Agenda item

To consider report FIN/564 of the Head of Corporate Finance.

The Committee considered report FIN/564 of the Head of Corporate Finance.  The purpose of the report was primarily to update the Committee on the progress made towards the completion of the 2021/2022 Audit Plan, and to report on the progress made in implementing the previous recommendations.

The Committee welcomed the Senior Audit & Counter Fraud Manager from Southern Internal Audit Partnership (SIAP) to the meeting and acknowledged that the Cabinet, at its meeting on 12 January 2022 had agreed that SIAP provide the internal audit service for Crawley Borough Council from 2022/23.

The Committee discussed and noted the Audit Plan Reviews in progress, along with other work as detailed in the report and noted that it was still a ‘Covid-19 related year’ for Audit.  The Senior Audit & Counter Fraud Manager took the opportunity to brief the Committee on the work as detailed in the report and, in relation to the following areas, the Committee noted:

Progress Report (Appendix A to the report):

·         That the italicised wording in the Progress Report identified changes since the last Report, with several Audits now underway which had previously been pending.

·         There were no high priority findings to report on work completed since the last Report.

·         That all Local Authorities had experienced delays in progressing their Audit Plans due to the pandemic.

·         That SIAP was confident the remaining Audits would go ahead in time for annual reporting.

·         That SIAP did not have any concerns at present in relation to the outcome of the Audits completed under the 2021/2022 Audit Plan.  An overall level of Audit Assurance could not however be given until all remaining Audit work had been completed.

Follow Up Audit (Fleet Management Audit 2020/21):

·         That the findings relating to “driver assessment checks” and “eligibility to drive” would be looked at as part of an upcoming health and safety review.

Follow Up Audit (Complaints Audit 2021/22):

·         That the lack of monthly reporting on complaints identified by the Audit was likely to be due to the extra work created by the pandemic and staff sickness.  Following a further query from the Committee, it was requested that the Democratic Services Officer send Committee members the Audit Committee minutes and/or the report which related to the initial findings of the Complaints Audit.

·         An item would be published shortly in the Councillors’ Information Bulletin relating to the Complaints Procedure.

·         A review of actions taken following the Complaints Audit was included in the Internal Audit Plan and was scheduled to take place in the next three years.  The version of the Internal Audit Plan which was attached to the Agenda Pack (and would be considered by the Committee later in the agenda) only included those Audits scheduled for 2022-2023.  The Senior Audit & Counter Fraud Manager agreed to consult the full three–year Plan and, should the Complaints review be scheduled for year 3, they would flag to bring it forward into at least year 2.

RESOLVED

That the Internal Audit Progress Report be received and progress noted, as at 28 February 2022.