Local Audit Office - Chair

We are seeking to appoint an outstanding individual as the new Chair for the Local Audit Office. Local public bodies are at the heart of our communities. They support democracy and help deliver vital public services. The local audit system covers a wide range of public sector bodies (including local authorities, police, fire and NHS bodies). An effective and efficient external audit system is vital to ensure transparency and accountability for billions of pounds of public funds.

This government is driving a major overhaul of the local audit system by leading one of the most ambitious and wide-reaching reform programmes in over a decade. These efforts mark a decisive shift toward modernising a broken system that has struggled with complexity, fragmentation and capacity challenges. The scale of the problem has been epitomised by the backlog of outstanding unaudited accounts, which led to a paralysis of local audit prior to this government’s decision action to tackle it. The problems in local government financial reporting and the backlog in unaudited accounts has regrettably led to the disclaimer on the Whole of Government Accounts for both 2022/23 and 2023/24, and a general loss of public accountability and trust in the system.

As part of our overhaul of the local audit system, we are launching the new Local Audit Office (LAO). The LAO will play a critical role in ensuring the effective delivery of reforms, strengthening accountability, securing better value for money for taxpayers, and supporting long-term economic growth. The LAO will reduce the complexity of the current arrangements; improve coordination across the system; and improve capacity and capability. The vision for the LAO is to oversee and coordinate the auditing of local public bodies to promote effective, value for money and timely local audit, and to put the system back onto a secure and reliable footing. The LAO will be pivotal to rebuilding transparency, accountability and public trust. It will restore a crucial part of the early warning system for authorities facing potential failure and challenge. The LAO’s development will be an iterative process, and its functions will develop over time to fulfil its long-term vision.

We are looking for a charismatic and influential leader with strong strategic leadership experience to oversee the establishment of the LAO. You will lead on the establishment and strategic development of the organisation following launch, while ensuring the broader programme of audit reform for local bodies (including rebuilding assurance following the backlog) is delivered successfully to restore accountability, transparency, and public trust. You will provide visible, public facing leadership for the LAO, and play a crucial role in the development and growth of the LAO through support, challenge and advice on both the immediate delivery milestones and the strategic and longer-term direction of the organisation. You will influence a wide range of government and sector stakeholders, build consensus and navigate complex challenges. Through collaborative leadership across organisational boundaries, you will play a key role in driving forward these critical reforms.

You will be at the heart of a bold and ambitious mission to transform the local audit system. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact for communities and taxpayers across the country. If you believe you have the experience and skills we are seeking, I would like to encourage you to consider applying to help the government tackle the challenges and rebuild the system. Full details of the role, responsibilities and commitments are set out in this document, and I hope you will decide to apply. We want to receive applications from a wide range of individuals; we welcome candidates from traditionally under-represented groups, including those from an ethnic minority background.

If you have further questions about any aspect of the role or the application process, please contact PublicAppointments@communities.gov.uk.