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Smaller Authorities

Public sector
How to contact the Smaller Authorities team
Smaller authorities - AGAR forms
Smaller authorities - fees
Smaller authorities FAQs

Smaller authorities

Moore East Midlands was appointed as external auditor to the SAAA to all relevant smaller authorities in Oxfordshire and West Sussex for a five year period from 2017/18.  (A full list of the appointed auditor for each authority is maintained on the SAAA website.)

AGAR FORMS FOR 2020/21 ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE

SMALLER AUTHORITIES / CORONAVIRUS
Please note, the guidance is subject to change at any time and the latest guidance can be found on the NALC website.

UPDATED MARCH 2021

We rebranded to Moore in 2019, and are no longer called Moore Stephens. Our correct email address is [email protected] for clerks in Oxfordshire and [email protected] for clerks in West Sussex.   Please also note that our fees are only raised either when the final report has been issued or when we are chasing late submission of the AGAR.

If you do receive an email and you are not sure if it is genuine, please contact us on 01733 397300. 

Virtual Meetings
It has been confirmed that there will not be an extension to the legislation which allows remote meetings to be held after 6th May 2021.  Therefore Councils will need to either approve their AGAR remotely before 7th May to approve or meet physically in person after 6th May and before 30th June approval deadline.
 
The government has updated guidance for the safe use of Council buildings, visit their website here.

Click here to download letter to council leaders - remote meetings
 
JPAG Practitioners Guide
The Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance (JPAG) is currently revising its guide. The latest version available was the version published 30 March 2020. 

READ MORE

JPAG have provided additional guidance published 15/04/21 regarding treatment of Covid matters on the AGAR
READ MORE

SUBMISSION DEADLINES HAVE REVERTED BACK TO ORIGINAL LEGISLATION AND
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON OR BEFORE 30 JUNE 2021 – please do not wait until your public inspection periods have concluded before submitting your documents.
 
Various updates have been widely circulated through NALC and SAAA, please review their correspondence, websites or contact your local authority for the full detail in relation this. Links to specific public pages dedicated to the latest news on coronavirus can be seen below:
www.nalc.gov.uk/coronavirus  
www.slcc.co.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/
 
Submission Deadlines

For Category 2 authorities (smaller authorities):
  • The deadline for authorities to publish draft Annual Governance and Accountability Returns (AGAR) reverts to 30 June 2021 .
  • The deadline for publication of final (audited) AGAR reverts to 30 September 2021.
The requirement for a ‘common’ inspection period has been reinstated to include the first ten working days of July.

Contact Moore
Our Smaller Authorities team is led by Partner and Not-for-profit specialist, Carolyn Rossiter.  The primary contact for any enquiries relating to the limited assurance review process is Rich Dixon, Associate. 

The team can be contacted by telephone on 01733 397300 or via email at:
[email protected] for smaller authorities in Oxfordshire
[email protected]  for smaller authorities in West Sussex 

You can write to us at: 

FAO Rich Dixon
Moore
Rutland House
Minerva Business Park
Lynch Wood
Peterborough
PE2 6PZ