Agenda item

2.10pm

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

The Audit & Governance Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve the Annual Governance Statement 2021/22, subject to the Monitoring Officer making any necessary amendments in the light of comments made by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 officer.

The Audit & Governance Committee considered a report which recommended approval of the Annual Governance Statement 2021/22, subject to the Monitoring Officer making any necessary amendments in the light of comments made by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 officer. 

Anita Bradley, Director of Law and Governance, Oxfordshire County Council, presented the report. She confirmed that the Audit & Governance Committee have the responsibility of approving the Council’s Annual Governance Statement each year and local authorities are required to prepare a Statement to be transparent about their compliance with good governance principles.  The Statement was a reflection on the County Council’s governance framework and how it complies with that to give assurance to the County Council.  It formed part of the Statement of Accounts which is signed off by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.  It was examined by the public and external auditors.

In the subsequent consideration of this item, the following points of note were made:

a)    It was clarified that the opinion on the Council’s governance arrangements could either be ‘adequate’ or ‘inadequate’.  The rating for Oxfordshire was ‘adequate’.  The up to date CIPFA guidance was followed and the Statement had been pared back in order to raise key aspects.  It was confirmed that best governance practice from across the country had been taken into account by senior officers, including in the review of the Council’s Constitution.

b)    One of the significant governance actions flagged up to the Committee in the report was to ‘review resource to deal with data subject access requests in view of an increase in the numbers of requests being received’.  The update provided at the meeting was that the County Council had, at the beginning of May, started addressing the backlog of requests which had arisen during the Covid Lockdown period. Two members of staff were working on this backlog with the aim of finalising this work at the beginning of August.

c)     It was noted that the procurement strategy was due to be presented to SLT in Autumn 2022.  It was agreed that in the event of any significant changes to the procurement strategy, the Committee would be informed of these.

d)    The Committee noted that in respect of the ‘Financial Management Code of Practice – Summary Compliance Assessment 2021/22’ included in the report, all 19 Standards had been assessed as Green meaning that compliance had been demonstrated throughout.  The Committee requested that their thanks be recorded for this achievement.  The Committee was advised that the Assessment was required to be produced every year with compliance of the Standards being regularly reviewed.

e)    It was confirmed that there was work progressing which was looking at the governance arrangements between Oxfordshire County Council and the Hampshire Partnership/Integrated Business Centre, referred to in the report.  This included a high level business case and ongoing work on specific aspects of the service provided.  The anticipated timescale for completion of this work would be confirmed.

f)      It was stated in the report that ‘for 2022/2023 the focus will be on Risk Management training across the organisation to support strategy for the Senior and Extended Leadership Teams’.  It was agreed that the updated deadline would be circulated to the Committee.

g)    The Committee did not seek any amendments to the Annual Governance Statement 2021/22.  It was agreed that officers would review the Overview of Corporate Governance Assurance Framework flowchart for next year’s Annual Governance Statement to see if it could be made easier to understand.

RESOLVED: That the Audit & Governance Committee APPROVED the Annual Governance Statement 2021/22.

ACTIONS:

1.     The anticipated timescales for e) and f) above to be circulated to the Committee (Ian Dyson)

2.     To look at whether the Overview of Corporate Governance Assurance Framework flowchart can be simplified for next year’s Annual Governance Statement (Ian Dyson and Anita Bradley).