Producing a Summary

An audit summary will be the most widely read and used document. Before producing the summary:

• Complete a draft of the full audit

• Check the accuracy and context of the full audit (send copies of the completed audit to the agencies who provided the information, and phone some of them for quick feedback)

• Clarify gaps in the audit – declare what information is missing and how it will be obtained in the future. This will minimise questions, criticisms and queries.

• Summarise the consultation that went into the full audit. Ensure that the Summary highlights all the qualitative (and quantitative) information sources. If audit consultation was substantial this will help with acceptance and reduce criticism.

• Agree the future of the audit: Get a shared view from the partnership on how widely the audit will be distributed, in what form it will be distributed, when it will be updated, and when gaps will be filled.

The audience will determine the content and layout of the summary audit. This will include; professionals, the public, voluntary and private sector representatives, young people and specific ‘at risk’ groups. Produce a summary aimed at the general public, but in different readable formats. Produce other summaries aimed at specific groups if resources are available. For example, one could be produced for young people if a partnership is serious about involving young people in the decision making process. Expert help should be sought in designing such a document.

Hard to reach groups are sometimes better accessed through advocacy agencies, rather than directly. However, this will depend on the specific / locally appropriate hard to reach groups that the partnership has selected to target. In either case, this will effect the style of your summary audit.