Audit and risk committee

The Children’s Commissioner’s audit and risk committee provides advice, challenge and scrutiny to the office, including:

• Governance
• Internal control and risk management
• The work of the internal audit
• The work of the external audit
• Financial reporting

The committee meets four-five times a year and is made up of representatives from across children’s and wider sectors with a range of backgrounds and experiences. One member must be a qualified accountant, and the chair of the committee is selected from within the members.

Current membership

The audit and risk committee’s current membership is:

Sue Baldwin (Chair)

Sara Ace

Paul Hewitt

Diana Melville

Members are appointed through fair and open competition. Recruitment processes aligned to the Government’s Principles of Public Appointments and Governance Code and vacancies are advertised on the Public Appointments Website. Members must abide by the Nolan principles – the seven principles of public life.

The term of office for members is three years. However, there may be occasions when their terms of office can be extended.

Committee members do not receive a fee, however they are eligible to claim reasonable expenses for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on the Children’s Commissioner’s business.

The committee’s terms of reference, register of interests, and meeting minutes can be download below.