Greater accountability for council

Two independent members will join Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council’s Audit and Governance Committee in a first for the council that will strengthen its commitment to high standards of governance, openness and accountability.

The appointment of Samantha Acton, owner of the Southbourne-based Domestic Angels franchise network, and Lindy Jansen Van Vuuren, a Chartered Accountant, was approved at BCP’s Full Council on Tuesday 7 November.

The pair will now be co-opted into the audit committee, which supports and monitors the authority in areas such as governance, risk management and financial reporting, and helps the authority deliver against its objectives and improve performance.

Their appointment reflects local government best practice: in 2022 the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) recommended that local government audit committees should include at least two co-opted independent members.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities backed the recommendation and last night’s rubber stamp of approval means the pair will be the first members of the community to perform the role locally.

Councillor Marcus Andrews, Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee said:

"I am delighted that Full Council agreed the appointment of the two recommended co-opted independent members to BCP Council’s Audit and Governance Committee.

"I am convinced the two individuals will make a significant contribution to open, transparent and constructive challenge of governance arrangements, internal and external audit arrangements and other matters considered by the committee.

"They will bring a different and complementary skills and mind set from elected councillors and I am looking forward to working with them during their appointment term."

"Cllr Mike Cox, Portfolio Holder for Finance, said:

"I welcome the appointment of these two independent professionals.

"They will deepen the role the community plays in the governance of the council and will strengthen our commitment to high standards of transparency and accountability.

"We welcome people from our community participating in our work and decisions and we welcome constructive challenge and scrutiny."

The independent member appointment term will run until 31 March 2026, when there will be an option to renew the appointment for a further two-year term subject to the mutual agreement of both parties.

The Audit and Governance Committee will now comprise of nine elected councillors, based on the political balance of the Council, and two co-opted independent individuals.

Samantha said: "It is a privilege to be selected to be one of the first two members of the Audit and Governance committee at this extremely important time in the council’s evolution.

"My top focus is going to be ensuring the council is transparent and accountable on behalf of the public and using my business acumen to challenge and add value."

Lindy said: "I am looking forward to contributing to the governance of BCP Council and making a difference in the best interest of the residents it serves.

"I am an activist for clean administration, have always had a zero tolerance attitude for fraud and am prudent in financial affairs. I hope to make all the stakeholders proud."

Editor’s notes:

Read more about it the Audit and Governance Committee and find out when the next meeting is here.

A minority of councils in England already have independent members. In Wales the practice is legislated and fully adopted.

The independent members were recruited through an open advertisement process to the BCP Council Audit and Governance Committee in August.

The Audit and Governance Committee selection and recruitment panel included Cllr Marcus Andrews, Cllr Richard Herrett and Cllr Adrian Chapmanlaw.

They identified two suitable candidates, which were endorsed by the Audit and Governance Committee on 26 October 2023. Full Council approved the appointment on 7 November 2023 committee.

Independent members will be expected to actively participate in meetings of the Audit and Accounts Committee and demonstrate independence, integrity, objectivity and impartiality in their decision-making.

Read the recommendation to Full Council here.

More information about the members:

• Samantha Actonstarted Domestic Angels a domestic cleaning and home help service, in her home at Southbourne, Bournemouth in 2002. This has now grown to a network of franchised businesses. Her previous career was dominated by financial services. Samantha recently completed the government backed Savvitas Boardable program, which enables participants to step-up to Public Appointments, NED roles and Senior Board positions. Read more here. She now wishes to contribute to society and make a real difference and she sees this role as an excellent opportunity to achieve those goals.

• Lindy Jansen Van Vuurenis a qualified Chartered Accountant, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Enterprise Risk Management Professional (IRMCert). She is a professional member in all three institutes. Lindy has held several senior roles in the local government sector and public sector in South Africa. She has worked in the National Audit Office of South Africa for several years and audited all layers of local authorities, national and provincial departments, public entities and authorities.