Title

FINANCE

Cause of local authority audit delays 'multi-faceted'

Stakeholders in the local audit system must continue efforts to secure timely publication of audited accounts, a report by auditor Grant Thornton has urged.

Stakeholders in the local audit system must continue efforts to secure timely publication of audited accounts, a report by auditor Grant Thornton has urged.

The report said steps that must be taken included improving systems leadership, holding authorities and auditors to account for their performance, a continued focus on the quality of accounts preparation and audit, and working on engagement between auditors and audited bodies.

It said the extent of delays in the publication of audited accounts across the local authority sector was severe and of widespread concern.

Only 12% of audited accounts for 2021-22 were published by the target date of 30 November 2022 and in December 2022 there were more than 600 local audit opinions outstanding.

Grant Thornton made a wide range of recommendations, including that temporary flexibility could be introduced into the local audit framework to allow reduced scope audits to be undertaken on backlogged accounts.

It said this would free up local government for more forward-looking activities, with limited detrimental impact on the users of financial statements.

The report called for new investment and said auditors should be engaged at an early stage where innovative, complex or significant transactions are expected.

It read: ‘The reasons for the delays are multi-faceted.

'There is no single cause of delay and there are, unfortunately, no quick solutions.

'It will take time to return to consistently high performance against target publication dates.'

Last week the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee launched an inquiry into financial reporting and audit in local authorities.

FINANCE

With change comes opportunity

By Mae Wilson | 30 July 2025

As local government reorganisation begins to take shape, Mae Wilson and Gemma Stevenson-Coupe say this is a chance to transform your approach to the workforc...

FINANCE

The rise of AI in social care

By Ted Edmondson | 30 July 2025

David Rees and Ted Edmondson look at how local authorities are using AI in the provision of care and set out three things councils need to focus on to deploy...

FINANCE

Triangulating data

By Kari Gerstheimer | 30 July 2025

A collaboration between a charity that supports people to access their legal rights to social care and Gloucestershire CC is highlighting systemic issues and...

FINANCE

How tech can help support underserved residents

By James Townsend | 29 July 2025

Technology offers on-demand, scalable and sustainable solutions that can work alongside councils to bridge the gap for diverse communities, says James Townsend.

Popular articles by Mark Whitehead