Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Democracy
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Note from the Chairman
Minutes: The Chairman advised the Committee that Agenda Item 8, Planning Service External Review had been withdrawn. It was explained that after consideration it was more appropriate for Members of the Planning Committee to consider its contents and the Governance & Audit Committee receive updates on the progress of recommendations. |
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Register of attendance, membership and apologies for absence
Minutes: An apology for absence was received from Councillor Sue Woolley.
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Disclosure of interests
Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting. Minutes: No interests were disclosed. |
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Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2020
Minutes: The Chairman advised that due to the frequency of meetings, the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2020, would be included withinin the agenda for the next scheduled meeting. |
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Updates from previous meeting
Minutes: There were none. |
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External Audit - Annual Governance Report
To receive the External Audit – Annual Governance Report Minutes: The Committee received a report from the External Auditors, Annual Governance Report, year-end 31 March 2020. The report detailed the key findings and other matters arising from the Statutory Audit and the preparation of the Council’s financial statements. The main headlines to the report were: · Covid-19 · Financial Statements · Value for Money arrangements · Statutory Duties
Members queried understated values of assets, referring to Appendix A of the report. External Auditors advised that the value of assets fed through into income and expenditure accounts, from depreciation. The Head of Finance confirmed that the reverse of depreciation was then allocated to the re-valuation of reserves and a written explanation would be provided to members.
A Member requested that the cost of the audit be confirmed. A cost of £53,485 was confirmed, £5,000 for CFO Insights and Housing Benefit Grant Claim and Housing Capital Receipts Claim was still to be charged.
The Chairman thanked the representatives from Grant Thornton for providing a comprehensive report.
ACTION:
1) That the Head of Finance provide the Committee with a written explanation on reverse depreciation and re-evaluation of reserves.
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Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement 2019/20
The Statement of Accounts 2019/20 is presented for sign off within the statutory timeframe. Additional documents: Minutes: Members of the Committee received the Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement 2019/20. The draft Statement of Accounts were published on 28 August 2020, the audit had subsequently been completed and required updates made to reflect changes identified by both the Finance Team and the External Auditors (Grant Thornton). In accordance with Accounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, the Council’s final accounts were required to be approved by 30 November 2020.
The Statement of Accounts 2019/20 were presented for approval in accordance with the statutory timeframe. The report covered: · Accounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 · Section 21(2) Local Government Act 2003 · Revised Statement of Accounts · Commentary on the outcome of the audit of the Statement of Accounts
The Head of Finance highlighted key changes that were made since the draft Accounts were provided to Members. The changes were detailed in tables 1, 2 and 3 of the Officer’s report.
The Chairman and Members thanked the Finance Team for a detailed report and expressed great appreciation for the efforts made.
Members queried what percentage contribution was made to Pensions. The Head of Finance confirmed that the rate for 2019/20 was 16.5% and the current financial year was 17.5%.
The recommendations to the report were proposed and seconded, following a vote by exception they were agreed.
DECISIONS: a) That the 2019/20 Statement of Accounts be approved and a letter of thanks be submitted on behalf of the Committee to the Council’s Finance team b) Noted the outcome of the audit work c) That the letter of representation be approved by management
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Strategic Risk Register
This report is a follow up to the report presented to Governance and Audit Committee on 4 June 2020 and provides further detail of the move from a Corporate Risk Register to a Strategic Risk Register. Additional documents: Minutes: Strategic Risk Register which included the risk driver, the effect if the risk was not managed and the risk appetite. There were six Strategic Risk Themes: · Enabling Community Transformation · Achieving Council Transformation · Ensuring efficient and effective internal control/compliance · Achieving future financial resilience · Creating the right culture, capacity and capability · Ability to be agile and shift focus in response to policy and national political change
Members thanked the Officers for a detailed report and queried if any updates would be provided to the Committee. The Interim Director of Finance advised that updates would be provided to the Committee, the first of which was scheduled for the next meeting on 4 February 2021.
The recommendations to the report were proposed and seconded, following a vote by exception, they were agreed unanimously.
DECISIONS: a) The Governance and Audit Committee noted the contents of the report and review and approved the draft Strategic Risk Register, attached at Appendix A to the report. b) The Governance and Audit Committee requested an updated Strategic Risk Register at their next meeting, to include an assessment of the effectiveness of controls, residual risk scores and action owners and implementation dates.
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Delivering Good Governance - External Review
This report outlines an external review of the Councils governance, commissioned by South Kesteven District Council. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chief Executive presented a report to the Committee on Good Governance – External Review. In September 2019, following officer and political changes, the Interim Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council commissioned a review of the Council’s Governance culture and decision-making arrangements.
The review highlighted that there were a number of positive aspects and also a number of areas for improvement. Since commissioning the report, a number of actions had been implemented, details of which were included in documents appended to the report.
Members queried if actions relating to the Constitution were added to the Work Plan of the Constitution Committee. The Chief Executive advised that Appendix B to the report detailed current progress on the Constitution review, with a number of critical areas addressed. A report detailing an update to the Constitution would be considered at the next Constitution Committee on 7, December 2020.
Concerns were raised regarding the completed review of the Constitution and how that would be undertaken. Officers advised that the Constitution Committee had been reviewing individual Articles, which would then need to be adopted at a future full Council meeting. As the document was lengthy, at the next meeting of the Constitution Committee a way forward on how it would be considered by all members, would be addressed.
A Member noted that the review was dated December 2019 and queried why this had only now been provided to the Committee. Officers advised that the report had been drafted earlier in the year, but due to the cancellations of meetings due to Covid-19 and the Committee being required to consider more urgent work, the current meeting was the earliest opportunity for full consideration.
The recommendations to the report were proposed and seconded, following a vote by exception, they were agreed unanimously.
DECISIONS: a) The Governance and Audit Committee noted and accepted the contents of the externally commissioned review on ‘Delivering Good Governance’ b) That the implementation plan attached in Appendix B to the report, be approved, noting the progress to date and a further review of progress be provided in six months’ time c) That the implementation plan be adopted as the performance criteria for the Corporate Plan target to “Implement findings of the governance review across the Council’s assets (including companies)”
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To receive the Governance and Audit Committee Work Programme 2020 - 2021 Minutes: Members received the Committee’s proposed Work Programme for 2020/21. It was requested that the Strategic Risk Register and the Planning Service External Review, be added to the 4 February 2021 meeting of the Committee.
ACTION:
1) To add the Strategic Risk Register and Planning Service External Review, be added to the Work Programme for consideration at the 4, February 2021 meeting of the Committee.
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Any other business, which the chairman, by reasons of special circumstances, decides is urgent.
Minutes: There were none. |
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Close of meeting
Minutes: The meeting closed at 15:42. |