This body is responsible for the operation of the self-assessment and verification system and it consists of:

• An independent Chair, who oversees proceedings

• Two Deputy Chairs

• A representative of the Cambridge Colleges

• A student representative (either from NUS or the Student Advisory Group)

• A representative of Unipol

All of the above are appointed by the Consortium.

The Deputy Chairs can be appointed as additional Audit Panel members or from the existing Consortium appointed members.

The Audit Panel meets at least five times a year.

Terms of Reference

The Audit Panel has operational responsibility for deciding on:

• the operation of the self-assessment and verification system as determined by the Consortium, which will be reported to them annually

• the evaluation of returns made within the self-assessment process: both the Organisational Self-Assessment Questionnaire (OSAQ) and any Site Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SSAQ)

• whether to process an application into Code membership (within the framework set by the CoM)

• evaluating reports made to them by the NCA

• the organisation of verification visits, their timetable, reporting and follow-up

• undertaking arrangements for improvement actions according to procedures laid down by the Consortium

• taking appropriate action for those organisations failing to address any issue raised by the Panel within a required timescale

• considering recommendations from the Codes Complaints Investigator in respect of suspensions related to non-compliance within the complaints procedures

• suspension of a building or buildings or member from a Code pending further consideration by the Tribunal (see guidance on suspensions or exclusions from the Codes, here)

• the revocation of suspensions made

• whether to refer a member to a Tribunal hearing for non-compliance together with any recommendation for warnings, suspensions or expulsion from the Codes.

The Audit Panel shall:

• receive a report at each meeting from the NCA on the outcomes from the self-assessment and verification processes

• ensure that verification takes place within 30 days of the NCA’s receipt of both of the completed self-assessment questionnaires

• ensure that each member of a Code will be subject to a verification visit once every three years, or more frequently, if decided

• ensure that a verification report is completed and kept on file for six years for each verification visit undertaken and that the report shall be in the format laid down by the Consortium

• issue minutes recording each meeting and present a report of each meeting to the next appropriate Committee of Management

• issue an annual report of its activity to the Consortium

The Audit Panel shall be provided, by the NCA, with a summary of all complaints made under the Codes for their consideration.

Any significant dispute arising from the self-assessment and verification process, which cannot be resolved through discussion, will be referred to the Tribunal for resolution.

In the event that the Chair is unavailable or there is a conflict of interest, one of the Deputy Chairs will take on the responsibility of the Chair. The Chair, or National Codes Administrator, can determine which of the Deputy Chairs to nominate.

A standing agenda item appears on all Audit Panel agendas before any substantive business headed "Members Disclosures" where any Audit Panel member, or member of the verification team, with any perceived conflict of interest on any matters before the Audit Panel at that meeting should declare those possible interests. "Interests" are widely defined to include any interest, direct or indirect, and include the interests of any concerned party and some more information about disclosures is detailed here.

The current membership is:

Vacant (Chair)

Vacancies (Deputy Chairs)

Wendy Evans / Darren Smith (Cambridge Colleges)

Vacancy (NUS)

Victoria Tolmie-Loverseed (Unipol)

The current membership of the verification team who can attend meetings is:

Members of the verification team undergo a substantial training programme and there are on-going initiatives to maintain expertise and consistency in the verification process, with more details available here.

The Consortium can remove any verification team member at any time but must demonstrate a good cause for doing so.

The Audit Panel operates entirely separately and independently from the Committee of Management.

The Audit Panel is assisted by the Deputy Director Standards (NCA), the Membership and Engagement Manager, the National Codes Standards Manager, and (when possible non-compliance relating to complaints is being discussed) the Codes Complaints Investigator. In certain instances, the National Codes Administrator is charged with making recommendations to the Audit Panel for decision-making.