Council Meeting 12 October 2023
Internal Audit 2023/24

Our current Internal Auditor retired at the end of the last financial year and therefore
we will need to appoint a new Internal Auditor for the current financial year.
We were first recommended Suffolk Association of Local Councils. However, they
were ruled out at an early stage due to only working electronically, East Bergholt
Parish Council still has many hard copy documents for review.
The second organisation for consideration Heelis & Lodge have recently extended
their services to cover the following:
• Village halls
• Charities
• Voluntary organisations
In addition to Parish Councils.

They charge £350 for a year end only audit and £420 for interim and year end.
‘We have a team of qualified Parish Clerks with more than 40 years combined
experience in local government and 20+ years providing an Internal Audit Service.
We offer a simple and practical solution to the requirements and firmly believe that
our understanding of parish and town councils will provide an efficient and cost-
effective means of meeting your needs. Our service includes inspection of records,
an audit report and completion of the IA section of the AGAR for all councils. For
larger councils we offer a more comprehensive service, including interim audits and
on-site visits.’
The third option is Victoria Waples who is used to working with many Parish Councils
and indeed is a Parish Clerk. A full written quotation is attached.
A year end audit alone is £395.00 plus mileage at the HMRC standard rate of £0.45
per mile, with a mid-year audit costing £300.00 plus mileage at the HMRC standard
rate of £0.45 per mile.
The audit includes:
‘Standing Orders & Financial Regulations Risk Management Arrangements,
Budgetary Controls Income Controls Petty Cash Procedures, Payroll Controls, Asset
Controls, Bank Reconciliation Year-End Procedures, Matters arising from previous
audit reports, Matters arising at the direction of those responsible for internal audit
procurement, Compliance with Transparency Code & Compliance with Website
Regulations’
The Council is requested to select an Internal Auditor for immediate appointment.

Louise Smith
Assistant Clerk