Performance audit
The Audit Commission is responsible for appointing external auditors to local health and local government bodies and for auditing and inspecting many public services. In doing this, we work with a wide range of public sector organisations to raise the standards of public services and ensure the best possible use of taxpayers' money. Our audited and inspected bodies include local authorities and health bodies across the country, as well as other public sector bodies, for instance police and fire authorities.
As well as our financial auditors, we employ other public service professionals to help the audited and inspected bodies to improve their service delivery.
The Commission is now working under the exciting new banner of Strategic Regulation, allowing us to target our audit and inspection work where it will have the greatest impact. Our focus is on the experience of service users and the needs of diverse communities.
Our performance auditors are experienced professionals from a variety of backgrounds, whose skills and service expertise provide external challenge and support to health and local government bodies. We deploy our performance skills to cover a wide range of services, focusing on identified risks and improvement priorities. For instance:
- In local government we will be developing our ground-breaking work in partnership with other inspectorates on the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) to provide local people with a rounded independent assessment of their council. We are using the results of the CPA to develop tools to support improvement - for example, on leadership and performance management (in partnership with IDeA) and financial management (in partnership with CIPFA (the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy)).
- We are taking on new responsibilities for the inspection of fire and rescue services in line with the recommendations of the BAIN report.
- In our work with the NHS we will be working in partnership with the new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) to maximise the contribution of our local audit role to the improvement of health services. This will include working across the boundaries of public agencies as they work in partnership to meet patients' needs and tackle fundamental causes of ill-health.
Our aim is to deliver continuous service improvement and value for money.
What do Performance Auditors do?
Our performance auditors carry out a range of complex and high profile inspection, CPA and performance management work. The responsibilities may include:
- Regional co-ordination of major work tranches e.g. partnerships, procurement or other national mandatory work.
- Leading a team carrying out CPA at district councils or unitary authorities
- Leading teams carrying out performance or inspection work.
- Acting as a regional lead for a service area
- Supporting authorities and trusts to achieve continuous service improvement
- Undertaking high profile strategic work with a strong focus on achieving change
- Reporting on performance to authorities, trusts and the public.
- Facilitating workshops to assist with change
- Contributing to the future development of performance audit and inspection by promoting the development of new services, tools and methodologies.
Performance auditors spend a significant amount of time at authorities and trusts developing an understanding of their issues and helping them to deliver service improvements for the communities they serve.
What would I need to be effective in this role?
- Degree level education, or equivalent professional qualification or experience.
- Significant experience in a senior public sector role.
- Strong project and time management skills.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively whilst being working in a disciplined and organised manner.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to present balanced findings and persuasive recommendations to senior management.
- Analytical skills - ability to analyse complex problems, identify solutions and manage their implementation.
- Experience in managing, coaching and developing people.
