Following an extensive consultation, the Audit Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) have published the framework document for Police Authority Inspections.
The framework sets out how the inspections will be carried out and reported. The Commission and HMIC will jointly inspect 43 police authorities in England and Wales.
Teams of inspectors from both organisations will carry out inspections in England, and colleagues from the Wales Audit Office will work with HMIC in Wales.
The first on-site inspections will begin in September 2009. All police authorities will be inspected in a phased programme that will be completed by the middle of 2011. The findings for each police authority will be published within eight weeks of the on-site inspection.
In addition, the Audit Commission and HMIC will publish a national report in February 2010 which draws on findings from the first round of inspections. It will identify common themes, areas for improvement, and share good practice.