Issue - meetings

2.00 p.m.

Report by the Chief Internal Auditor.

This is the annual report of the Chief Internal Auditor, summarising the outcome of the Internal Audit work in 2019/20, and providing an opinion on the Council's System of Internal Control. The opinion is one of the sources of assurance for the Annual Governance Statement.

The committee is RECOMMENDED to consider and endorse this annual report.

Recommendation agreed.

Sarah Cox introduced the report.  There were no conflicts of interest throughout the year and no limitations on the work.  For the first time in several years, work has not been completed to the overall plan due to the pandemic.

Officers responded to points raised by members of the Committee as follows:

• There are five audits due to be completed, two of which are combined into one report being drafted and agreed, and will come back to the July meeting.
• Controcc Children’s audit will be taken to the June AWG meeting with the Director and Deputy Director attending.
• H&S and Business Continuity still requires some actions to be implemented, however it should be noted that considerable progress has been made and that the profile of these has been increased.
• Section 106 and Security Bonds includes follow up work this year, the next updates to come to the AWG meeting in September and this is also being followed up at the Leadership Team June meeting.
• The Oxford City Agency Agreement will be updated at the September AWG meeting, however have been notified verbally that all actions have been completed except the Best Value Review.
• Issues with the wording of Oxfordshire County Council’s standard admissions policy of which are adopted by individual schools are not always clear and compliant, especially to those parents/carers who have not accessed the school system before, and this will be picked up under policies and guidance and referred back to Interim Director of Childrens Services.

RESOLVED: to consider and endorse this annual report.