Co-opted Independent Member of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority Audit & Governance Committee -Annual allowance: £1,804.62 plus travel expenses

To prepare for and attend daytime meetings of HIWFRA’s Audit and Governance Committee, normally held four times per year, with the first meeting in July 2026; to remain contactable by telephone or email during normal working hours; and to participate in training and development activities relevant to the Committee’s work.

An opportunity to become a Co-opted Independent Member of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue’s Audit and Governance Committee

**To prepare for and attend daytime meetings of HIWFRA’s Audit and Governance Committee, normally held four times per year, with the first meeting in July 2026; to remain contactable by telephone or email during normal working hours; and to participate in training and development activities relevant to the Committee’s work. **

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) is seeking a committed and enthusiastic individual to serve as a Co-opted Independent Member of the Fire Authority’s Audit and Governance Committee from July 2026. This is a valuable opportunity to provide an independent and high-level focus on governance, risk and control arrangements.

The Audit and Governance Committee oversees both internal and external audit, as well as financial, governance and risk reports to ensure that there are adequate arrangements in place for internal challenge and public accountability. In particular, the committee focuses on:

* Corporate Governance

* Financial Reporting

* Audit and Assurance

* Risk Management

For more details, please see the HIWFRA Constitution which includes the Audit and Governance Committee Terms of Reference.

The role of the Co-opted Independent Member for the HIWFRA Audit and Governance Committee is new and is being introduced in response to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) guidance on Audit Committees. This was a response to the Redmond Review into the oversight of local audit and the transparency of local authority financial reporting.

The CIPFA guidance sets out the benefits of independent members as follows:

* To supplement the knowledge and experience of elected representatives in specific areas, such as audit or financial reporting

* To provide continuity outside the political cycle

* To help achieve a non-political focus on governance, risk and control matters

The role of the Co-opted Independent Member is an important and demanding one. Members are expected to hold high standards of personal integrity at all times and to be respectful of others. The Co-opted Independent Member will be a full member of the Audit and Governance Committee, but without voting rights.

There is an expectation that the Co-opted Independent Member will review papers in advance of meetings, attend the meetings held face to face during normal working hours in Eastleigh and will be prepared to scrutinise and challenge those presenting papers to the Committee. Although the Co-opted Independent Member may not vote, they are expected to be fully engaged in debate prior to any vote.

The Co-opted Independent Member will be able to claim reasonable travel expenses from within Hampshire and Isle of Wight and an allowance and will receive an induction and other appropriate training.

Additional information regarding the role is contained in a recruitment pack.

The Fire Authority wishes to reflect the breadth of communities in Hampshire and welcomes applications from anyone eligible to be considered. Please see the recruitment pack for the full list of eligibility criteria.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Paul Hodgson, Monitoring Officer, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority on 0370 779 3213.

To apply, please download the application form, and send it completed

to governance@hantsfire.gov.uk before we close for applications at midday on Friday 30 January 2026.