Time to upgrade your audit methods? Discover the benefits of online audits for children’s services
Paper-based audits and spreadsheets no longer meet the complex demands of modern safeguarding. With increasing pressure on children’s services teams to demonstrate compliance and drive improvements, the limitations of traditional audit methods become more apparent by the day.
The cost of outdated processes extends beyond mere inconvenience. One client discovered this when their manual Section 175 audit, initially estimated at 54 hours, actually consumed 97 hours of valuable staff time. This dramatic underestimation highlights a common challenge facing children’s services teams across the UK.
Sarah Slater, Manager of the Policy, Improvements and Partnership Team at Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership, notes the impact of modernisation: “Using the Phew Audit System has reduced the resources required, both to deliver the audit by the business support team and to contribute to the audit by partner agencies, which is much appreciated by everyone where resources are limited and often stretched.”
Key advantages of modern online audit systems include:
- Time savings: Organisations report saving up to four weeks of administrative time annually
- Enhanced data quality: Digital systems eliminate common issues with manual data entry
- Real-time monitoring: Instant visibility of audit progress enables timely interventions
- Improved completion rates: Up to 120% increase in completion rates year-on-year
- Cost-effective implementation: Up to 48% of license costs recouped through time savings
For children’s services teams considering the switch to online audits, the evidence is clear. Modern audit systems streamline processes and provide the robust data analysis needed to drive meaningful improvements in safeguarding practice.
Would you like to discover how online audits could transform the effectiveness of your children’s services team? Visit our website to arrange a discovery session and learn more about implementing a modern audit system that meets your specific needs.