Issue - meetings

Report FSD17036

The Head of Audit introduced a report providing information surrounding recent audit activity across the Council and providing information on matters arising from previous meetings of the Audit Sub-Committee.

Further progress had been made on existing Priority One recommendations comprising Extra Care Housing (1 priority one recommendation made which had been implemented); Transition Team (1 priority one recommendation made which had been implemented); Learning Disabilities- (3 outstanding priority one recommendations not tested pending management report to Care Services PDS); Community Infrastructure Levy (2 priority one recommendations which were outstanding); Manorfields (2 priority one recommendations made which had been implemented); Document Storage and Retention (2 priority one recommendations which remained outstanding);Temporary Accommodation (3 priority one recommendations that would be followed up and reported to the Audit Sub-Committee in June 2017); NNDR (1 recommendation made that will be followed up and reported to the Audit Sub-Committee in June 2017).

A number of new Priority One recommendations had also been identified comprising Reablement Team; Waivers (2 Priority one recommendations both accepted by management for implementation); Leaving Care; Waste Services. Details of the recommendations were contained in Part 2 of the agenda.

Since the last meeting a further 12 redacted final reports had been published on the web, making 166 since publication first started.

From April 2016 to February 2017, 142 cases had been referred to the Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS).  The Council had been advised that there had been no prosecutions on these referrals in 2016/17, however, 6 cases were awaiting decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The DWP had advised that they had recommended 30 administrative penalties for authorisation by Bromley in 2016/17 based on its referrals. The DWP had stated that they completed 5 prosecutions in 2016/17 in respect of Bromley claimants that were not referred by the Council with a further 9 cases awaiting decision by the CPS not referred by Bromley.  Members had previously agreed that given the absence of any agreement with the DWP for joint prosecutions, Officers should proceed to investigate and prosecute the Bromley fraud element of these cases, where appropriate, for council tax support if the overpayment exceeded £3,000, or below if there were some cases of blatant fraud e.g. submission of false documentation. This had already been implemented and there had been 4 successful prosecutions with others pending.

The Sub-Committee noted that following a recruitment process, Mr David Hogan, who was currently Head of Assurance for One Source, had been appointed Head of Audit.

At a previous meeting of the Sub-Committee, officers had set out the three ongoing objections to the accounts which had resulted in the accounts for 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 remaining open and costs escalating to a final total cost of £74,500.  The work of the previous external auditors had now been concluded and the objections were now closed. The previous auditors had issued Bromley with revised annual audit letters for each of the three years that made reference to the objections and proposed recommendations. There had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34