Issue - meetings

To receive and note an interim report from the Internal Audit Manager.

The Internal Audit Manager presented her report which summarised the work undertaken by the Internal Audit team for the period April to October 2022.

In addition to the planned audit reviews there were other workstreams carried out by the team adding value and in support of the Council’s priorities and objectives.  The Internal Audit Manager highlighted the counter-fraud initiatives undertaken through collaborative working with partners and the consequent significant savings to the Council.  A targeted data matching initiative in conjunction with Housing and registered providers was being developed and if funding was approved it was anticipated this could result in positive outcomes in respect of social housing fraud.

The latest version of the report had not been included in the agenda documents.  The final version of the report, included with the minutes, provided an additional table with the total potential savings and financial losses prevented should the data matching exercise proceed.  These potential savings were based on professional guidance in terms of the percentage of social housing tenancies estimated to be fraudulently occupied. Furthermore, they were based on an assumption that where fraudulent occupancy was proven all properties were subsequently recovered with keys returned, although the actual number of properties recovered/keys returned were likely to be less. It was difficult to predict or forecast the actual number of properties recovered as a bulk data matching exercise of a social housing portfolio had not been undertaken previously for Spelthorne.

Assurance was sought that the new Bluebox system would be reviewed by the Internal Audit team to ensure that it was fully functional.  Officers advised that it was not an accounting system but a property management system with a bolt-on accounting suite.  The Chief Accountant was working with the finance team to ensure that it was working as expected and once they were happy with the controls in place it would then interface straight into the Council’s accounting system.  The Internal Audit team had included a review and evaluation of the system within their work plan.

The Committee resolved to note the report.