CHEIA December 2021 Update

Message from the Chair

Dear All

In her Chair’s message in December 2020, Juliet reflected on the upheaval that we had all experienced in 2020 and took hope for 2021 from the news that the first COVID vaccine had been approved. Twelve months on, and two or three vaccine doses later, we are still here and can look back on a year where we have continued to adapt, with the expectation that there will be a need for more adaptation as we move into 2022. The good thing is that change and uncertainty add variety and interest to the internal audit environment, so none of us will be bored.

One of the things that has sustained me over the last year has been the connection with colleagues across the sector through the Heads of Internal Audit Forum meeting.  Keeping up to date with (increasingly) familiar faces, being reassured that we share common challenges, and discussing different responses to those challenges has been a huge benefit of CHEIA membership, and one that I am looking forward to continuing into the future.

And on that note, I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas, a refreshing break, and an interesting new year.

David Williamson, Chair of CHEIA
Head of Internal Audit Service
University of West of Scotland
David.Williamson@uws.ac.uk

Seasons’ Greetings
Seasons’ greetings and special thanks to all our members for supporting CHEIA throughout the year. Our annual Conference, Bitesize sessions, Practitioners’ Forum and the Heads of Internal Audit Forum only happened because you took time to attend, contribute and provide feedback for improvement. We are working hard to ensure we continue to provide relevant services to support your professional development and we are looking forward to more engagement from you in the coming year. Happy 2022.

CHEIA Events
What a year 2021 has been for CHEIA gatherings. Our members turned up in record numbers for the Annual Conference and for our seven Bitesize sessions. The CHEIA Executive are in serious planning mode for 2022 with some early details provided below.

Conference 2022
Many thanks to all the Heads of Audit and budget holders who have provided us feedback which is helping us plan for the 2022 Conference and other CHEIA events.  
While the 2021 Annual Conference exceeded all expectations, many hoped for a return to a face-to-face event in 2022, and specifically the social networking element that is much more difficult to replicate online. However, this feedback needed to be balanced against concerns expressed by many that financial constraints combined with CO₂ reduction targets meant that they could not commit to sending as many delegates as needed to make an in-person conference either financially viable or to have the critical mass to support the face to face social element craved by many. 
Taking all of these factors into account, we have therefore decided to make September 2022’s conference an online event, building on the experience and the constructive feedback received to make 2022 even better than 2021. 
For those still craving the face to face experience, we are cautiously looking into a resumption of regional meetings, although the timing and frequency of any events are still highly uncertain, especially with the emergence of new COVID variants.

Upcoming Bitesize sessions
Following on from the session earlier this month on Apprenticeship Levy Risks delivered by RSM, a further session on the related topic of ESFA Compliance & Apprenticeships is scheduled for 10^th February 2022.  Watch out for booking details in the new year. We are also looking to organise a Bitesize session on a fraud-related topic in the near future – again watch out for further details.

Heads of Internal Audit Forum & the Practitioners’ Group
If you are yet to be part of either of the above-mentioned groups, contact the CHEIA Administrator on contact@cheia.ac.uk for more information on how you can join. 
The Practitioners’ Group currently meets – virtually - on the first Wednesday of each month, please watch out for information regarding the next one. Anyone who is not the Head of Internal Audit is welcome to join.

Opportunities to Support CHEIA
You are reading this Update because you are a member of CHEIA and have signed up on our website and for that we thank you very much. But we want you to consider getting more involved with CHEIA and you can do so in any of the ways listed.

1. Join the Practitioner’s Group and make your voice heard
2. Have you found the Bitesize sessions useful? You can also present a session for us. Email the CHEIA Administrator on contact@cheia.ac.uk with your suggested topic.
3. Consider being part of CHEIA Mentoring Scheme
4. Consider submitting items for the resources section on the website. Have a look at what we have there and let’s know if there are things you would like to share with other CHEIA members.
5. Post job advertisements on the CHEIA website’ When next you have an opening, forward the link to the CHEIA Administrator on contact@cheia.ac.uk and they will appear here https://www.cheia.ac.uk/network/jobs/
6. Send us your feedback on any area – the website, our events, the Update etc. Let us know what or how we can do better

And finally …. Looking Forward to 2022
Once again, thank you all very much for being part of CHEIA and joining in our activities and whatever we were able to offer this year. We hope that 2022 will be a much better year for CHEIA and for all.
We want your input on the Monthly Updates. You can share any tips or give us links to yours or other relevant blogs to include. The next issue will be circulated on 17 January 2022 so send anything you want to include to the Administrator, contact@cheia.ac.uk by 10 January.

Contact CHEIA 
contact@cheia.ac.uk