Agenda, decisions and minutes


Venue: Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA

Contact: Aaron Hetherington, Democratic and Elections  Email: aaron.hetherington@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01295 227956

Items
No. Item

16.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

17.

Petitions and Requests to Address the Meeting

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

18.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

19.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 208 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 30 May 2018.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 30 May 2018 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

20.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

Minutes:

The Chairman advised the Committee that, following discussions with officers, there would be an additional meeting of the Committee on Wednesday 12 September. Training on internal audit would be from 6.30pm to 7.30pm with the Committee meeting starting at 7.30pm.

21.

Internal Audit Update 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 32 KB

Report of the Executive Director, Finance & Governance

 

 

Purpose of report

 

To receive CW Audit Services update report for 2018/19.

 

Recommendations

            

1.1         The meeting is recommended to note the contents of the 2018/19 internal audit update report from CW Audit Services.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That the contents of the 2018/19 internal audit update report from CW Audit Services be noted.

Minutes:

The Executive Director, Finance & Governance submitted a report which provided an update of CW Audit Services 2018/19, the council’s internal auditor.

 

In presenting the report the Head of Audit, CW Audit explained that no reports this financial year were yet finalised but work was on track and they were happy with the progress made to date and did not foresee any problems in achieving the plan by the end of the year

 

With regards tracking recommendations arising from audit reviews, the Head of Audit, CW Audit, advised the Committee all agreed recommendations were uploaded to CW Audit’s online tracking system once reports were finalised. Training was currently being given to council officers with responsibility for taking action to implement recommendations to enable them to update the system with details of progress made in implementing recommendations.

 

Future reports submitted to the Committee would include more detail on outstanding level 1 and 2 recommendations (Level 1 being the highest level of risk attached to a recommendation) and those over six months.

 

Resolved

 

(1)           That the contents of the 2018/19 internal audit update report from CW Audit Services be noted.

22.

Statement of Accounts 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 107 KB

Report of the Executive Director, Finance & Governance

 

 

Purpose of report

 

The purpose of this report is to provide a progress update on the Statement of Accounts 2017/18 and external audit of the Accounts.

 

 

Recommendations

            

1.1           The Accounts Audit and Risk Committee are recommended to note progress on the completion of the 2017/18 Accounts and on the external audit of the Statement of Accounts.

 

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That progress on the completion of the 2017/18 Accounts and on the external audit of the Statement of Accounts be noted.

Minutes:

The Executive Director for Finance & Governance submitted a report to provide a progress update on the Statement of Accounts 2017/18 and external audit of the Accounts.

 

In introducing the report the Executive Director for Finance and Governance advised Members that the draft statement of accounts that had been considered by the Committee at their 30 May 2018 meeting had been submitted to External Audit with some minor presentational changes.

 

Neil Harris, Engagement Partner, Ernst & Young, the council’s External Audit addressed the Committee to advise on the current position with regards its audit of the council’s Statement of Accounts 2017/18. The Committee was advised that in May External Audit had identified the areas it would focus its audit on.

 

The Engagement Partner explained that the issues that had led to the delays in the sign off of the 2016/17 Statement of Accounts had been resolved. However, the External Auditor had resourcing issues and would be unable to complete its audit of the accounts by the end of July. A project plan was in place for the audit to be concluded by the end of August to enable submission to the Committee’s meeting on 12 September 2018. The Engagement Partner assured the Committee that the project plan was robust and much of the work on complexities within the accounts had already been undertaken. There were some Value for Money queries that had been raised to which officers were providing answers.

 

In response to Members’ queries regarding the sign off delay, the External Auditor confirmed that in light of the new earlier deadline for the sign off of accounts, the PSA would be reporting numbers rather than the names of local authorities that had not met the 31 July deadline but that would be completed by the end of September 2018. The External Auditor also provided assurance that the July deadline for sign off for the 2018/19 Statement of Account would be achieved, explaining that specific plans for the sign off would be submitted to the November 2018 and January 2019 meetings of the Committee.

 

The Executive Director for Finance and Governance advised the Committee that the current position had been discussed in detail with External Audit. Finance Officers had also agreed that there would be more discussion on work in-year as part of the preparatory work for the accounts so any aspects that may impact on the audit of the Statement of Accounts would already have been discussed with the External Auditor.

 

The Committee thanked the Finance team for the work they had undertaken on the accounts and ensuring they were submitted on time whilst expressing disappointment at the delay to the sign off of the accounts by the External Auditor. Members were assured that processes were in place to ensure that there would be no delay in the sign off of the 2018/19 Statement of Accounts.

 

Resolved

 

(1)           That progress on the completion of the 2017/18 Accounts and on the external audit of the Statement of Accounts be noted.

23.

Monthly Performance, Risk and Finance Monitoring Report - May 2018 pdf icon PDF 665 KB

Report of Assistant Director: Performance and Transformation and Assistant Director: Finance and Governance

 

Purpose of report

 

This report summarises the Council’s Performance, Risk and Finance monitoring position as at the end of each month.

 

Recommendations

            

The meeting is recommended:

 

 1.1        To note the monthly Performance, Risk and Finance Monitoring Report.

 

1.2       To review the Leadership Risk Register and identify any issues for further consideration.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)              That the monthly Performance, Risk and Finance Monitoring Report be noted.

 

(2)              That having given due consideration, the Leadership Risk Register be noted and no issues be identified for further consideration.

 

 

Minutes:

The Assistant Director: Performance and Transformation and Assistant Director: Finance and Governance submitted a report which summarised the Council’s Performance, Risk and Finance monitoring position as at the end of each month.

 

In introducing the report the Assistant Director, Performance and Transformation, explained the leadership risk register to the Committee informing members that this was a live document and reviewed on a monthly basis. The report would be submitted to each meeting of Executive.

 

Resolved

 

(1)           That the monthly Performance, Risk and Finance Monitoring Report be noted.

 

(2)           That having given due consideration, the Leadership Risk Register be noted and no issues be identified for further consideration.

 

 

24.

2017/18 Treasury Management Annual Report pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Report of the Executive Director of Finance and Governance (Interim)

 

Purpose of report

 

This report presents information on treasury management performance and compliance with treasury management policy during 2017/18 as required by the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

 

Recommendations

 

1.1       To note the contents of this report in line with the Treasury Management Strategy.

 

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That the contents of the report, in line with the Treasury Management Strategy, be noted.

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Finance and Governance (Interim) submitted a report which presented information on treasury management performance and compliance with treasury management policy during 2017/18 as required by the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

 

Resolved

 

(1)           That the contents of the report, in line with the Treasury Management Strategy, be noted.

25.

2018/19 Work Programme pdf icon PDF 224 KB

Report of the Executive Director – Finance and Governance

 

 

Purpose of report

 

This report sets out the draft work programme for 2018/19.

 

Recommendations

            

1.1         To review the work programme contained within this report.

 

1.2         Approve the work programme for 2018/19.

 

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)       That, having given due consideration, subject to the addition of a meeting on 12 September 2018, the work programme for 2018/19 be approved.

 

Minutes:

The Assistant Director: Finance and Procurement referred to the announcement made by the Chairman earlier in the meeting regarding the additional meeting of the Committee on 12 September and that training by the council’s internal auditor would take place prior to the meeting.

 

The Assistant Director: Finance and Procurement advised that it was anticipated that there would be training on treasury management prior to the November meeting of the Committee.

 

Resolved

 

(1)      That, having given due consideration, subject to the addition of a meeting on 12 September 2018, the work programme for 2018/19 be approved.