Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Business, Improvement and Modernisation (copy enclosed) on the annual assessment of the Council’s prospects for improvement, undertaken by the Wales Audit Office.

 

A copy of a report by the Head of Business, Improvement and Modernisation (HBIM), on the annual assessment of the Council’s prospects for improvement undertaken by the Wales Audit Office (WAO), had been circulated with the papers for the meeting, together with, a copy of the WAO, 2014/15 Performance Audit work and Fees letter.

 

The WAO Representative (GB) introduced the report and explained that the Annual Improvement Report, Appendix 1, provided information on the Councils Annual Improvement Report (AIR).  Under the Local Government Measure, the Wales Audit Office annually reviews the Council’s progress towards meeting its objectives and its prospects for continuing to improve in the year ahead.

 

For the year 2013-14, the WAO had concluded that:-

 

·                 Denbighshire made good progress in delivering improvements in all its priority objectives for 2012-13 but further improvements are required in a few key areas;

·                 The Council’s service challenge reviews and other measures to self-evaluate its performance are robust;

·                 The Council’s planning for improvement and its arrangements to support improvement are good;

·                 The Council is likely to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement for 2014-15.

 

It was explained that if the WAO had significant concerns about the progress made by the Council or the direction it was taking, it would make formal recommendations for change.  Denbighshire’s report did not have any formal recommendations and this reflected the WAO’s positive view of the Council’s progress.

 

Confirmation was provided that some areas required further work and both last year’s and this year’s Annual Reports had made some ‘proposals for improvement’.  Denbighshire had made good progress with all the proposals made in the 20012/13 report and this year the Inspectors had made two further proposals which they considered would help the Council continue to progress.  These included:-

 

·                 P1 - In order to achieve its objective to modernise services the Council should continue to address weaknesses in its Corporate Human Resource Service.

·                 P2 - The Council should ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear for the achievement of the affordable housing objective.

 

The Council accepted the proposals and taken action to address them.  Denbighshire were continuing to work through an action plan to address the identified shortfalls in the HR service, and a Task Group was being established to review objectives in relation to the affordable housing issue,

 

Reference was made by the WAO Representative to paragraph 30 of the report which indicated the level of financial reserves held by schools in Denbighshire had increased significantly during 2012/13 to £2.9m.  In response to a suggestion by Councillor M.L. Holland, the Committee agreed the issue pertaining to school balances be referred to the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group for consideration.

 

Councillor M.L. Holland raised issues pertaining to the following sections in the report:-

 

17. The reasons for the unsuccessful bid for Welsh Government funding from the Vibrant and Viable Places Fund to support initiatives within Rhyl.

 

45. There being any pattern to the recorded incidents of fly-tipping being higher than the average for other Councils in Wales.

 

52. Registration issues in the County in respect of affordable housing.

 

The WAO Representative gave a summary of the Wales Audit Office, 2014/15 Performance Audit Work and Fees letter, and provided responses to questions from Mr P. Whitham in respect of the WAO performance audit work 2014/15, Governance. 

 

Members were informed that the WAO would be liaising with the relevant officers and subsequently reporting to Corporate Governance Committee.  The work would be undertaken later in the year and would form part of the next Annual Improvement Report.

 

The HIA referred to the Audit Plan which incorporated work relating to school financial management and this report would be presented to the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

During the ensuing discussion the Chair explained that an item pertaining to Strategic Human Resources had been included in the forward work progamme for the 3^rd September, 20124, and a Work Shop had been convened with regard to Affordable Housing.

 

RESOLVED – that the Corporate Governance Committee:-

 

(a)            receives and notes the contents of the Annual Improvement Report.

(b)            receives and notes the contents of the Wales Audit Office, 2014/15 Performance Audit Work and Fees letter, and

(c)            the issue pertaining to school balances be referred to the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group for consideration.