Agenda item

To consider report FIN/529 of the Audit and Risk Manager.

The Committee considered report FIN/529 of the Audit and Risk Manager.  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 report also included an update on the Council’s Strategic Risks.

The Committee discussed and noted all the Audit Plan Reviews in progress, along with other work as detailed in the report.  The Audit and Risk Manager informed the Committee that additional work had recently been included to their remit, such as complaints and data breaches.  The Audit and Risk Manager took the opportunity brief the Committee on the work as detailed in the report and, in relation to the following areas, the Committee:

Work Completed in the Current Period:

•          Requested that in future the table set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report, which identified work completed since the last report, be amended to differentiate more clearly between the various audit assurance levels.

Progress Report (Appendix A to the report):

•          Were informed that Crawley Council had ceased to provide an Audit service for Mid Sussex District Council on 31 March 2021.  That had enabled the Audit and Risk Manager’s team to undertake the additional work set out in the report.

High Priority Findings (Fleet Management Audit 2020/2021):

•          Were provided with further information relating to the Audit and its findings.

Follow Up Audit (Car Parking Permit Audit 2020/2021):

•          Were advised that changes were in the process of being implemented and that, once further work had been undertaken by the Audit Team, it was anticipated that the outcome would be reported at the next meeting of the Audit Committee.

•          Praised officers for identifying the potential issue and investigating the matter further.

The Committee discussed the update provided on Strategic Risk Management.  Following queries from the Committee relating to the following areas, the Committee:

New Town Hall (Risk Register attached as Appendix B to the report):

•          Were provided with more details relating to the risk levels and noted that any risk below a level 10 was not considered a concern (as set out in the risk scoring table provided on page 39 of the Agenda Pack).  Any risk identified as being above level 10 would result in investigating further mitigations.

Organisational Capacity, Recruitment, Retention and Succession Planning:

•          Noted that the Council was recruiting several new staff members at apprentice level, in whom the Council would invest.  That process would enable to Council to ‘grow its own’ talent.

•          Acknowledged that recruitment, particularly that of finance and legal staff, was not specific to Crawley Council and was an issue for Local Authorities nationally.

Following a request from several members of the Committee, the Head of Corporate Finance agreed to arrange some training prior to the next Committee meeting.  In addition, further detail on the Audit Committee in general would be circulated via email to all Committee Members.

RESOLVED

That the Committee receive the report and note progress to date, as at 30 June 2021.