Issue - meetings

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

Purpose of report

This report presents an update on the counter fraud work undertaken so far in 2024/25, and asks the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee to note the progress report.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1           To note and approve the counter fraud progress report.

Resolved

(1)            That the Counter Fraud Progress report be noted.

The Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) submitted a report to update the Committee on the counter fraud work undertaken so far in 2024/25.

In introducing the report, Sarah Butler, Corporate Fraud Manager at Veritau provided an update on the work that had been carried out by Veritau following their appointment as the council’s internal auditor on 1 May 2024. The Committee was advised that the Veritau team had been working closely with the Revenues and Benefits team at the Council to gain an awareness of how the Council worked and the systems it used.

The Committee was advised that the council’s website had been updated to enable members of the public to report fraud to Veritau. Up to 25 October, Veritau had received sixty eight referrals, fifty nine of which had been assessed with some of these required further investigation.

Resolved

(1)            That the Counter Fraud Progress report be noted.