Agenda item

To consider the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee’s Action List and Work Programme.

(Action List and Work Programme attached)

Action List

i)          Ref 1 – Council’s Income Figures

It was noted that Officers had emailed Members with the requested figures on 28th January 2015.

Action: remove item from Action List.

ii)         Ref 2 – Audit Findings Report 2013/14 – Unfilled vacancies

Officers circulated a list of current staff vacancies and apologised for the delay in referring this information to Members.

Action: remove item from Action List.

iii)       Ref 3 – Council’s reserve for bad debts

Officers confirmed the following reserves for bad debts:

Council Tax £252k

Housing Revenue Account – £576k

Sundry Debts – £100k

Benefits – £206K

It was noted that the above totalled £1.134m, the figure for which had been validated by both internal and external audit as part of the accounts. Some assumptions had been made around the reserves, which again had been discussed with internal and external audit. Officers agreed to email the reserve figures to Members and it was noted that a separate reserve applied for Job Evaluation. 

Action: Officers to email figures to Members and item to be removed from Action List.

iv)       Ref 4 – Development of Key Performance Indicators

Officers advised that as the internal audit function formed part of the Worcestershire Internal Audit Shared Service, this issue would need to be taken back to the County Client Officer Group for discussion moving forward.  Officers agreed to advise Members once this matter had been taken to the Group to update them as to any discussion in this regard.  Both Members and Officers agreed that any key performance indicators needed to be of value.

Action: Officers to take issue to Worcestershire Internal Audit Shared Service Client Officer Group and to advise Members on any outcomes.  Item to remain on Action List until action completed.

v)         Ref 5 – Corporate dashboard of measures

Officers advised that management had now seen the corporate dashboard of measures, which was to be developed and taken to Members in the new municipal year.  This would be routed via a report to the Executive Committee, Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then Audit, Governance and Standards Committee. 

Action: item to remain on Action List with a further update to be provided at the 2nd July meeting.  

vi)       Ref 6 – Meeting start times

Action: item to continue to remain on Action List until any clear need for change in start time is established.

Work Programme

In view of the large number of agenda items for the 2nd July meeting, and as this would be the first meeting of the new municipal year at which new Members might be present, it was agreed that no Internal Audit – Progress Report would be referred to the July meeting. 

The Internal Audit Annual Report 2014/15 would still be referred to the July meeting and Officers undertook to correspond with Members should anything urgent arise in relation to the Progress Report.  A Member commented that the Committee needed to be made aware as soon as any issues arose in relation to benefits debts as a consequence of Universal Credit.  

In relation to the Corporate Risk Register, Members queried whether this would be ‘RAG Rated’, which Officers confirmed it would and that it would also include actions and controls.

RESOLVED that

subject to the comments detailed in the preamble above, the Committee’s Action List and Work Programme be noted and the amendments and updates highlighted agreed.