Internal Audit provide all of the internal audit services for West Sussex County Council. The services provided include
probity visits, consultancy work and value for money, systems audit and contractor assessments as well as fraud investigations.
In practice schools will mainly experience audit from the establishment audit team. Internal audit's main role
in auditing schools is to provide independent assurance to the Director of Children's Services, Head teachers and school governors
about the quality of controls the managers have put in place and to ensure the assets of the Local Authority are adequately
controlled and safeguarded.
The introduction of the Financial Management Standard in Schools toolkit by the Department
for Children, Schools and Families (formerly the DfES) in 2004 along with the requirement on Local Authorities to support
and help their schools meet the standard means that the audit plan for schools is currently dominated by FMSiS. However, Internal
Audit have developed a programme of work to undertake between FMSiS requirements and the future audit strategy can be found
in the attached document: Internal Audit - School Audit Strategy.
Details for FMSiS
can be found by following the links on this page. More information on FMSiS audits can be found in the attached The Role of
Audit (FMSiS) presentation made at the New Bursars Training Day. This give an outline of the FMSiS audit process.
Contacts
For consultancy requests and establishment visits please contact Keith Phillips, Group Auditor on 01243 777676 or email
keith.phillips@westsussex.gov.uk