Issue - meetings

Committee considered a report which sought Members observations or recommendations, and agreement to the conclusions and content of the draft Annual Governance Statement 2021.

The draft Annual Governance Statement for 2021 was set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

One of the main purposes of the Annual Governance Statement was to assess the extent to which the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) / Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE) Framework key principles were in place within an authority and were adhered to in practice.  In short it was an annual assessment process for the Council’s Governance arrangements.  As part of this process the Audit and Corporate Overview Scrutiny Committee would need to give consideration to the Council’s updated Code of Corporate Governance.

While the evidence from the structured assessment carried out demonstrated that appropriate procedures and processes were in place, Members were asked to note that there remained a small number of issues of corporate governance where further work was necessary if the Council were to continue to comply with the good governance requirement.  The issues that had been identified as a result of the work of external review (including external audit), internal audit, and the routine work of the Council’s own officers, would be addressed throughout the year through the performance management framework and reported to this Committee.

In response to a Member’s query, Committee was advised that the Council’s recent changes to its Senior Management Structure would be reflected in the 2022 Annual Governance Statement.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Resources commented that the Annual Governance Statement was a readable document and he would be available to Members if they wished to discuss the document with him.

In response to a Member’s query, the Head of Internal Audit advised the meeting that Members would always be advised of any whistleblowing, if it happened.

Moved by Councillor Graham Parkin and seconded by Councillor Peter Roberts

RESOLVED that (1) the Annual Governance Statement as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be noted,

(2) the local Code of Corporate Governance as set out in Appendix 2 to the report be approved,

(3) having reviewed the effectiveness of the Governance Framework, the Audit and Corporate Overview Scrutiny Committee were satisfied that the Council’s governance and internal control arrangements were fit for purpose,

(4) delegated powers be granted to the Chief Financial Officer in consultation with the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Audit and Corporate Overview Scrutiny Committee, to agree any changes which may be necessary in order to ensure the finalisation of the external audit currently being concluded by the Council’s external auditors Mazars, to ensure completion of the Statement of Accounts by the statutory deadline of 30^th September 2021.

The Team Leader - Solicitor left the meeting at this point.