Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

For the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee to approve the Local Code of Corporate Governance for 2021; and review the progress of the Annual Governance Statement (‘AGS’) Action Plan for 2020/21.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Local Code of Corporate Governance 2021 (Appendix A) be approved; and

(2)       That the current position with the AGS Action Plan (Appendix B), be noted.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)       It is recommended practice to review the Local Code of Corporate Governance each year to ensure it remains up to date and relevant.

(2)       Reviewing the AGS Action Plan during 2020/21 provides the Committee with assurances that NHDC is following through with recommended changes and/or improvements to its governance arrangements.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 50 Seconds

The Policy and Community Engagement Manager presented the report entitled Local Code of Corporate Governance 2021 and Annual Governance Statement 2019/20 (Action Plan For 2020/21) Update, including:

·                It was good practice for the Local Code of Corporate Governance to be reviewed annually and the last update to it was in March 2020;

·                There was an amendment to one of the visions. This now read ‘Be a more welcoming, inclusive, and efficient council’; and

·                All 5 actions contained in the Appendix B Action Plan were on-going and updates were given on the specific actions.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Sam North;

·                Councillor Kate Aspinwall.

In response to questions, the Policy and Community Engagement Manager advised that:

·                The list of ethical values that were adhered to were the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles) as well as the Member Code of Conduct and Staff Values and Behaviours which underpin the Nolan Principles for members and staff;

·                The Inclusion Group was an internal Officer led group that was looking at the Protected Characteristics. The first one was held on Monday 8 March and the theme was Age. The intention was to work through all the Protected Characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and;

·                On the first Friday of the month, there was a staff learning and development morning. The last one held on Friday 5 March focused on equality and diversity, including unconscious bias and racism.

In response to questions, Councillor Kate Aspinwall, as acting Chair of the Joint Staff Consultative Committee (JSCC), advised that she had been in discussions with the Interim Human Resources Services Manager regarding the inclusion work. She stated that at the next JSCC, she would be raising more about what the inclusion work meant for the residents of North Herts.

The Service Director – Resources added that the Inclusion Group was able to feed information to the Leadership Team and the Shaping Our Future Steering Group.

Councillor Kate Aspinwall proposed and Councillor Sam North seconded the recommendations:

It was:

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Local Code of Corporate Governance 2021 (Appendix A) be approved; and

(2)       That the current position with the AGS Action Plan (Appendix B), be noted.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)       It is recommended practice to review the Local Code of Corporate Governance each year to ensure it remains up to date and relevant.

(2)       Reviewing the AGS Action Plan during 2020/21 provides the Committee with assurances that NHDC is following through with recommended changes and/or improvements to its governance arrangements.