The report of the Head of Finance, Governance and Assurance (Section 151) is attached as agenda item 17.

Contact:  James Walton 01743 255011

17.1    Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Finance, Governance and Assurance (Section 151)  -  copy attached to the signed minutes  -  which provided the Council with an independent assurance of an adequate and effective risk management and internal control system that could be relied up on and which contributed to the high corporate governance standards expected by the Council and which had been consistently maintained. 

17.2    The Chairman referred to the draft Annual Assurance report and highlighted several changes to the following paragraphs to be made to the draft report prior to its submission to Council.

            Paragraph 12:

Members of the Audit Committee and the Audit Service Manager and her staff are well aware of the changing nature of local government in relation to the greater responsibilities for innovative practice allowed by the Government’s Powers of Competence Act. In particular we are aware that the Audit function [DELETE] will have [INSERT] has an essential [INSERT] and ongoing role to play in monitoring the risks involved in the arrangements for strategic commissioning and the creation of a Council owned trading company for service delivery.  Members are already receiving training in this extended aspect of their responsibilities, and the Audit Service Manager is ensuring that adequate resources are available in order to minimise any possibility of the risk of financial malpractice. Members of the Committee and Audit staff are fully seized with the need to [DELETE] be [INSERT] keep “ahead of the game”, as the role of local government changes and evolves to meet the challenges of [INSERT] severe reductions in many of the traditional sources of income.

Paragraph 13:

I have written above about the impressive manner in which Audit staff prepare the wide range of reports which are necessary for the consideration of Committee members. The key staff are James Walton, the Section 151 Officer, Ceri Pilawski, the Audit Service Manager and the recently retired, Chris Kalinowski, her Deputy, who also carried the additional delegated authority of ensuring the effectiveness of the Council’s Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption policy and the “Whistle-blowing” policy.  [INSERT] The work which Chris did will be carried out in the future by Katie Williams (no relative of mine!) who is newly promoted to the position of Audit Engagement Officer and who has already impressed me by her  knowledge and enthusiasm which gives assurance that the void left by Chris will be well and capably filled.  [DELETE] Chris’ work will be picked up by Katie Williams in the future who is newly promoted to the role of Audit Engagement Officer.

Paragraph 14:

Without the enthusiastic and committed support of all Audit staff and, in particular, of the three officers mentioned above, it would not be possible for the Audit Committee to be as highly effective as peer comparisons show us to be. [INSERT] My thanks and that of my fellow committee members are given to all our Audit Service officers who are coping with an increasing workload with much reduced numbers.”

17.2    RESOLVED:

That subject to the amendments noted above, the Draft Annual Assurance Report be approved and that Council be recommended to accept the contents of the report.