Watford Borough Council is seeking to appoint an Independent Member to its Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is a key part of the Council’s corporate governance. It provides an independent and high-level focus on the audit, assurance and reporting arrangements that underpin good governance and financial standards.
The successful candidate will join the five Councillors who sit on the Committee, and in line with the Council’s Constitution will not have voting rights. Committee meetings are held at the Town Hall in the evening. Approximately four meetings are held each year, typically lasting up to two hours. In addition, there will be a requirement to attend agenda briefings, occasional training sessions and prepare for meetings. Briefings and training usually take place via Microsoft Teams.
Applications should be made in writing, ideally supported by both a recent CV and covering letter by Sunday 3 March 2024
The Council agreed a Panel for conducting the interviews comprising the following:
• Cllr Mark Hofman – Chair of Audit Committee
• Cllr Asif Khan – Chair of Finance Scrutiny Committee
• Hannah Doney, Chief Finance Officer, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
• Carol Chen, Group Head of Democracy and Governance and the Council’s Monitoring Officer
Duties and responsibilities
1. To attend meetings of the Audit Committee.
2. To participate fully in the discharge of the Audit Committee functions, as set out in the Committee’s terms of reference.
3. To actively promote good governance within Watford Borough Council.
4. To participate in training and development events to promote awareness of the role and remit of the Audit Committee.
Role requirements
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
Eligibility/Special conditions
To be eligible to apply for either role you:
• Must not be a councillor or officer at Watford Borough Council or have been so in the preceding five years prior to appointment.
• Must not be closely associated with anyone who is now a Councillor or employee of Watford Borough Council.
• Must have no unspent criminal convictions (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act applies).
• Must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
• Should have no significant business dealings with Watford Borough Council, which could be seen to be prejudicial to a person’s independence or represent a conflict of interests.
• Should have no connection with any political group or be engaged in any party-political activity.
Applicants must also be prepared to publicity declare and register any interest they have on the same basis as members of Watford Borough Council and observe the requirements of the Council’s Constitution in performance of their duties in their capacity as the independent chair.
Remuneration
Successful candidates will receive an annual allowance of £1500 per year, subject to annual approval by Full Council.
Reasonable expenses can be claimed in line with Member’s subsistence, travelling and carer’s allowances as per part 6 (Members’ allowance scheme) of the Council’s constitution.
Term of office
The Term of Office is four years.
Application process
Your submission should make it clear whether each of the following eligibility/special conditions have been met. To be eligible to apply for either role you:
• Must not be a councillor or officer at Watford Borough Council or have been so in the preceding five years prior to appointment.
• Must not be closely associated with anyone who is now a councillor or employee of Watford Borough Council.
• Must have no unspent criminal convictions (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act applies).
• Must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
• Should have no significant business dealings with Watford Borough Council, which could be seen to be prejudicial to a person’s independence or represent a conflict of interests.
• Should have no connection with any political group or be engaged in any party-political activity.
The closing date for applications is 5pm Sunday 3 March 2024 it is expected that interviews will take place in the following 2 weeks.
For general enquiries about the position, or specific information about the Audit Committee, please contact Hannay Doney on 01923 727131 or by email at hannah.doney@watford.gov.uk
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