Report CEO 1403

This report was written to inform members of recent audit activity across the Council, and to provide an update on matters arising from the previous meeting.

Members discussed waivers as outlined in the appendix attached to the report, and commented as appropriate. Members were concerned that waivers should be reported to PDS Committees for scrutiny. It was agreed that verification be sought that the Care Services PDS Committee scrutinise placement waivers and if this was the case, to be reported back to Audit Sub Committee to allow members to decide if care services placements need to be included on the waiver list presented to this committee. It was confirmed by Cllr Wells that Education placements are reported to Education PDS but these were just a few.

Cllr Harmer raised an issue on value for money and Cllr Grainger raised the report commissioned from CIPFA in 2008 that members found very useful. This was discussed at the previous meeting when it was agreed that the Director of Finance would explore this option.

The update on financial impact on high risks was noted.

RESOLVED that

(1) The contents of the report be noted

(2) The waivers approved from October 2013 to February 2014 be noted; the Committee is content with the revised format for reporting waivers, but felt that another column may need to be added to indicate details of PDS scrutiny.

 (3) The Committee notes the list of Internal Audit Reports on the web, and approves the reports where exemptions are sought. In future members wanted more detail for exemptions sought for reports not to be published within Part 2 of the agenda to include exemption reasons for reports already indicated within the Progress report. This will be reviewed every six months.

(4) The Sub Committee notes the continuing achievements of the counter fraud benefit partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

(5) The Committee agrees that placement waivers should in the future be scrutinised by PDS Committees and this should be reported to the Audit Sub Committee. 

(6) That the Director of Finance pursues the Value for Money study offered by CIPFA.