The Barts Assurance team wins big
The Barts Assurance Team won big this week at the Public Finance Awards 2022
Congratulations to the Barts Assurance team for winning the 'Excellence in Public Sector Audit category on Monday night at the Public Finance awards.
Barts Assurance is our specialist internal audit and counter-fraud team.
The team delivers assurance services to us and external contracted clients including Croydon Health NHS Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and the British Museum.
Despite the pandemic, which resulted in staff redeployment and a move to remote working, the last internal audit service has been transformed, with a major improvement to the quality of assurance received by its audit and risk committee.
But change was needed.
The team had never had any external quality assurance (EQA). As a result of this, the team’s methodology, procedures and reporting were outdated and did not reflect a modern risk-based approach. Over the previous 10 years, London Audit Consortium had steadily lost clients, with the last external member leaving at the end of March 2020. Internal Audit’s perception and standing with senior management and the trust’s audit and risk committee was not high – and neither was staff morale.
So a new operating mandate was agreed upon, with new objectives and future governance measures. A staff restructure followed and new IT equipment including smartphones and laptops was sourced.
A new audit management system was procured in 2021 and implemented in March 2022.
Major initiatives have included commissioning the team’s first EQA, developing and delivering the resulting improvement plan, introducing modern data analytics and audit automation software, making use of specialists to address clinical and cyber risks, and personally auditing London Nightingale’s financial governance.
With no specific funding made available to make changes, the modernisation has been largely cost-neutral overall – with no redundancy costs incurred.
Change has been noticed: senior management has acknowledged improved engagement, and our Group Chief Medical Officer has complimented the positive changes that have resulted.
The changes aren’t stopping here! Future development plans include developing staff skills and partnership working as well as furthering the use of data analytics. New work will focus on new and emerging risk areas such as inclusion, sustainability and cyber security.
The judges said:
“Clear evidence of a declining service that was transformed, overcoming low morale and bringing the team back together. They transformed the audit function during a particularly challenging time for the NHS due to the pandemic”
Shortlists include:
• Audit Quality and Appointments Team, Audit Scotland
• Ceri Pilawski, Head of Audit, Shropshire Council
• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Financial Audit Team, National Audit Office
• Internal Audit Team, SWAP Internal Audit Services
• Professional Practice Team, Government Internal Audit Agency
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