Report finds Dudley Council struggled to fill a key audit role for five years, impacting team performance.
The council tried to hire a principal auditor but failed four times in five years. The salary was likely too low, and a senior auditor also quit last July.
The audit team has income targets and has failed to meet these for years. They now need to save £60,000 by 2026, and the team will likely restructure.
The council has spending controls right now, and they aren’t filling open positions. The audit team also missed some 2024 targets, completing 73% of audits when they aimed for 75%.
Eighty-eight percent of drafts were on time, but sixty-four percent of final reports issued on time. All initial responses were received fast.
Staff handle investigations and audits, which diverts them from regular audits. The report says restructuring will cut jobs, and risk management suffers from staff shortages.
The audit team took over risk duties too, but no new resources were given then. Risk managers need more support, which is needed for effective risk tools.