Audit and Regulation of the Council

What do the Regulators say about the Council and its Services?

To ensure that residents get the best possible services and value for money from the Council, there are a number of independent regulatory bodies that audit, inspect, review and report on the Council and its services. These bodies are independent of the Council and are sometimes referred to as the ‘regulators’.

Regulators also provide assurance to Councillors and residents that the Council is improving, promoting further improvement, and they hold the Council to account when things are not going well or as planned. Regulators also provide the Welsh Government with the information it needs to help it develop better strategies and services.

The main regulatory bodies for our services are:

Audit Wales (formerly The Wales Audit Office - WAO)

Is the public sector watchdog for Wales. The aim of the Audit Wales (AW) is to ensure that the people of Wales know whether public money is being spent and managed wisely, and that public bodies in Wales understand how to improve outcomes.

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) replaces The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)

This is the regulator for social care and childcare in Wales. From child minders and nurseries to homes for older people, the Care Inspectorate Wales is responsible for registering, inspecting and taking action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales. The most recent CSSIW Performance Evaluation Report 2018/19 was published in June 2019.

 Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales (ESTYN)

Inspects quality and standards in education and training providers in Wales, including all nursery, primary and secondary schools, colleges, local authority education services for children and young people, teacher education and training, special schools and pupil referral units.  

Estyn also inspects the Central South Consortium, (CSC) and schools in the area. Individual inspection reports issued by Estyn can be viewed at www.estyn.gov.uk

We are also regulated by the Welsh Language Commissioner.

When the regulators have completed an audit or inspection, their findings are set out in a report, which is made available to the public so that everyone can see their findings. This transparency helps people to understand more about the Council and its service and also leads to better decisions and better outcomes for residents.

The work of the regulators provides assurance to councillors and residents that the Council is improving, and promotes further improvement, and it holds the Council to account when things are not going well or as planned. Their work also provides the government with the information it needs to help it develop better strategies and services. Because regulators reports are open to everyone, this transparency leads to better decisions and better outcomes for residents.

When an audit or inspection report is received, it is carefully considered by officers and Councillors. Relevant findings and recommendations can be used to strengthen our arrangements or inform improvements to Council services.  

All reports issued by the regulators are reported to the Council’s Cabinet, reviewed by the relevant Scrutiny Committee and made available to the Audit Committee. You can see the reports issued by regulators since January 2016 below.