Issue - meetings
EXTERNAL AUDIT - REBUILDING ASSURANCE UPDATE
Meeting: 09/09/2026 - Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (Item 21)
21 EXTERNAL AUDIT - REBUILDING ASSURANCE UPDATE 
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REPORT OF KPMG
To receive the Rebuilding Assurance Update.
Decision:
RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the External Audit Rebuilding Assurance Update.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 17 minutes 36 seconds
The Director (KPMG) presented the report entitled ‘External Aduit – Rebuilding Assurance Update’ and advised that:
· The approach to rebuilding assurance had been set out in the Audit Plan presented at the last Committee meeting, and since then, the risk assessment had been complete.
· Risk assessment procedures were set out on page 3 of the report and after the risk assessment had taken place, testing on specific balances would be performed.
· The MHCLG Capacity Assessment was also detailed on page 3, with the authority being assessed as Category A, which was the best categorisation.
· Areas where a potential material risk or misstatement had been identified, and procedures for rebuilding assurance were set out on page 4.
· Undertaking this work along the 2025/26 audit would put the Council in a good position for the year end as the disclaimed audit opinion might be upgraded into a qualified audit report.
· A clean opinion of the Council might be achievable by the end of 2026/27.
· Updates on testing would be provided at future Committee meetings.
Councillor Ruth Brown proposed and Councillor Paul Ward seconded and, following a vote, it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the External Audit Rebuilding Assurance Update.