Issue - meetings

Report of Chief Internal Auditor

The Internal Audit Manager introduced a report explaining that that there is a legal requirement to produce an Annual Governance statement. The Audit and Standards Committee is tasked with overseeing, reviewing and approving the Statement.

The Statement has to detail the Council’s governance framework across the authority. Part of the work (set out at Appendix 3) includes a Manager’s Assurance Statement which looks at a number of areas and statements that are reviewed by the Internal Audit Manager. Any concerns that appeared across all the areas would be flagged for possible inclusion in the Annual Governance Statement. For example, the Joint Transformation Programme (JTP) referred to in the previous two statements because of the effect on services and the risks involved; the JTP was nearing its conclusion is no longer considered to be a significant risk. 

Members asked the following questions and officers responded:

·         What was referred to in 4.7 of the report under ‘deterioration of building Assets’? - There were two buildings that had issues around their age, the historical significance, and how they will be utilised. They are not yet considered to be a significant risk to the authority in terms of governance, however and there is further work to be done.

·         If an outcome significantly effected users/residents, will it be included in the Statement?  If it was restricted to one service user it will not be considered a significant governance issue; if it is an issue that was part of a process and impacted across several areas then it will be examined..  

·         Could further detail be provided on appendix 3 (Managers Assurance Statement) and was the IT issue more operational in its nature than one of governance?  - The Managers Assurance Statement details the areas where the Council needs to ensure governance is being undertaken and provide guidelines for officers. The flagging of the IT issue was based on the list referred to on page 123 of the agenda and was considered as one that constituted a significant governance risk.

·         Was the delay in production of the Annual Accounts considered a risk that would be included in the Annual Governance Statement?  - The production of the Annual Accounts was referred to in the Statement in terms of issues experienced in the Housing System.

It was requested by Members that the reason for the delay in production of the Annual Accounts be made more explicit in the Statement in future.

RESOLVED to approve the Annual Governance Statement..