Issue - meetings

Consideration of recommendation CB 23/85 of the Cabinet of 3 October 2023

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Cabinet of 3 October 2023 in respect of the Auditors Annual Report 2022/23.  Due regard had been given to the recommendations of the Audit Committee of 25 September 2023.

The Chair of the Audit Committee recorded appreciation to Officers for their commitment and hard work which had ensured that the Borough Council was one of a few local authorities to ‘close down’ their accounts in a timely fashion.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the Auditors Annual Report (attached at Annex 1) for 2022/23 be approved;

(2)             the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and ‘procurement’ be noted and the management of comments endorsed;

(3)             the management of comments to the improvement recommendations be noted and endorsed; and

(4)             the Audit Committee receive a progress report on the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and ‘procurement’ at a future meeting

Recommendation AU 23/41 of the Audit Committee of 25 September 2023.

Due to timescale and print deadlines, the recommendations of the Audit Committee will be circulated to Members in advance of the meeting of Cabinet.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Audit Committee meeting held on 25 September 2023 (AU 23/41).

RECOMMENDED*:  That

(1)        the Auditor’s Annual Report (attached at Annex 1) for 2022/23 be approved;

(2)        the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and ‘procurement’ be noted and the management comments be endorsed;

(3)        the management comments to the improvement recommendations be noted and endorsed; and

(4)        the Audit Committee receive a progress report on the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and ‘procurement’ at their next meeting.

*Referred to Council

The Council’s external auditors (Grant Thornton UK LLP) are required to satisfy themselves that the Authority has made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness of its use of resources and to report on the same to those charged with governance – which for this purpose is the Audit Committee – followed by Cabinet and Full Council.

The report of the Management Team introduced the Auditors Annual Report (attached at Annex 1) prepared by Grant Thornton UK LLP in respect of the Borough Council’s overall arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources.  In introducing the report, a brief outline of the national context was provided.

Grant Thornton believed that there were two significant weaknesses in the Council’s arrangements to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness.  These related to procurement and performance management, and recommendations were made as to how this could be addressed. The responses of management were detailed at 1.3.4 and 1.3.9 of the report. 

During discussion, Members raised concern regarding the Council’s procurement resource and it was noted that the options for a procurement resource were being discussed and that the Procurement Strategy would be reviewed once the procurement resource issue had been resolved.

In addition, a number of improvement recommendations were also made and these were detailed in 1.4 of the report. 

RECOMMENDED*:  That

(1)            the Auditor’s Annual Report (attached at Annex 1) for 2022/23 be approved;

(2)            the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and procurement’ be noted and the management comments be endorsed;

(3)            the management comments to the improvement recommendations be noted and endorsed; and

(4)            the Audit Committee receive a progress report on the key recommendations made in respect of ‘performance management’ and procurement’ at their next meeting.

*Referred to Cabinet