Corporate policies
Corporate policies
We operate in accordance with a range of corporate policies that define our approach to regulation, our conduct as a public body and our commitments as an employer.
The information on this page provides an overview of some of these corporate policies. You can read more detailed information in the corporate policy statements publications library.
Audit arrangements
Internal Audit
Our internal audit service provides independent appraisal for management by measuring and evaluating the adequacy, reliability and effectiveness of management and financial control systems. Internal audit makes recommendations based on the appraisal of each system reviewed. An annual assurance report is provided to the Accounting Officer.
We outsource the provision of the internal audit service to ensure wholly independent and fully professional analysis and recommendations.
National Audit Office
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) is the head of the National Audit Office (NAO) and is responsible for certifying our Annual Report and Accounts. The C&AG enjoys a high degree of independence. They decide on the extent and conduct of the external audit and other examinations carried out on our accounts, and the content of reports that are made to Parliament.
The C&AG is concerned with assessing whether our financial statements give a true and fair view, and ensure they do not contain material errors or are presented in a way that might mislead a person relying on the accounts.
Equality and diversity
In Ofgem, we value all colleagues regardless of gender, background, ethnicity, age, nationality, expertise or experience. We are better and stronger the more diverse we are. We want to lead the way in making both our own organisation and the wider sector we regulate more inclusive, equal and diverse to represent the people we serve.
We’ve committed to taking specific actions in our workforce through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, alongside the following programmes and initiatives:
- Partnering with Energy UK, with sponsorship from Accenture, on an annual industry event to turn inclusion, equality and diversity intentions to action and support best practice.
- Partnering with Energy UK and Citizens Advice to launch the Diversity in Speakers Directory, promoting external speakers in energy from ethnic minority communities.
- Establishing a Women in Leadership career development programme to encourage women across Ofgem to develop the skills, confidence and readiness to apply for senior management and leadership positions.
- Establishing a career accelerator programme for our ethnic minority staff, to help promote and support talents at mid-manager level.
- Signing the POWERful Women Pledge.
- Partnering with Energy UK’s Pride in Energy Group to launch our Power in Pride Promise to ensure inclusion for our LGBT+ colleagues.
- Being a Disability Confident Employer to ensure an accessible working environment for all our disabled colleagues.
We monitor our policies and practices and report to the Ofgem board on progress.
Our diversity and inclusion staff networks
Run by colleagues for colleagues, and open to all Ofgem staff, our networks promote and support initiatives in our workplace and culture.
Freedom of Information (FOI) and Subject Access Requests
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) both came into force on 1 January 2005. They give people the right to request recorded information held by public authorities. As a government department, we qualify as a public authority.
Subject access requests (SARs) under General Data Protection Regulation (2018) give an individual the right to obtain a copy of their personal data as well as other supplementary information. It helps individuals to understand how and why an organisation is using their data, and check if the organisation is doing it lawfully.
You can find full details on how to make FOI, EIR and SAR-based requests for information in our Information request section.
Transparency
We are committed to providing information on where we are spending money and, as a government organisation, ensure we are accountable.
To ensure money is spent wisely, we adhere to four essential principles:
- transparency – providing clear, consistent, comparable and accessible information
- accountability – holding decision-makers and budget holders to account
- simplicity – ensuring it is easy to understand what is going on
- coherence – keeping our activities clear and logical.
We account for our use of resources in our Annual Report and Accounts, which are audited by the National Audit Office.
We also publish details of senior members’ expenses and of contracts greater than £25k in value in our corporate publications section.
You can read details of how we purchase services that support our work in our procurement and bidding for contracts section.
Details of the Business Appointment Rules that govern post-Ofgem employment can be found at BAR guidance for Managers and All Employees.
Whistleblowing
Whistleblowers disclose information about the activities of companies or individuals. They do so to raise a concern about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice that they become aware of through their work.
We are designated by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) to receive disclosures about the gas and electricity industry and we take information provided by whistleblowers seriously.
We treat all disclosures made under this Whistleblowing guidance sensitively, and will protect the identity of the individual making an allegation wherever possible. However, in certain circumstances we may be required to reveal identity, where we are required to by law.
We welcome information from whistleblowers working in the energy industry, and would encourage you to contact us if you wish to raise a concern - for full details see our Whistleblowing page.