SafeRec is setting the compliance standards in the sector

Churchill Knight Umbrella is proud to be a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company. We take compliance exceptionally seriously, and SafeRec allows us to provide our umbrella employees and agency partners with a service they can truly depend on.

Please scroll down to learn more about SafeRec and the many benefits of referring your candidates to us. Not only does our SafeRec certification mean we pay your candidates compliantly, but it also ensures you have a dependable and compliant umbrella company on your Preferred Supplier List (PSL) – safeguarding your recruitment agency from serious legislation, including the Criminal Finances Act.

What is SafeRec?

Powered by AI, SafeRec uses real-time information to audit the payslips generated by umbrella companies. By referring a candidate to an umbrella company with a SafeRec certification, the worker will receive an automatically generated audit report for every payslip, explaining whether or not the deductions are compliant. If there are any signs of malpractice or the umbrella company is paying employees unethically, the entire supply chain will be notified immediately, helping identify malpractice the moment it occurs.

SafeRec has been extremely well received in the sector because, for the first time, umbrella companies can prove to the entire supply chain that they are processing payroll correctly. Recruitment agencies can receive real-time information on the payslips produced by the umbrella companies they refer to, as they are automatically sent a monthly audit summary with all the audit results for all referred candidates with the umbrella. It also helps companies hiring temporary workers remain compliant with complex legislation such as the Criminal Finances Act and prove that they only refer workers to compliant providers.

Ciaran Woodcock, Director at Churchill Knight Umbrella, explained the significance of being a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company. He said:

“SafeRec is capable of identifying suspicious activity, such as salary skimming. With the industry having undergone recent scrutiny, this is extremely valuable and will provide our employees with complete peace of mind.

Essentially, SafeRec allows umbrella companies committed to compliance, like Churchill Knight Umbrella, to prove they abide by UK laws and can be trusted – which is fantastic.”

How can SafeRec benefit your recruitment agency?

By referring to a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company like Churchill Knight Umbrella, you will benefit immediately from the revolutionary software designed to make supply chain compliance easier to manage and more transparent than ever before. Here are some important benefits of SafeRec:

  • Real-time payslip auditing and cross-referencing with RTI sent to HMRC.
  • We send your candidates a payslip audit report every time we pay them, providing added value and complete peace of mind.
  • You will receive a monthly report with the results of every payslip audit for your candidates using Churchill Knight Umbrella.
  • Provides your agency with up-to-date documentation for every candidate with Churchill Knight Umbrella, so you can be confident they’re being paid compliantly (and you can prove it, should you ever need to).
  • Certified umbrellas undergo a thorough yearly review (including contracts, procedures and policies). The audits are undertaken under the supervision of a specialist law firm.
  • There is nowhere for a non-compliant umbrella company to hide – SafeRec is setting the standards, and transparency like this has never been possible.

Five reasons to refer to Churchill Knight Umbrella

We’re committed to providing the very best services

As well as a certified SafeRec umbrella company, Churchill Knight Umbrella is accredited by the FCSA – the UK’s leading and most respected professional body committed to ensuring the supply chain of temporary workers complies with UK tax laws. As a member, we have proven we adhere to the FCSA’s strict Code of Compliance.

Over 25 years of experience

Founded in 2017 and backed by over 25 years of experience, Churchill Knight Umbrella has a rich and rewarding history within the contractor payroll sector. We are partnered with hundreds of recruitment agencies throughout the UK. We are proud of our reputation, which is thanks to building lasting relationships based on providing a trustworthy and reliable service.

Excellent reviews

We’re proud to be one of the sector’s most established providers of umbrella payroll, thanks to the excellent service we provide to our employees and recruitment agency partners. However, don’t just take our word for it. We have excellent online reviews. Please visit our Google and Trustpilot listings.

Multiple services

Churchill Knight Umbrella offers more than just PAYE umbrella payroll. We can also help your CIS workers with our CIS payroll service and have a salary sacrifice for candidates looking to boost their private pensions tax-efficiently.

Dedicated account management

When you partner with a payroll provider, we understand that communication is critical. You need to be confident you can reach out to them when questions or concerns arise. By partnering with Churchill Knight Umbrella, you’ll be assigned your own dedicated account manager who will be reachable whenever you need to speak to them.

The importance of adding a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company to your PSL

Recruitment agencies must have well-vetted, compliant and regularly updated Preferred Supplier Lists (PSL)  to ensure they only refer candidates to compliant umbrella companies. By referring a candidate to a non-compliant provider, legislation such as the Criminal Finances Act could pose a severe risk. HMRC is actively working to identify businesses that promote tax avoidance schemes, and the penalties could be devastating.

Including SafeRec Certified Umbrella Companies, like Churchill Knight Umbrella, on your PSL, gives your recruitment agency complete peace of mind because you can check the payslips of the candidates we process the payroll for. If you are interested in adding Churchill Knight Umbrella to your agency’s PSL or would like to discuss the benefits of partnering with a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company, contact our dedicated Agency Team by calling 0808 2525533 or emailing agency@churchill-knight.co.uk.

Arrange a meeting with our Agency Team

Compliance within the contractor payroll sector has never been so important. Your agency must have a PSL exclusively containing compliant umbrella companies with the best practices in place and a perfect track record. Churchill Knight Umbrella is accredited by the FCSA and certified by SafeRec. Therefore, by referring candidates to us, you can be confident that your business and contractors are in the safest hands.


Our highly trained Business Development Team is located throughout the UK and would be delighted to visit your office and discuss the many benefits of working together. Please call 0808 2525533 to schedule a meeting with one of our team members at a convenient time or email agency@churchill-knight.co.uk.