The Audit Committee of Hillingdon Council was scheduled to meet to discuss the Financial Modernisation Programme, the Governance Review Implementation Plan, and the Committee's work programme. The meeting was open to the public, and was scheduled to be broadcast on the council's YouTube channel.

Financial Modernisation Programme

The Audit Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Finance Modernisation Programme, a significant transformation initiative intended to strengthen the council's financial systems, processes and structures.

Grant Thornton were appointed in April 2025 to support the programme, with the aim of modernising financial processes, strengthening financial management, developing a modern finance function, and embedding processes and controls in the council's Oracle system¹. The Finance Modernisation Programme is closely aligned with the council's wider Governance Review Implementation Plan.

Matthew Wallbridge, Chief Operating Officer, and Andy Goodwin, Chief Finance Officer, were scheduled to present the update, along with a representative from Grant Thornton.

Governance Review Implementation Plan

The Audit Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Governance Review Implementation Plan (GRIP). The GRIP is the council's strategic response to identified governance areas for improvement, and aims to strengthen internal controls, clarify internal decision-making, and improve accountability.

The GRIP was launched in March 2025 to address key governance weaknesses identified in several reviews, including the CIPFA review (March 2025), Directorate Governance Internal Audit (September 2025) and the Provisional Audit Results Report (February 2025).

The GRIP is structured around three workstreams: financial governance, directorate governance, and constitutional/democratic governance. The Corporate Governance Group leads the GRIP, and aims to embed a tiered governance model, improve business planning, and strengthen internal arrangements and protocols.

Matthew Wallbridge, Chief Operating Officer, Lloyd White, Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services, and Daniel Toohey, Head of Legal Services, were scheduled to provide an update on the delivery of the GRIP.

Work Programme

The Audit Committee was scheduled to review planned meeting dates and the forward programme. The scheduled meeting dates were:

• 28 August 2025
• 18 November 2025
• 10 February 2026
• 28 May 2026

The committee was also scheduled to make suggestions for future agenda items, working practices and/or reviews.

Minutes from the meeting on 14 May 2025

The Audit Committee was scheduled to review the minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2025. At that meeting, John Chesshire was appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee for the 2025-26 municipal year, and Councillor Nick Denys was appointed as Vice Chair.

The Committee was scheduled to note the final position regarding the Statement of Accounts and Audit Results Report for 2023/24, the high-level process that will be followed regarding the delivery and audit of the 2024/25 Accounts, and the draft plan for the Audit of the 2024/25 Pension Fund Accounts.

The Committee was also scheduled to note the Internal Audit Annual Report for 2024/25, the Risk Management Annual Report and progress to improve the risk management arrangements, the Strategic Risk Report, and the Counter Fraud Annual Report for 2024/25.