Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the head of Internal Audit (copy enclosed) which provides an update on the latest progress of the Internal Audit Service in terms of its service delivery, assurance provision, reviews completed, performance and effectiveness in driving improvement.

10.00am – 10.15am

The Head of Internal Audit Services (H:IAS) submitted a report (previously circulated) updating members on the latest progress of the Internal Audit Service in terms of service delivery, assurance provision, reviews completed, performance and effectiveness in driving improvement.

The H:IAS highlighted particular areas of the report as follows –

Ø      delivery of the Operational Plan for 2012/13

Ø      a revised Operational Plan for 2012/13

Ø      recent Internal Audit reports issued

Ø      management’s response to issues raised

Ø      Internal Audit’s performance

Since the Internal Audit Report submitted in September 2012, the following reports had been issued:-

Ø      Higher Education Student Finance

Ø      Revenues and Benefits Service

Ø      Home to School Transport – joint report with Conwy County Borough Council

Ø      Translation Service

Ø      Business Continuity Planning – this was a summary report for information only as it had previously been presented to SLT.

Ø      Strategic Human Resources.

During consideration of the report the H:IAS clarified issues in response to members’ questions thereon as follows:-

Ø      The Home to School Transport report formed part of the papers submitted to the Committee.  This was graded as yellow for Denbighshire County Council, which was good, but for Conwy County Borough Council this had been graded as a red which was the lowest assessment.  

Regarding home to school transport, it was confirmed operators were appointed via an electronic auction system and this drives down the costs.

Ø      There were ten issues across the HR service and those areas were being assessed.  The H:IAS would build up a framework to enable issues to be specifically dealt with over the next few years.  The HR work which had taken place had not included teachers.   Following the Strategic HR Escalation meeting, one thing which had been apparent had been that the action plan was extremely unrealistic as were the time scales.  The Head of Customers and Education Support (H:CES) confirmed that HR were in the process of meeting with the Head of Service to talk through addressing the capacity of what was needed.  Specialist software was also being implemented within HR.

Ø      The H:IAS confirmed that work was currently taking place regarding Consultants’ payments.

Ø      40% of the planned projects had been completed, and the H:IAS confirmed he was confident that the remainder of the planned projects would be completed later in the financial year.

Ø      Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl.  A meeting would take place within the next two weeks to decide upon a robust action plan.  Once this had been agreed, a report would be brought back to Corporate Governance Committee.

RESOLVED that subject to members’ comments above, the progress report on the Internal Audit Service be received and noted.