The Audit and Standards Committee of Northumberland Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of external inspections in adults' and children's services, the annual report from the Audit and Standards Committee to the Council, and the annual report from the Advance Northumberland Audit Committee.

Review of External Inspections in Adults and Children's Services

The committee is scheduled to receive a report detailing activity related to external inspections of Adults Social Care and Children's Services. This report covers the period from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026. It will inform members of the outcomes of inspections conducted by bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted. The report is expected to highlight the effectiveness of actions taken by the Council in response to these inspections and provide assurance that appropriate measures are being implemented to address any identified issues. For Adults Social Care, the report indicates that 89% of providers with a CQC rating were rated as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' at the end of June 2026. The report also details specific inspection outcomes for local authority managed services and externally commissioned providers. For Children's Services, the agenda includes information on inspections of the Council's residential homes for children, schools, and early years settings, as well as the Area SEND inspection of the Northumberland Local Area Partnership. The Area SEND inspection, conducted jointly by Ofsted and the CQC, identified that The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). ¹

Annual Report from Audit and Standards Committee to Council

The committee is set to consider its Annual Report for the 2025/26 period, which will then be presented to the full Council for agreement. This report, prepared in accordance with guidance from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)², is intended to detail the committee's work, demonstrate how it has fulfilled its responsibilities, and provide assurance to the Council. The report is expected to cover key highlights from the committee's activities, including its oversight of Internal Audit, External Audit, governance matters, financial reporting, risk management, and counter-fraud activities. It will also outline the committee's arrangements and effectiveness during the year.

Advance Northumberland Audit Committee – Annual Report to Group Audit Committee

The Audit and Standards Committee, acting as the Group Audit Committee for Northumberland County Council's accounting group boundary, is scheduled to receive the Annual Report from the Advance Northumberland Audit Committee for 2025/26. This report will be considered as part of the committee's ongoing evaluation of the governance, risk management, and control framework within the council's accounting group. The Advance Northumberland report details the activities of its Audit Committee, including its membership, meeting schedule, and key areas of focus such as risk management, internal audit, and external audit. It notes a Reasonable opinion from the Chief Internal Auditor on the adequacy and effectiveness of the framework of governance, risk management, and control for Advance Northumberland.