Issue - meetings

The Leader’s Portfolio

To consider report FIN/540 of the Head of Corporate Finance.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)      approves, with effect from 1 April 2022, that Southern Internal Audit Partnership provides the internal audit service for Crawley Borough Council.

b)      authorises the Section 151 Officer to enter into the Joint Working Agreement by way of a deed of accession with Southern Internal Audit Partnership and finalise the arrangements.

c)       approves that the Section 151 Officer or their representative to represent the Council’s interests by becoming a voting member of the Southern Internal Audit Partnership Key Stakeholder Board.

Reasons for the Recommendations

To ensure that a statutory internal audit function is provided for the Council. By joining an existing shared service there will be access to qualified internal audit staff and specialisms not available to a team of two.

The Leader of the Council presented report FIN/540 of the Head of Corporate Finance.  The report sought approval to enter into a joint working agreement to receive internal audit from Southern Internal Audit Partnership following significant staffing changes in the Council's current internal audit function. The Council were part of similar partnerships for other services including Procurement and Building Control. The proposed approach was an efficient approach that would be good value for money and would keep the finances within the public purse. The Cabinet noted that there was a statutory requirement to have an internal audit function.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)      approves, with effect from 1 April 2022, that Southern Internal Audit Partnership provides the internal audit service for Crawley Borough Council.

b)      authorises the Section 151 Officer to enter into the Joint Working Agreement by way of a deed of accession with Southern Internal Audit Partnership and finalise the arrangements.

c)       approves that the Section 151 Officer, or their representative, represent the Council’s interests by becoming a voting member of the Southern Internal Audit Partnership Key Stakeholder Board.

Reasons for the Recommendations

To ensure that a statutory internal audit function is provided for the Council. By joining an existing shared service there will be access to qualified internal audit staff and specialisms not available to a team of two.