Agenda item - Internal Audit Monitoring Report

Agenda item

Internal Audit Monitoring Report

Minutes:

The Head of the Internal Audit Shared Service presented the Internal Audit Monitoring Report.  During the presentation of this report the following matters were highlighted for Members’ consideration:

 

·                The report contained updates on work that had been undertaken since the previous meeting of the Committee, together with an overview of some work that had been completed in Redditch which had implications for Bromsgrove through shared service arrangements.

·                The audit in respect of records management had resulted in a number of high priority recommendations and an update had been provided in relation to the data due to the assurance that the audit had returned.  It  was unusual to provide a follow up position so early in the reporting process but considered expedient so that Members could appreciate the position of the Council.

·                Good progress and clear action plans had been agreed in relation to the recommendations arising from this audit of records management.

·                Information had been provided in the appendices in respect of follow up audits.  For the previous audit of CCTV it had been found that no further work was required.

 

Following presentation of the report Members discussed a number of points in detail:

 

·                The audit of Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) completed in May 2017 and the policies and procedures that had been analysed as part of this.  Members were advised that Internal Audit focused on a different element of the services delivered by WRS each year and this particular audit had investigated income from licenses.

·                The action that was being taken by district Councils in response to the issues that had been raised during this audit of WRS.  The Committee was informed that this had been discussed at a meeting of the district Councils’ Treasurers.

·                The extent to which issues such as noise pollution and complaints relating to such matters would be picked up in an audit of WRS.  Officers advised that the extent to which such issues would be identified would depend on the scope of the audit, though where noted these would be addressed.

·                The meaning of “limited assurance”.  The Committee was informed that a limited assurance rating was usually issued where weaknesses in the design of the control environment had been identified.

·                The limited assurance that had been issued in respect of the dashboard and the extent to which the Internal Audit team’s findings in respect of the dashboard corresponded with the findings of the Measures Dashboard Scrutiny Working Group.

·                The priorities identified during the internal audit of the dashboard.  These related to an inconsistent approach to uploading data onto the dashboard, delays in reporting and the fact that some of the data provided was potentially compromised.  Members were advised that many of these issues were in the process of being addressed.

·                The identification of a need to report more effectively to Members about the data provided on the dashboard and the introduction of new corporate performance reports to enable Officers to address this.

·                The findings of the audit in respect of records management and the extent to which progress had been achieved since this review was undertaken to address the problems that had been identified.  Officers explained that the Corporate Management Team (CMT) had been working to address many of the issues as the audit was taking place so it appeared that improvements were being made to services.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Supporting documents: