Audit Committees play a pivotal role in safeguarding governance in the local government sector. The May 2026 election results mean that many Committees will now require a change in their membership. With local government reorganisation on the horizon, the scale of risk that Audit Committees oversee, and their likely future remit, is also changing. 

An effective Audit Committee can be the gatekeeper for standards and compliance; and the guard against weakness in arrangements. Beyond compliance, the Committee also holds an important role in promoting and developing an effective corporate culture – on matters such as risk management; financial management; and on an authority’s wider commitments to good governance.

Audit Committee members need to continually distill, and independently challenge, information from internal and external auditors; the monitoring officer; senior leaders; service lines; and sometimes other third parties.

Our webinar will examine the roles and responsibilities of the Audit Committee Chair and members; the systems, structures and behaviours they need to perform as an effective Committee; the importance of self-assessment; and the resources available for support. We will also explore the connections between the role performed by the Committee and other parts of the governance framework – Full Council, Cabinet and, importantly, Overview and Scrutiny.

We will be considering current local government sector trends, and the ways in which the new Local Audit Office may raise the standing and responsibilities of Audit Committees in future, whilst also increasing the impact that Committee Chairs and members have.

Our webinar will be Chaired by Paul Dossett, Partner and Head of Local Government Audit.

This session will be helpful for both new and more established Audit Committee members alike.

We look forward to seeing you there.