Key Principle G: Implementing good practice in transparency, reporting and audit to deliver effective accountability

We:

Operate an effective audit and review function that provides assurance on the effectiveness of controls and ensure that recommendations are implemented promptly.
Publish statutory and commonly requested information on our website and put in place arrangements to enable easy access to other information requested.
Encourage partners to adopt high standards of governance and transparency in their dealings with us.
Publish an annual assessment of our governance arrangements and compliance with the Fire and Rescue National Framework.
Ensure that statutory officers and the Head of Internal Audit have unfettered access to Members and are free to comment on policies and plans objectively.

We:

Maintain an effective internal and external audit process and ensure auditors have free access to decision makers, including elected Fire Authority Members.
Comply with the requirements to publish information on our website and include other commonly requested information and data.
Establish a simple way of contacting us to request further information, data or assistance including receiving and responding to freedom of information requests and subject access requests.
Support and encourage our partners to establish strong governance and control processes and support us in providing access to information and data in a timely manner.
Regularly review our governance arrangements, taking into account external and internal assessments, and publish our results of these reviews.
Enable the Section 151 officer, Monitoring Officer and Head of Audit to undertake their statutory and regulatory roles unhindered and report direct to members when necessary.

We publish on our website:

Annual reports from our internal and external auditors.
Mid-year internal audit updates and forthcoming internal audit plans.
Reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)
Information required by the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 and Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017.
Guidance on how to make a freedom of information request or subject access request and how long it we will take to process it.
An annual assessment of the systems and controls that ensure strong governance of the Authority (Annual Governance Statement).
An annual assessment of our operational performance against the requirements of the Fire and Rescue National Framework (Statement of Assurance).