Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2016 were approved as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from Councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

There were none.

To receive a report from the Deputy Chief Executive (copy attached).

The Internal Audit Manager reported that the Corporate Risk Register (CRR) had undergone its regular quarterly review and update by the Corporate Risk Management Group and Management Team to ensure that actions were being taken to deal with the identified risks. She explained that Cabinet receives the Corporate Risk Register on a quarterly basis to ensure that significant issues and risks affecting the authority are highlighted to the Cabinet and relevant Portfolio Holders.

The Internal Audit Manager summarised the risks affecting the Council, and mitigating actions as outlined in the report, specifically assessing delivery of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning programmes against expected outcomes, service planning, the impact of prolonged staff vacancies on service delivery, progressing options for future Leisure Centre provision, procurement and managing debt recovery.

She explained that the Council currently had 26 projects ongoing and indicated that Management Team in collaboration with the Cabinet must continue to assess the capacity of the Council to achieve and develop new projects and manage the potential revenue implications associated. Furthermore she indicated that the TaSF transformation programme required a higher level of overview to oversee the development of the programme in its entirety, but she acknowledged that the Group Head for Commissioning and Transformation provides an overseeing aspect to the programme. 

The Committee noted the following main action points in relation to the CRR:

a.    To highlight the need for additional support and resource help in specific work/risk areas.

b.    The need to review the format of the CRR, e.g. having defined risk categories; separate out finance from health and safety, etc.

c.    Dates for the next corporate inspections (Health and Safety).

d.    The business case for corporate fraud prevention at the Council to be considered as a growth bid in the budget process for 2017-18.

e.    More and specific information needed on age debt

The revised register was considered to be an accurate reflection of the high level risks affecting the Authority and progress on actions was documented on the register.

Resolved that:

1)    The contents of the Corporate Risk Register be noted and accepted;

2)    That the Corporate Risk Register be recommended to Cabinet for approval.

To receive a report from the Internal Audit Manager (copy attached).

The Internal Audit Manager outlined the Internal Audit Annual Report 2015/2016 which demonstrated how the authority fulfilled its statutory requirements to ‘maintain an adequate and effective system of internal audit of its accounting records and of its system of internal control in accordance with proper internal audit practices.’

The Committee queried:

a.    When the next corporate inspections would take place (Health and Safety) (p. 32).

b.    The need for more information on the issue of aged debt, i.e. breakdown of debt amounts relating to service areas and whether recoverable or not (p. 36).

The Committee also noted the importance of the need for clear outcomes now that Applied Resilience (AR) has been set up.

Resolved to note the Internal Audit Annual Report 2015-16.

To consider and approve the work programme for the current municipal year 2016/17.

The Committee considered its Work Programme for the 2016-2017 Municipal year.

Resolved that the Committee Work Programme for the 2016-2017 Municipal year be approved.