Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITIES MANAGER

For the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee to review the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) 2023/24 including Action Plan for the year 2024-25.

RESOLVED: That the Committee reviewed and commented on the draft Annual Governance Statement Action Plan that would be finalised for approval once the Council’s External Audit had been completed.

REASON FOR DECISION: The Committee is the legal body with responsibility for approval of the Annual Governance Statement. Reporting the draft Annual Governance Statement and Action Plan at this stage provides an opportunity for the Committee to assess and comment on the draft, before it is finalised and brought back for approval.

Audio recording – 49 minutes 57 seconds

The Policy and Strategy Team Leader presented the report entitled ‘Draft Annual Governance Statement 2023-24’ and highlighted that:

·       It was a requirement of the Committee to approve the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2023-24 which included an action plan for the year 2024-25.

·       The Committee were asked to consider this draft version of the AGS and to provide comments on the effectiveness of the statements, governance and internal controls.

·       SIAS, Shared Anti-Fraud Services (SAFS) and KPMG would also review and comment on the draft version.

·       The Leadership Team reviewed the scorings of the effectiveness, governance and the internal controls, based on the Local Code of Governance principles A to G, and based on the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework Delivering Good Governance in Local Government 2016 Edition principles.

·       The final version of the AGS would be presented to the Committee after the statement of accounts for 2023-24 had been prepared as per CIPFA/SOLACE guidelines.

·       Once approved the AGS self-assessment documents would be published on the Corporate Governance webpage.

·       Work would commence on the action plan detailed on page 115 of the report.

·       The Action plan would; monitor the success of the Members Induction Programme 2024, evaluate Officers uptake of essential training and provide updates when the completion rate was below 75%, improve the oversight of cyber security risks and develop controls or actions, provide residents with an opportunity to engage through the Budget Hub platform, develop an action plan for the recommendations of the Corporate Peer challenge, provide actions regarding the Social Value from the procurement process and the collecting of information around Social Value, develop reporting on Social Value and review the organisation structure of the Council plan under the new 4 year administration.

·       The review found no significant governance issues and the leadership self-assessment document proposed an assurance level of ‘substantial’.

The following Members asked questions:

·       Councillor Sean Nolan

·       Independent Member John Cannon

In response to questions the Policy and Strategy Team Leader advised that:

·       Further details regarding the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) case would be sent outside of this meeting.

·       The wording on Principle E on page 111 of the report can be reviewed.

Councillor Paul Ward proposed and Councillor Daniel Wright-Mason seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That the Committee reviewed and commented on the draft Annual Governance Statement Action Plan that would be finalised for approval once the Council’s External Audit had been completed.

REASON FOR DECISION: The Committee is the legal body with responsibility for approval of the Annual Governance Statement. Reporting the draft Annual Governance Statement and Action Plan at this stage provides an opportunity for the Committee to assess and comment on the draft, before it is finalised and brought back for approval.