Agenda and decisions

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 January 2025.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) 

Purpose of report

This report presents the draft annual report of the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee for the year 2024/25. It has been prepared to enable the committee to demonstrate to Council how it has fulfilled its terms of reference.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves to:

1.1           Review the draft annual report, agree any required amendments to its content, and arrange for it to be finalised in preparation for the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee Chair’s presentation to Council.

Resolved

(1)    That the draft annual report be finalised in preparation for the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee Chair’s presentation to Council.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

This report presents the programme of internal audit work to be undertaken in 2025/26.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves to:

1.1               Approve the 2025/26 internal audit work programme.

Resolved

(1)    That the 2025/26 internal audit work programme be approved.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

This report presents an update on counter fraud work undertaken so far in 2024/25.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves to:

1.1       Note the counter fraud progress report.

Resolved

(1)      That the update on the counter fraud work undertaken so far in 2024/25 be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

This report presents the programme of internal audit work to be undertaken in 2025/26.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves to:

1.1           Approve the 2025/26 internal audit work programme.

Resolved

(1)       That the 2025/26 Counter Fraud Plan be approved.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

To update the Committee with details of the Risk Based Verification (RBV) policy and to seek approval for the reviewed RBV policy for 2025/26

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1           To note the contents of the report.

1.2           To approve the RBV policy for the financial year 2025/26, as set out at Appendix A to this report.

Resolved

(1)         That the report be noted.

(2)         That the Risk Based Verification policy for the financial year 2025/26 be approved.

Report of Assistant Director – Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To update the committee on how well the council is managing its Strategic Risks. 

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit & Risk Committee resolves:

1.1           To note the Risk Monitoring Report for Quarter 3 2024-25.

Resolved

(1)        That the Risk Monitoring Report for Quarter 3 2024-25 be noted.

Report of Assistant Director of Human Resources

Purpose of report

To provide the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee with the Council’s Health and Safety performance over the 2023-24 year and its plan for the current year.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1           To review the content of the report

1.2     To provide feedback if any further detail or additional information is required in future reports which will be submitted quarterly.

Resolved

(1)        That the content of the Annual Health and Safety Report 2023-24 be noted.

(2)        That officers be requested to provide more context to the data in the reports.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

To ask the Committee to note the final 2023/24 Statement of Accounts and the changes that have been made since the draft version which was brought to the Committee at its July 2024 meeting.

Recommendations

The Accounts Audit and Risk Committee resolves to:

1.1           Note the final 2023/24 Statement of Accounts (Appendix 1) and the associated changes between draft and final version.

1.2           Note the final letter of representation for 2023/24 (Appendix 2).

1.3           Note the final Auditor’s Annual Report (Appendix 3) and Audit Completion Report (Appendix 4) from the council’s external auditors, Bishop Fleming.

Resolved

(1)          That the final 2023/24 Statement of Accounts and the associated changes between the draft and final versions be noted.

(2)          That the final letter of representation for 2023/24 be noted.

(3)          That the final Auditor’s Annual Report and Audit Completion Report from the council’s external auditors, Bishop Fleming, be noted.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

To receive the External Audit Plan for 2024/25 from the Council’s external auditors, Bishop Fleming LLP.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1           To note the External Audit Plan for 2024/25 (Appendix 1).

Resolved

(1)        That the External Audit Plan for 2024/25 be noted.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) 

Purpose of report

To ask the Committee to review and approve the Accounting Policies for inclusion in the 2024/25 Statement of Accounts which are due to be published by 30 June 2025. The council is required to set accounting policies which set out the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules, and practices applied by an authority in preparing and presenting financial statements.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1     To approve the accounting policies as recommended by the Chief Finance Officer (Appendix 1).

Resolved

(1)        That the accounting policies as recommended by the Chief Finance Officer be approved.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

To provide information on treasury management performance and compliance with treasury management policy for 2024-25 as required by the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

To demonstrate that all treasury management activities undertaken during the reporting period complied with the CIPFA Code of Practice and the council’s approved Treasury Management Strategy.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1     To note the contents of this Treasury Management Q3 2024/25 report.

Resolved

(1)          That the Treasury Management Q3 2024/25 report be noted.