The Audit and Standards Committee of Northumberland Council was scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, to review external inspection reports for Adults and Children's Services, and to consider annual reports from the Audit and Standards Committee itself and the Advance Northumberland Audit Committee. The meeting's agenda also included updates on external audit progress and a monitoring report.

Review of External Inspections in Adults and Children's Services

The committee was scheduled to be informed about the activity pertaining to external inspections of Adults Social Care and Children's Services, covering the period from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026. The report aimed to allow members to assess the effectiveness of the Council's actions in response to these inspections and to confirm that appropriate measures were being taken to address any identified issues.

For Adult Social Care, the report detailed that 89% of providers with a Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating were rated as Good or Outstanding. It highlighted specific providers whose ratings had changed, including Time to Care Specialist Support Services Limited, which was rated Inadequate during this period. The report also noted that the Council was working with providers to implement necessary actions and that a Care Academy had been established to support providers.

In Children's Services, the report covered inspections of the Council's residential homes for children, schools, and early years settings, as well as Area SEND inspections. It indicated that none of the Council's children's homes had been inspected since 1 April 2026, and all retained a 'Good' rating. The report also detailed the findings of an Area SEND inspection conducted jointly by Ofsted and the CQC, which identified inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and recommended improvements in areas such as reducing waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments and strengthening oversight of alternative provision. The report also outlined the new Ofsted framework for school inspections, which no longer provides a single overall effectiveness grade but evaluates individual areas.

Annual Report from Audit and Standards Committee to Council

This report was scheduled to present the Audit and Standards Committee's Annual Report for 2025/26 for agreement by the committee, prior to its presentation to the full Council. The report, prepared in accordance with Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) guidance, was intended to detail the committee's work, demonstrate how its responsibilities had been fulfilled, and provide assurance to the Council. Key highlights from the committee's work during 2025/26 were expected to be discussed, including reports from Internal Audit, External Audit, and updates on governance, finance, risk management, and counter-fraud activities.

Advance Northumberland Audit Committee – Annual Report to Group Audit Committee 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive and consider the Annual Report from the Advance Northumberland Audit Committee for 2025/26. As the Audit and Standards Committee acts as the 'Group Audit Committee' for entities within the Council's accounting group boundary, this report was intended to provide oversight of Advance Northumberland's audit activities. The report from Advance Northumberland detailed its Audit Committee's activity for the financial year 2025-26, including its membership, meetings, terms of reference, and key themes such as risk management, internal audit, and financial position.

External Audit Progress Report

A verbal update was scheduled to be received from the external auditors, Forvis Mazars, regarding the progress of their audit responsibilities for Northumberland County Council. The report was expected to outline the current audit status, highlight key areas under review, and provide updates on developments and relevant accounting issues.

Monitoring Report / Action Log 2026-27

The committee was asked to review and note its monitoring report and action log for the 2026/27 council year. This report typically tracks the progress of actions agreed at previous meetings and highlights ongoing workstreams.