The Audit Practice is an integral part of the Audit Commission and is governed by the Commission Board which comprises independent, non-executive members (Commissioners), appointed by the Secretary of State.
This team comprises seven Directors with responsibilities for specific aspects of management of the Audit Practice.
Karen McConnell, Senior Director of Audit
Karen is Senior Director of Audit with responsibility for finance and business planning. She has held a variety of senior roles in the Audit Commission including Regional Director for Central region, Head of Audit and Director of Professional Practice. During that time she led the internal response to the Commission's first AIU inspection.
Karen has audited almost every type of client since joining the Commission in 1985. She became a District Auditor in 1998 and continues to have a small portfolio of audits including the Greater London Authority and the Metropolitan Police Authority. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Karen is the nominated audit partner in accordance with the Auditing Practices Board's (APB) International Standard on Quality Control (UK and Ireland) 1 (ISQC (UK&I)1).
Mike Haworth-Maden, Director of Audit
Mike is a Director of Audit and leads on the Audit Practice services for our local government clients. Prior to this Mike served as Head of Audit in the Audit Commission's London Region from 2003. He has served as a District Auditor since 1998 and remains the District Auditor for a portfolio of London Boroughs. Mike is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Gill Eastwood, Director of Audit
Gill is a Director of Audit and leads on the infrastructure requirements for the Audit Practice. Previously Gill spent eight years as Head of Audit in the Audit Commission's Northern Region. She chaired the Practice's Audit Practice Committee and previously led on quality control and monitoring.
Gill has also served as a District Auditor since 2001 after fulfilling various roles in engagement teams in Lancashire, Manchester and Yorkshire. Gill is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Delyth Morris, Director of Audit
Delyth is a Director of Audit and leads on resourcing the Audit Practice. Between 2007 and 2010 she served as the Head of Audit in the Audit Commission's Central Region leading on training and staff development. She has been a District Auditor since 2003 and previously served in various audit roles in England and Wales.
Delyth joined the Audit Commission as a stage 3 trainee having previously worked as a finance trainee in the NHS. Delyth is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Stephen Taylor, Director of Audit
Stephen is a Director of Audit and leads on managing our talent and on staff engagement. Previously he was the Head of Audit in Southern England and led on the audit practice's audit approach. He was appointed as a District Auditor in 1995 and has wide experience of local government and NHS bodies.
Stephen trained in local government and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. He was elected President of the European Organisation of Regional Audit Institutions (Eurorai) in 2010.
Chris Westwood, Director of Standards and Technical.
Chris has been the Director, Standards and Technical since 2008. Prior to that, he was the Audit Commission's Head of Operations for the South East of England, with responsibility for managing engagement leads and their teams. Chris was appointed District Auditor in 1999 serving as appointed auditor to both NHS and local government bodies. He also had responsibility for the financial management of the Commission's Southern region.
Chris serves as a member of the ICAEW Public Sector Audit Committee and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. He is the Audit Practice's quality partner in accordance with the Auditing Practices Board's (APB) International Standard on Quality Control (UK and Ireland) 1 (ISQC (UK&I)1).
Neil Childs, Director of Audit
Neil is the Director of Audit leading on Audit Practice services for our health clients. He joined the District Audit Service as a trainee in 1973 and gained wide experience at audits in London and the South East. He spent three years working with the then Director of Audit and later as the Commission's Associate Controller supporting Andrew Foster.
Neil returned to front-line auditing in 1995 as District Auditor in the South and in 2003 became Head of Operations in that region. Neil is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy