Issue - meetings

12.00

Report by Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer.

The Audit & Governance Committee has the responsibility of approving the Council’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS) each year. 

Local authorities are required to prepare an AGS to be transparent about their compliance with good governance principles.  This includes reporting on how they have monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of their governance arrangements in the previous year and setting out any planned changes in the coming period.

This report presents the draft Annual Governance Statement to the Committee for consideration and approval

The Audit & Governance Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve the Annual Governance Statement 2018/19, subject to the Director of Law and Governance making any necessary amendments in the light of comments made by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, Chief Executive and Section 151 officer.

Recommendation agreed.

Nick Graham introduced the report.  Officers responded to issues raised by Members as follows:

·         The delay in some actions under Mental Health (Agenda Page 116) is related to delivery of social care for people of working age.  Progress will be monitored over the summer.

·         The review of Corporate Security (Agenda Page 120) has only just begun due to the problems created by the Carillion collapse.  It has been carried over to this year’s action plan.  The shortage of staff in Facilities Management is a factor – recruitment has been a challenge.

·         Regarding the delay in developing a refreshed Procurement Strategy and Policy (Agenda Page 124), there was no Head of Procurement until March.  The procurement cycle is being reviewed under the transformation programme.  While the outcome has been delayed there will be a comprehensive strategy in the end.

·         Some officers have been trained in Contract Management Skills (Agenda Page 125) but it has not been completed across the organisation.

·         A paper is being produced on the effective use and management of the Council’s properties (Agenda Page 122) and it is expected that it will include an action plan.

·         The SIPFA guidance requires the Monitoring Officer to give a conclusion.  It is the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive who sign off on it.

·         The report of the recent peer review is currently with the Chief Executive.

The Chairman asked for the review of corporate security to be an item for the next meeting of the Committee given the urgency of the issue.

RESOLVED: to approve the Annual Governance Statement 2018/19, subject to the Director of Law and Governance making any necessary amendments in the light of comments made by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, Chief Executive and Section 151 officer.