Warwickshire Internal Audit gets full marks for compliance
An Audit Commission review has bestowed a rare honour on Warwickshire County Council’s internal audit service.
The latest appraisal, in February, checked the county council’s auditors’ compliance with 11 professional standards as laid out by the national code of practice.
The eleven professional standards – ranging from scope of audit, independence and due professional care - were all met by Warwickshire’s auditors which, the district auditor acknowledged, is very rare.
Cllr Bob Stevens, deputy leader of Warwickshire County Council and portfolio holder for performance management, said: “Auditing is something that quietly goes on behind the scenes and, on the surface, residents could be forgiven for thinking that auditors’ work has little effect on the council’s services they receive.
“However, it is the auditors who check that, whatever the service that council directorates provide, it is done in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible, ensuring that residents have the best value for their money.
“A key component for the county’s auditors, if they are to do this efficiently, is the impartiality to allow them to carry out a thorough and fair assessment of how the county operates its services.
“The praise given by the Audit Commission shows that we can trust the internal auditors implicitly to make sure that staff around the county are ensuring that the council is effective in achieving its objectives.”