Agenda and decisions

Councillor Richard Webber in place of Councillor Roz Smith

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 16 September, 2015 (AG3) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 16 September 2015 were approved and signed.

14:10

The report (AG5) sets out the Treasury Management activity undertaken in the first half of the financial year 2015/16 in compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice.  The report includes Debt and Investment activity, Prudential Indicator monitoring and forecast interest receivable and payable for the financial year.

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Agreed

14:30

Audit & Governance Committee approved the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2014/15 in July 2015.  The AGS lists six 'Actions' to be carried out in 2015/16.  This item (AG6) provides a mid-year report on progress.  This describes progress and any other plans that we have for each of these Actions. 

RECOMMENDATION

The Audit & Governance Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the progress on the AGS Actions.

Agreed

14:50

Annual Audit Letter for 2014/15 (AG7).

A representative from the external auditors, Ernst & Young, will present the Letter.

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to consider and receive the Letter.

Agreed

15:00

A representative from the external auditors, Ernst & Young, will attend to present the following reports:

·         External Audit Progress Report

·         Local Government Sector Briefing

Agreed

15:15

Kate Terroni, Deputy Director Joint Commissioning, will attend to give a brief presentation to the Committee.

The presentation will update the Committee on the progress of two interlinking projects:

·         The Adult Social Care IT Project which will deliver replacement computer systems for Adult Social Care (Swift) and Client Finance (Abacus); and;

·         The Adult Services Improvement Programme which is delivering significantly more effective and efficient business processes using LEAN methodologies.

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to receive the presentation.

Agreed

The Committee thanked Kate Terroni and her team for all their hard work in getting the project delivered.

15:35

The Chief Finance Officer will provide the Committee with an update onthe status of the On Boarding Project in respect of the Partnership arrangement with Hampshire County Council.

The report (AG10) focusses on the Finance Systems, including, purchasing and income, but does not include HR.

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report and ask the Chief Finance Officer to report back in February 2016 once the partnership has been operational for six months.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report and ask the Chief Finance Officer to report back with a generic list of issues and what action has been taken in relation to them,  in February 2016 once the partnership has been operational for six months.

15:55

Report by the Chief Internal Auditor (AG11).

The report summarises the matters arising at the most recent meetings of the Audit Working Group (AWG).

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Agreed.

16:10

To review the Committee’s Work Programme (AG12).

The Committee agreed the Work Programme with the following additions and deletions:

13 January – add - Report from the Councillor Profile Working Group

24 February delete – NFI Audit Committee Checklist

20 April – Review of the Effectiveness of Internal Audit