Issue - meetings

Annual Governance Statement 2018/19

Meeting: 11/07/2019 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 17)

17 Annual Governance Statement

To consider the Annual Governance Statement for 2018/19 and the accompanying report as considered by the Executive on 20 June 2019, and to make any observations.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2018/19 and the accompanying report that were discussed by the Executive at its meeting on 20 June 2019. This was the annual statement on the Council’s internal control and governance framework which would be published in the Statement of Accounts 2018/19. The Chair noted that he had asked for the AGS to come to the Committee in July, rather than wait until September as in previous years. 

Councillor Tony Schofield, Portfolio Holder for Finance, introduced the item and said the 2019/20 AGS was coming to the Committee earlier so any feedback could be incorporated into the final version before it is signed.

It was noted that the outgoing External Auditors (KPMG) had provided their annual opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management, control and governance processes. They had concluded that the organisation had an adequate and effective framework but further enhancements were identified. Work was continuing to make improvements on these matters. 

It was noted that the Committee had also discussed the Internal Auditors’ report from outgoing Internal Auditors RSM and its positive result at its meeting on 6 June 2019.

Members discussed the item and raised the following questions:

·       Organisational Development strategy – what were the targets and deadlines for this strategy?  Members were advised that this work is being led by the head of Organisational Development and HR but will involve all of the management team and Members of the Employment Committee. It includes a variety of components such as how the Council recruits and retains staff, how it manages their performance and development so they are engaged in and delivering the Corporate Plan effectively.

 

The Council’s biggest resource was staffing. It aimed to be an employer of choice but was facing challenges such as retaining key skills. The Organisational Development strategy would be discussed at the Employment Committee’s meeting on 29 July 2019.

·       One Member asked for more clarification on the statement in the effective financial planning and management section about expenditure and the underspend which was equivalent to 9 per cent of the budget.

 

RESOLVED – the Annual Governance Statement for 2018/19 and the accompanying report was noted.

 


Meeting: 20/06/2019 - Executive (Item 18)

18 Annual Governance Statement 2018/19

To consider the Annual Governance Statement for 2018/19.

Supporting documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement, set out in Annex 1 to the report of the Head of Finance and Assets, be endorsed.  

Minutes:

Councillor T. Schofield, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance, explained that the Council was required to publish an annual statement on its corporate governance arrangements as part of the Council’s annual Statement of Accounts.  

It was noted that statutory regulations recommended that the body charged with overall responsibility for governance within the Council (in this case the Executive) should review and endorse the statement prior to its formal signature by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive. 

A statement for the year ended 31 March 2019 was presented to the Executive as an Annex to the report. This was based on the following sources of evidence: 

-       Annual Internal Auditor Report;

-       External Audit and Inspection Reports;

-       Issues identified from the Council’s Risk Registers; and

-       Annual assurance statements signed by the Management Team that confirmed that the Council had achieved ‘best value’ and had complied with all relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice. 

The statement included reference to the independent opinions of the Council’s internal and external auditors, which provided considerable assurance in respect of the Council’s governance arrangements. These also identified some enhancements to the framework of risk management, governance and internal control that would ensure that it remained adequate and effective.

Overall the Council was confident that it had good governance arrangements in place to ensure that resources were directed toward identified priorities which in turn would seek to ensure continued value for money.

The Executive recognised that there was always room for improvement but overall the control and governance framework had been judged to be sound by all who examined it.

RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement, set out in Annex 1 to the report of the Head of Finance and Assets, be endorsed.

Reason for decision: To consider the Council’s Annual Governance Statement before it was included within the annual Statement of Accounts.

Alternative options: To reject or amend the contents of the statement.