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AUDIT, GOVERNANCE AND STANDARDS COMMITTEE

30 July 2019

 

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Annual Report 2018/19

 

Final Decision-Maker

Audit, Governance & Standards Committee

Lead Head of Service

Rich Clarke – Head of Audit Partnership

Lead Officer and Report Author

Jen Warrillow – Audit Manager

Classification

Public

Wards affected

N/A

 

Executive Summary

 

The report outlines how the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee has discharged its duties during 2018/19. The report provides assurance to the Council that important internal control, governance and risk management issues  are being monitored and addressed by the Committee.

 

Purpose of Report

 

Noting

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

1. That the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee Annual Report for 2018/19 is agreed.

2. That the Chairman of the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee provides the report to a meeting of the full Council to demonstrate how the Committee has discharged its duties.

3. That the Committee, subject to any comment or amendment, agrees the briefing sessions proposed in Appendix A.

 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Audit, Governance & Standards Committee

30 July 2019

Council

25 September 2019



Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Annual Report 2018/19

 

1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities. 

Jen Warrillow Audit Manager

Cross Cutting Objectives

We do not expect the recommendations will directly impact the Council’s cross cutting objectives

Jen Warrillow Audit Manager

Risk Management

The report introduces no risks that require separate description in the Council’s risk registers, nor materially impacts any currently described.

Jen Warrillow Audit Manager

Financial

The proposals have no direct financial implications. The work of the Audit Governance and Standards Committee contributes towards strong financial governance in the Council.

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing.

Jen Warrillow Audit Manager

Legal

There are no legal or statutory implications identified in the report.  The report demonstrates that measures are in place to ensure good governance arrangements which enable the Council to meet statutory requirements.

Keith Trowell, Team Leader (Corporate Governance) MKLS

Privacy and Data Protection

There are no privacy and data protection implications with this proposal.

Policy and Information Team

Equalities

This report does not describe circumstances which require an Equality Impact Needs Assessment.

Equalities and Corporate Policy Officer

Public Health

This report does not impact on population health or that of individuals.

Public Health Officer

Crime and Disorder

There are no crime and disorder implications for this report.

Jen Warrillow Audit Manager

Procurement

There are no procurement implications for this report.

Rich Clarke

Head of Audit Partnership

 

 

 

 

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1    The Audit, Governance & Standards Committee is required to monitor audit activity (internal and external), review and comment on the effectiveness of the Council’s regulatory framework and review and approve the Council’s annual statements of accounts and scrutinise associated strategy and policy. This report sets out how this has been achieved during 2018/19.

2.2    This is the fourth year that the Committee has reported its activity in this way since updating its Terms of Reference in 2014/15 to include Standards.

2.3    Since September 2015 the Committee has had a programme of development briefings designed to complement and provide insight into the types of issues the Committee consider. Throughout 2018/19 a number of briefings were provided, as outlined in Appendix A. This report proposes further briefings for 2019/20 for the Committee to agree.

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1    The production and presentation of an annual report is required by the Committee’s terms of reference. Therefore no other alternative options can be recommended.

 

3.2        The Committee has previously requested and agreed to receive regular updates and briefings on pertinent issues relevant to the Committee’s terms of reference. This report provides an updated programme and therefore proposes no alternative option.

 

4           PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1              This report provides the Council with assurance that important governance, risk and standards issues are monitored and addressed.

4.2    Our recommendation is for the Committee to agree the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee Annual Report (Appendix A), subject to any comments and amendments. In accordance with the Terms of Reference, that the Chairman of the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee then provides the report to a meeting of full Council setting out how the committee has discharged its duties.

 

 

5           RISK

5.1    This report has no risk management implications.

 

 

 

6           CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1    This report was compiled through consultation between Officers.

 

 

 

 

7         REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix A: Audit, Governance & Standards Committee – Annual Report 2018/19

 

 

8         BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None