Independent Person Vacancy - Audit Committee
Preston City Council is looking to appoint an Independent Person to the Council's Audit Committee for a two-year period commencing in June 2025 on a non-voting basis.
The Council's Audit Committee is made up of five City Councillors and is a politically neutral committee.
The Audit Committee has an important job of ensuring that it provides challenge and assurance on the Council's control environment mainly focusing on risk, control, governance and financial issues, to support the Council in ensuring it is well managed and able to deliver its priorities.
Candidates should ideally have practical experience in areas such as financial management, accountancy and governance.
The Audit Committee meets 5 times a year, usually in January, March, June, September and November. Meetings are usually held at 5pm in person at the Town Hall, Lancaster Road in Preston.
Candidates should have the time and commitment to prepare for and attend meetings as well as attend any appropriate training sessions.
If you are interested in helping to bring additional knowledge and expertise to the committee, we would like to hear from you.
Further details on the role of an Independent Person can be found in the following recruitment pack including the role outline and selection criteria.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 09 May 2025 and interviews for successful applications will take place week commencing 19 May (time to be advised).
To ensure the independence of the role, anyone who is or has within the last five years been a Member, Co-Opted Member or an Officer of Preston City Council, or any Parish/Neighbourhood Council within the Preston area, or who is a relative or close friend of a City or Parish Councillor, is not eligible to apply.
If you wish to discuss any element of the role you can contact the Head of Internal Audit and Risk, Mrs K Gregory, telephone 01772 906012 or email k.gregory@preston.gov.uk.
How to apply
You can apply for the role Independent Person by competing the online application form.
Role Outline
Purpose of Role
To be the co-opted member (non-voting) of the Council's Audit Committee to serve alongside the 5 elected City Councillors to assist the Council in maintaining high standards of corporate governance.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
To provide an independent and high-level focus on the adequacy of governance, risk and control arrangements. Its role in ensuring there is sufficient assurance over governance, risk and control gives greater confidence to Full Council that those arrangements are effective.
The committee has oversight of both internal and external audit, together with the financial and governance reports, helping to ensure there are adequate arrangements in place for both internal challenge and public accountability.
The Audit Committee Terms of Reference are:
(i) To support the establishment and maintenance of good governance, risk management and control arrangements and fulfilling the principles of good governance.
(ii) To monitor the effectiveness of the system of internal control, including arrangements for financial management, ensuring value for money, supporting standards and ethics and managing the authority's exposure to the risks of fraud and corruption.
(iii) To support the maintenance of effective arrangements for financial reporting and receive, approve and sign off the statutory statements of account, the annual governance statement, and any reports that accompany them.
(iv) To consider the council's framework of assurance and ensure that it adequately addresses the risks and priorities of the council.
(v) To oversee Internal Audit's independence, objectivity, performance and conformance to professional standards. Support effective arrangements for internal audit and promote the effective use of internal audit within the assurance framework.
(vi) To consider the opinion, reports and recommendations of external audit and inspection agencies and their implications and monitor management action in response to the issues raised by external audit.
(vii) To contribute to the operation of efficient and effective external audit arrangements.
(viii) To monitor and review the Council's Constitution.
(ix) To review any issue referred to Committee by the Chief Executive or a Director or any council body.
(x) To receive reports and to make payment or provide other benefits in the case of maladministration (S92 of the Local Government Act 2000).
The Audit Committee meets 5 times a year, usually in January, March, June, September and November. Meetings are usually held at 5pm in person at the Town Hall, Lancaster Road in Preston.
Candidates should have the time and commitment to prepare for and attend meetings as well as attend any appropriate training sessions.
Remuneration
There would be a small allowance of £556 per annum payable bi-annually, for this role. This amount is subject to review by the Council's Independent Remuneration Panel and approval at full Council.
Travelling and subsistence expenses can also be claimed in respect of attendance at meetings and training.
Selection Criteria
Skills and Competencies
An Independent Person will have:
- An ability to understand complex issues and the importance of accountability and probity.
- An ability to analyse and question written and verbal reports on financial, audit and risk management activities.
- An understanding of the need for independence of audit from daily management responsibilities.
- An ability to demonstrate integrity and discretion.
- Effective interpersonal skills
- Be able to maintain the strictest confidentiality of sensitive information.
All members of the Audit Committee should have, or should acquire as soon as possible after appointment:
- An understanding of the objectives and key activities of the Council and current major initiatives and significant issues for the Council.
- An understanding of the Council's structures and responsibilities, including key relationships with partners, businesses and organisations.
- An understanding of the Council's culture
- An understanding of relevant legislation or other rules governing the Council.
- An understanding of corporate governance arrangements in place across the Council.
- An understanding of the governance environment generally.
- An understanding of risk management and internal control.
Experience
Financial management experience (accountancy, audit or management of a large budget) would be advantageous.
Working knowledge and/or experience of local government or other public service/large complex organisation and awareness of and sensitivity to the political process.
Special Requirements
You must:
Agree to sign up to the Council's Code of Conduct which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of Councillors, including confidentiality agreements which Co-opted Members will be expected to abide by.
Co-opted (non-voting) members must not:
- Be a councillor or officer of the Council or have been so in the preceding five years to appointment
- Be related to, or a close friend of, any Councillor or officer of the Council.
- Have any criminal convictions.
- Be an undischarged bankrupt.
- Have significant business dealings with the Council.
- Have a formal connection with any political group.
- Have a proven history of vexatious and / or frivolous complaints against the Council
- Be the holder of a significant office in an organisation being grant aided / supported by the Council.
Means of assessment will be by application form and by interview.
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