New independent advisers to help Liverpool’s governance procedures

Liverpool City Council has appointed two independent advisers to strengthen the scrutiny of its auditing and governance procedures.

As part of the response to the recent Best Value Inspection, the local authority has secured the services of two people with top-level experience in auditing and finance, Stephen Gregory and Ramone Johnson, to sit on the Audit Committee as co-opted independent technical advisers.

The committee provides an independent and high-level focus on the council’s audit, assurance and reporting arrangements. It also reviews of the council’s governance, risk management and control frameworks, and oversees the financial reporting and annual governance processes and develops, maintains and monitors the codes of conduct for councillors and co-opted members.

Kris Brown, Chair of the Audit Committee, said: “These roles are a key part of making the council’s scrutiny procedures as strong as they possibly can be and I am delighted with the quality of the appointments we have made.

“We want the members of the Audit Committee to be getting the best possible advice, enriching their ability to scrutinise the organisation, and Stephen and Ramone will help us do that. They bring additional knowledge and expertise, reinforcing the committee’s political neutrality and independence. Providing constructive challenge, as part of the committee, supports the council’s ambition for open and transparent government in the wake of the recent Best Value Inspection.”