Internal Audits
Internal Audit Service for Smaller Councils
LCC is dedicated to improving the local council sector and is pleased to offer an internal audit service for smaller town and parish councils with precepts of *£200K or less.
Internal audit is a legal requirement, and each town and parish council must appoint an internal auditor to act independently to carry out a selective assessment of compliance with the relevant procedures and controls in operation.
To help ensure you can access an independent review, we have an internal audit team of qualified and experienced clerks who have successfully completed the SLCC Principles of Internal Auditing for Local Councils (PIALC) course.
*If your council’s precept if above £200k and you would like to enquire about the internal audit service, please do contact us and will be happy to help.
How can we help?
Upon selecting LCC to be your provider, we would assign an internal auditor to you. Their role is to be a ‘critical friend’ providing an independent report on the adequacy and effectiveness of your council’s system of internal control, with their findings summarised against the internal control objectives on the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)*
Our internal auditors will look through your council’s processes and procedures and, where necessary, make recommendations which would help improve your council’s governance. Some of these recommendations would be long-term goals, others may need to be implemented more quickly, but the internal auditor would be available as part of the audit process to help guide the council through what is needed.
Our service includes a year-end audit comprising a desktop review of the council’s processes, accounts and minutes together with one or more virtual meetings or a site visit if preferred (travel costs extra), dependent upon needs and a follow-up mid-year discussion.
Contact us today to see how we can help you.
*The Annual Governance and Accountability Return must be completed annually after the conclusion of the financial year and before the end of June.