Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
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|
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Relevant Group Head review |
Y |
21/09/26 |
|
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
|
|
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This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
Y |
|
|
Reviewed by |
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|
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Finance comments (circulate to Finance) |
|
|
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Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil) |
LO |
17/09/26 |
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Legal comments (circulate to Legal team) |
JC |
30/09/26 |
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HR comments (if applicable) |
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For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Completed by |
Date rec’d |
|
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
J.Clare |
30/09/26 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
T.Collier |
23/9/26 |
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Commissioner engagement |
L. O’Neil |
22/09/26 |
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Delete as applicable: |
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|
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Comments in S. 7 |
||
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Confirm report signed off for publishing for MAT by relevant member of Management Team |
Yes |
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
Yes |
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Title |
Governance Assurance update – EDI and Financial Management |
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Purpose of the report |
To inform and assure |
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Report Author |
Sandy Muirhead, Group Head Commissioning and Transformation Altin Bozhani, Interim Deputy Chief Finance Officer Lee O’Neil, Deputy Chief Executive |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards |
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Exempt |
No |
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Exemption Reason |
|
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Corporate Priority |
Community Addressing Housing Need Resilience Environment Services |
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Recommendations
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Committee is asked to:
a. Note the current overall assurance level for the Governance Assurance Areas under the remit of the Corporate Policy and Resource Committee (Appendix A), which form part of the Council’s Governance Assurance Register.
b. Consider the key areas of focus concerning the Governance Assurance Areas relating to:
Ensuring we meet our EDI duties and responsibilities (Appendix B).
And
Ensuring the Council’s financial management and long-term planning arrangements are effective to secure financial sustainability (Appendix C)
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Reason for Recommendation |
To enable the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to review progress with implementation of the Governance Assurance Framework and scrutinise performance for key governance areas relating to its remit. |
1. Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)
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What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• The Council continues to implement and embed its Governance Assurance (GA) Framework as part of ongoing improvements to the way the authority manages risk. • The 12 Governance Assurance Areas (GAAs) which form the Council’s Governance Assurance Register continue to be reviewed by the Audit Committee to provide assurance that effective arrangements are in place to manage key issues, concerns and areas of focus for the Council. |
• Under the GA Framework, Service Committees including the CPRC have an opportunity to consider and scrutinise the areas of focus, concerns and issues within their remit. |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• To update the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee (CPRC) on two GAAs under its remit, relating to Ensuring we meet our EDI duties and responsibilities’ and ‘Ensuring the Council’s financial management and long-term planning arrangements are effective to secure financial sustainability’ |
• Address any questions and concerns from the Committee concerning delivery of GAA actions relating to those two governance areas |
2. Key issues
2.1 The Council continues to embed changes to the way it manages risk as part of its Improvement and Recovery Plan, implementing the Governance Assurance Policy and Framework (‘the Framework’) previously agreed by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee on 19 January 2026.
2.2 This approach focuses on the effectiveness of the Council’s governance and control arrangements, ensuring that this authority can deliver its objectives and corporate and service responsibilities in a more positive way, and that stakeholders receive sufficient assurance that appropriate arrangements are in place.
2.3 The Council’s Governance Assurance Register focuses on twelve key Governance Assurance Areas (GAAs). Nine of those areas come under the remit of the CPRC. These are outlined in Appendix A together with the current overall level of assurance for each of those areas (shown as low, medium or high).
2.4 The Council’s Governance Assurance Framework specifies how relevant Service Committees have a key role in considering and scrutinising the areas of focus, concerns and issues within their remit. In order to facilitate this process individual senior managers are invited to attend those Committees to discuss their assurance areas, specific matters and key risks in their services.
2.5 Appendix B provides an update on progress with implementing the actions relating to the GAA covering Ensuring we meet our EDI duties and responsibilities, which currently has an overall assurance level of medium.
2.6 Appendix C provides an update on progress with implementing the actions relating to GAA covering Ensuring the Council’s financial management and long-term planning arrangements are effective to secure financial sustainability, which currently has an overall assurance level of medium
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 Committee is asked to:
(a) Note the current overall assurance level for the Governance Assurance Areas under the remit of the Corporate Policy and Resource Committee (Appendix A), which form part of the Council’s Governance Assurance Register.
(b) Consider the key areas of focus, concerns and issues concerning the Governance Assurance Area relating to Ensuring we meet our EDI duties and responsibilities (Appendix B) and Ensuring the Council’s financial management and long-term planning arrangements are effective to secure financial sustainability (Appendix C).
4. Governance and risk considerations
4.1 The Council’s Governance Assurance Register outlines the authority’s governance arrangements in place to provide assurance that key corporate and strategic risks impacting the authority are effectively managed. The change to a governance assurance approach through the Council’s Governance Assurance Framework together with training and monitoring ensures that effective governance is embedded within the culture of the organisation.
5. Financial implications
5.1 The development and implementation of the new Governance Assurance Framework and the Governance Assurance Register can be delivered within existing resources. Any minor costs relating to ongoing staff training, development of supporting documentation, and updates to reporting systems will be met from current service budgets. Over time, strengthening the Council’s governance assurance arrangements is expected to support more effective financial planning and help mitigate the likelihood of unanticipated financial pressures arising from weakness or failures in governance.
6. Legal comments
There are no legal implications arising directly from the recommendations in this report.
Corporate implications
7. Commissioners’ comments
7.1 The Commissioners have no comments on this report.
8. S151 Officer comments
8.1 The S151 Officer confirms that there are no direct financial implications arising from the report itself. The Financial Arrangement Assurance update addresses financial issues. Good governance and risk management arrangements help underpin the delivery of value for money.
9. Monitoring Officer comments
9.1 Considered and functional Governance Assurance arrangements are essential for maintaining a strong framework for risk management and internal control.
9.2 This report supports the Committee in its scrutiny of these actions and seeks to provide assurance that the risks are being managed effectively and in accordance with the Council’s statutory responsibilities
10. Procurement comments
10.1 There are no procurement implications arising directly from the recommendations in this report.
11. Equality and Diversity
11.1 The revised Governance Assurance Register incorporates a specific Governance Assurance Area specifying how the Council ensures the effective discharge of the Council’s responsibilities and duties relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
12. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
12.1 The revised Governance Assurance approach incorporates a specific Governance Assurance Area covering how the Council discharges its responsibilities with respect to its zero carbon targets and wider environmental responsibilities.
13. Other considerations
13.1 Under the Framework, the Audit Committee considers the effectiveness of the Council’s arrangements in relation to risk management, governance and internal control, including overseeing the relevant policies and strategies, with a view to being assured that key governance areas are owned and managed appropriately. The Audit Committee are therefore receiving regular updates on the 12 Governance Assurance Area (GAA) reports that form the Council’s Governance Assurance Register.
14. Local Government Reorganisation Implications
14.1 It is important that the Council continues to develop and implement its Governance Assurance arrangement to ensure that strategic and operational risks are managed effectively in the run up to vesting day for the new West Surrey Council.
15. Timetable for implementation
15.1 A further update for the Committee on relevant GAAs will be provided at the meeting on 30 November 2026.
16. Contact
16.1 Sandy Muirhead – Group Head Commissioning and Transformation (s.muirhead@spelthorne.gov.uk)
16.2 Altin Bozhani – Interim Deputy Chief Finance Officer (a.bozhani@spelthorne.gov.uk)
16.3 Lee O’Neil – Deputy Chief Executive (l.o’neil@spelthorne.gov.uk)
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers:
Appendices:
Appendix A: Table outlining the overall assurance level for the 9 Governance Assurance Areas of the Council’s Governance Assurance Register under the remit of the CPRC.
Appendix B: Governance Assurance update for CPRC relating to Ensuring we meet our EDI duties and responsibilities
Appendix C: Governance Assurance update for CPRC relating to Ensuring the Council’s financial management and long-term planning arrangements are effective to secure financial sustainability