TranslateWho Are MIAA
MIAA - Providers of Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Services
MIAA (Mersey Internal Audit Agency) is one of the largest providers of Internal Audit and related services to the UK public sector. We are the predominant provider of Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Services to NHS organisations in the North West with circa 70 clients, which brings a unique, in-depth understanding and sharing of intelligence to help improve their governance, assurance, performance and outcomes.
MIAA Solutions complements the core services through a bespoke range of advisory support from transformation to financial recovery, pathway redesign and digital. We also provide a range of free resources including Events, Benchmarking Papers, and Briefing Notes, which are accessible online on the MIAA website.
Internal Audit
MIAA Internal Audit works in partnership with you to deliver tailored assurance built upon specialist public sector knowledge and industry best practice. Our internal audit work covers the breadth and depth of the organisation’s operations and utilises subject-matter experts in areas such as Healthcare Quality and IM&T to deliver your internal audit service.
The purpose of Internal Audit is to provide assurance to the Board that appropriate control, governance and risk management arrangements are in place to support the delivery of the organisation’s objectives.
The Trust’s Audit Committee oversees the work of Internal Audit and provides assurance to the Board via our submission of progress reports to each meeting of the committee. Each financial year all of our audit work and assurances form an overall annual opinion which is presented to the Audit Committee and feeds directly into the Chief Executive’s Statement on Internal Control. This is a key statement to the public around the Trust’s control, governance and risk management arrangements and is public document which forms part of the annual accounts.
Every year we undertake a detailed risk assessment which leads to the production of an audit plan. This year during the initial response of Covid-19 all routine audit work was paused as we supported our clients in other ways to ensure robust governance arrangements were in place to safeguard organisations during these unprecedented times such as the production of Covid checklists, support and advice. We also redeployed a large number of staff into our client organisations directly to cover key duties and support the maintenance of business as usual.
We resumed business as usual from the 1st July and have now agreed a plan for 2020/21 with the Executive Directors which was ratified by the Trust Audit Committee at its July meeting. Work has commenced on the delivery of the plan which is broad ranging and covers a number of key Trust systems.
Aside from our core audit work we are always keen to support systems developments and be engaged in any proposed changes to core systems and arrangements to ensure that we can advise on the appropriateness of the changes and ensure that robust controls remain in place. MIAA’s Internal Audit function is led by our Assurance Director, Louise Cobain who oversees the service across Cheshire & Merseyside, Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Locally your service is led by our Assistant Director for Merseyside, Gary Baines
Tel: 0151 285 4503 Mobile: 07768 987463
Email: gary.baines@miaa.nhs.uk
Gary is supported by a team of auditors who deliver the core audit plan at the Trust and specialists in Technology, Risk and Assurance, Healthcare Quality, Capital and Clinical Coding.
Anti-Fraud Services
The MIAA Anti-Fraud team, led by Darrell Davies (Assistant Director), focuses on assisting organisations to raise awareness of, and to prevent and detect, fraud, bribery and corruption through the delivery of a work programme aimed at addressing risk areas. The team has extensive experience in all aspects of criminal investigation and works closely with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) to ensure that organisations meet the requirements of the national anti-fraud standards. LUHFT’s nominated Anti-Fraud Specialist, provided through MIAA, is Virginia Martin.
Please watch the MIAA Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Awareness Video where Darrell Davies explains how these offences affect the NHS: https://youtu.be/9YzLzecFN30 (access via Google Chrome).
How to Report Concerns
Your Anti-Fraud Specialist is Virginia Martin
Tel: 0151 285 4552 Mobile: 0755 113 1109
Email: virginia.martin@miaa.nhs.uk / virginia.martin@nhs.net
Please contact your Anti-Fraud Specialist with any suspicions, issues or concerns you have regarding fraud, bribery or corruption, or if you require guidance or advice. Any information given will be treated in the strictest confidence. If you do have suspicions we ask that you please maintain confidentiality by not discussing with others, confronting anyone, or start investigating yourself.
You can also report concerns directly to LUHFT’s Chief Finance Officer, Robert Forster, who says: “As Chief Finance Officer for the Trust, I have responsibility for ensuring that our funds are used in the most efficient and effective way, to ultimately provide the best possible service to our local population at the point of need. This therefore includes safeguarding our funds from those who may seek to defraud us. We ALL have a part to play in fighting fraud against the NHS, so I please ask you to be aware of the risks, remain vigilant, and report any concerns.”
Alternatively, you can report concerns relating to the Trust, or the wider NHS, to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) on the anonymous national 24/7 Freephone reporting line powered by Crimestoppers on 0800 028 4060 or online at https://cfa.nhs.uk/reportfraud
Please refer to the Trust’s Freedom to Speak Up Policy for information on raising concerns, including fraud concerns. The Trust’s Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUG), Lorraine Heaton, is available to provide independent, impartial advice and support in relation to raising concerns. Email: lorraine.heaton@liverpoolft.nhs.uk or call on 07794 071 021. There is a working protocol between the Trust’s Anti-Fraud Specialist and FTSUG. More information about the FTSUG can be found on the Trust’s COVID Hub and intranet.
Remember that we all work for, use, &/or pay toward the NHS through our taxes so we should not tolerate fraud or turn a blind eye if we spot it. For further information please refer to the Trust’s Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy.
Policies are available on the Trust intranet, but please ask your Line Manager or HR if you require assistance to access.
For further information please visit the MIAA website: https://www.miaa.nhs.uk/ and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority website: https://cfa.nhs.uk/
