foundation for a business model centred on deep specialisation and genuine client partnership.
With five decades of combined experience and a passion for bringing clarity to complex risk environments, Donna and Paul set out to create Littlechild & Haley.
Headquartered in Cardiff, they chose to position the firm in Wales, a region they know well and felt was ideally suited for a focused risk assurance partner due to a nearby skilled & talented pool of expert professionals & Graduates. By concentrating on the three lines of governance, risk, and controls assurance, they aim to fill a critical need across both public and private sectors in the UK and Ireland.
Ethos
- The Why: We are passionate about providing insightful assurance to protect and enhance client organisational value across all Three Lines.
- The How: Utilising passionate, professional expertise deploying best practice Standards and Frameworks, coupled with Technology, and centring on strong relationships because “It’s all about People”.
- The What: Governance Assurance, Risk Assurance, Internal Controls Assurance.
Our Values
Simplicity
We believe in streamlined processes that make risk management clear and accessible, empowering clients to focus on growth.
Service
Passion
Trust
Perseverance
Meet The Team
Donna is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, holds the Qualification in Audit Leaadership and is a Member of the Business Continuity Institute. She also holds an ILM Diploma in Leadership and Management. Over her career, Donna has driven innovative solutions to complex challenges, from developing risk-based approaches, audit plans and methodologies to creating and modernising business continuity systems.
Donna is also a Visiting Lecturer and CIA coach on the Internal Audit Master’s course at Business City University, where she inspires and mentors the next generation of audit professionals. This role reflects her dedication to advancing the internal audit profession and sharing her knowledge to build future leaders.
A natural leader and mentor, Donna excels in building strong relationships and cultivating teams that embody excellence and trust. Her hands-on approach ensures clients achieve their objectives while embedding robust governance and resilience into their operations.
Paul is a passionate advocate for risk management and business resilience, with expertise across a range of sectors & industries. His ability to identify and mitigate risks has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor and thought leader, frequently speaking at industry events, and sought after as a Non Executive Director & Audit Committee member.
Committed to building lasting relationships, Paul believes in trust, integrity and People as the foundation of success. His dedication to excellence and client success has made him a respected figure in the industry.
His career started in general Internal Audit with the largest local authority in the country prior to a focus on IT Internal Audit with a number of professional services organisations both small and Top 10 firms leading on the delivery of IT audit to Public Sector organisations.
He joined Littlechild & Haley to support investment and growth of our IT Audit and Advisory services across the UK. Neil is responsible for directing the IT internal audit and advisory service delivery to clients across sector groups which consists of the public sector, utilities, not-for-profit, education, housing and organisations operating in the financial, banking, retail and commercial sectors.
