The Interim Head of Financial Assurance, Risk, Internal Audit, and Insurance presented the report. He explained that when the Service migrated to the new system their recommendations were not transferred and it would be a sizeable amount of work to put them on the system. The Chair and Vice-Chair requested in the Pre-Brief meeting that a list is circulated to the Committee members so the Committee can decide which actions Internal Audit should follow-up on.

The following key points were highlighted:

-          Members queried Internal Audits resources to complete the audit plan. the Interim Head of Financial Assurance, Risk, Internal Audit, and Insurance updated members on the recruitment of new staff members and confirmed that 21 out of 33 audits should be substantially completed by 31 March 2024.

-          Members queried how it was decided which audits would be deferred. The Interim Head of Financial Assurance, Risk, Internal Audit, stated that there were various factors that he has had to take into consideration when agreeing to a deferral. This includes slippage in the delivery of current audits which push back start dates into what would be busy periods for the audited service. He also noted that he consults senior managers regarding current priorities, which reflect current risks and issues, some of which were documented in the BVI report.

-          The Interim Head of Financial Assurance, Risk, Internal Audit, and Insurance confirmed that the revised Risk Management Strategy is being reviewed. Once the review is complete it will need to go through the appropriate governance channels in the Council.

-          The Chair proposed amended wording to recommendation 1.8 and this was seconded by Councillor Worrall.

RESOLVED:

1.1          Note the progress to 11 January 2024 against the Audit Plan 2023/24 as documented in Appendix 1.

1.2          Consider the Key Findings from the assignment, Embedded Risk Management Culture (INT2324-02) as documented in Appendix 1.

1.3          Consider the Key Findings from the assignment, Stock and Security Assurance (INT2324-03) as documented in Appendix 1.

1.4          Note Internal Audit’s quality checking of its earlier verification work associated with the Supporting Families Programme. (See paragraph 3.2.4)

1.5          Note and agree the revised scope for audit INT2324-17 – Governance Recovery Board, which is now retitled INT2324-17 – Change Board. (See paragraph 3.4.1)

1.6          Note and agree the deferral of the audits INT2324-22 – Talent Management and Retention, and INT2324-30 – Waste – Compliance with ISO requirements. (See paragraphs 3.4.2 and 3.4.3)

1.7          Note the inclusion of additional engagements (See section 3.5)

1.8          Note the verification of management actions associated with recommendations from 2018/19 and 2019/20 audit reports. (See paragraph 3.6.2 and Appendix 1)

1.9          Internal Audit are to provide a list of management actions from audit reports from 2020/21 engagements for the Committee to consider. (See paragraph 3.6.3)

1.10       Note Internal Audit’s depleted level of resources and its reliance on support from Mazars. (See section 3.7)

1.11       Note that Internal Audit expects to have completed or substantially completed 21 of its 33 engagements by the end of March 2024. There are requests to defer two audits (see recommendation 1.6). The remaining ten audits will still be in their respective planning stages at the end of the financial year. (See section 3.8)