Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online via the Zoom app.

Contact: Amanda Coombes  01395 517543; email  acoombes@eastdevon.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Public speaking

Information on public speaking is available online

 

Minutes:

None

2.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Minutes for 18 March 2021

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 18 March 2021 were

recommended for approval.

 

DECISION:

The recommendation was approved by a Senior Officer. The Senior Officer Decision Notice is listed above under Additional Documents.

 

3.

Declarations on interest

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

 

Minutes:

Min 98. Section 106 and CIL update.

Councillor Paul Hayward, Personal, Clerk to 3 parish councils in receipt of S106 funding.

 

4.

Matters of urgency

Information on matters of urgency is available online

 

Minutes:

None

5.

Confidential/exempt item(s)

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereare no itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

 

Minutes:

None

6.

Internal Audit Outturn Report 2020-21 - SWAP pdf icon PDF 265 KB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Alastair Woodland from SWAP introduced the report that provided an update on the 2020/21 Internal Audit Plan as at July 2021.

 

During discussions the Committee agreed that an update from an officer from Housing in relation to the terms of the KPIs and the position of the Integrated Asset Management Contract was required for the next meeting.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

to note progress made in delivery of the 2020/21 internal audit plan and significant findings.

7.

Internal Audit Annual Opinion Report 2020/21 - SWAP pdf icon PDF 254 KB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Internal Audit function played a central role in corporate governance by providing annual assurance to the Audit and Governance and Standards Committees, through looking over financial controls and checking on the probity of the organisation.

 

The Chair congratulated officers for getting to this stage in the audit, in what had been a challenging year.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

to note the Annual Opinion on the effectiveness of governance, risk and control in the delivery of EDDC Objectives.

8.

Internal Audit Plan Progress September 2021 (2021/22) pdf icon PDF 171 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

SWAP provided an update on the 2021/22 Internal Audit Plan as at September 2021.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

to note progress made in delivery of the 2021/22 internal audit plan and findings Reported.

9.

Revenue and Capital Outturn Report 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 188 KB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Finance Manager informed the Committee of the financial outturn position for 2020/21.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the Revenue and Capital Outturn position for 2020/21 and the recommendations to Cabinet on 14 July 2021.

10.

Risk Review Summer 2021 Part 1 pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Risk information for the 2021/22 financial year was supplied to allow the Committee to monitor the risk status of Strategic and Operational Risks. This followed the full review of risks by responsible officers during May/June 2021.

 

In answer to a question from the Chair the Committee was informed that the Service Lead Growth, Development & Prosperity, would in future reviews provide a fuller update in terms of Cranbrook and relevant projects to how they were progressing.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the current status of risks following the full risk review undertaken in May/June 2021.

11.

Partnership Review 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 326 KB

Minutes:

Partnership information for the 2020/21 financial year until March 2021 allowed the Committee to monitor the status of the council’s partnerships. This followed the year-end review of partnerships by responsible officers for 2020/21.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To ensure that the Partnership Management Policy and Guidance was being followed and all partnership were being monitored.

12.

Section 106 and CIL update pdf icon PDF 194 KB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

 

Minutes:

The Service Lead Strategic Planning and Development Management updated members on the progress in implementing the actions identified in the SWAP audit that was presented to members at their meeting on the 28th January. The audit report made two recommendations relating to appointing additional temporary staff resource to help get the Exacom system up to date and the updating of guidance on the participatory budgeting process. A further two recommendations were made in relation to the introduction of the public facing Exacom module and the use of Exacom for recovering outstanding payments. Officers had been working hard to progress these actions which had been largely completed within the required timescales.

 

The Committee thanked all officers for their hard work in resolving these previous issues.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the progress that had been made to implement the actions of the S106 and CIL audit.

13.

External Audit Plan 2020/21 - Grant Thornton pdf icon PDF 5 MB

Report from the cancelled meeting of 29 July 2021

 

Minutes:

Jackson Murray from Grant Thornton provided an overview of the planned scope and timing of the statutory audit of the council for those charged with governance.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the External Audit Plan 2020/21.

14.

Grant Fraud Assurance report pdf icon PDF 554 KB

This report is to provide an update of the measures taken to protect against fraud & error for the administration of Covid-19 grants.

Minutes:

The Service Lead Revenues, Benefits, Customer Services, Fraud & Compliance provided an update of the measures taken to protect against fraud & error for the administration of Covid-19 grants. Reporting to members was an action from the assurance report submitted to the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the information provided in the report and agree no recommendations were required.

15.

Informing the Audit Risk Assessment 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 179 KB

This report informs the areas of the auditor risk assessment that the Council’s external auditors are required to make under auditing standards.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic Lead Finance informed members of the areas of the auditor risk assessment that the Council’s external auditors were required to make under auditing standards.

 

Having received the report and noted the contents, members;

RECOMMENDED:

To note the management responses to the questions raised in the Audit Risk Assessment which were consistent with the Committee’s understanding.

16.

Audit and Governance Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the contents of the Committee Forward Plan for 2021/22.

 

Items to be considered at the November committee included:

·        Audit Committee Progress update

·        DBS Checks for Councillors - update from LGA

·        Review of the Anti-Fraud Theft and Corruption Policy

·        Review of the Anti-Bribery Policy

·        Review of the Whistleblowing Policy

·        Review of the Local Code of Corporate Governance

·        RIPA update and policy review