Issue - meetings

To receive the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23.

The Audit & Governance Lead Manager presented the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23.

Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 the Council was required to produce an Annual Governance Statement to accompany the Statement of Accounts which need approval from the Audit Committee.

It was part of the Committee’s role to ensure that good governance was in place in line with the Code of Corporate Governance.   To meet this responsibility, the Council had put in arrangements for the overseeing of its affairs including risk management, requirements of regulations and ensuring the effective exercise of its functions.   Assurance was gathered from all areas within the Council which included internal audit, external auditor, the inspectorate and peer reviews.   An assurance questionnaire was sent to all service delivery managers within the council in order to meet key requirements.  A completed certificate was signed off by the Director and the Executive Director.

It was considered that the Council had good governance in place and provided a reasonable level of assurance that this was fit for purpose.  There were a small number of areas that required development and this was recorded in the action plan appended to the report.  Progress against the action plan would be reported to future Audit Committee meetings.

The Local Code of Good Governance had been updated to reflect the CIPFA Framework of Good Governance and to reflect the Council’s culture and values.

Upon being put to the vote it was, unanimously:

RESOLVED – that the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23, together with the Local Code of Good Governance, be approved.

Cllr S Davies

Non Key Decision

Councillor S Davies, Leader, presented the joint report of the Chief Financial Officer and the Monitoring Officer, attached to which was the draft Annual Governance Statement for 2018/19.

Under the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, the Council was required to produce an Annual Governance Statement, and it was best practice that it was signed by the Leader and Managing Director of the Council. The Statement accompanied the Annual Accounts.  The Statement included an action plan to ensure that the Council continued to improve its existing governance arrangements. The action plan attached to the 2017/18 statement (implemented during 2018/19) had been reviewed and updated and was appended to the report.

The Annual Governance Statement and Local Code of Good Governance outlined that the Council was continually reviewing and improving its procedures to maintain and demonstrate good corporate governance, and that it had in place robust systems of internal control. The Council could be assured that during 2018/19, including during organisational and personnel changes, the existing governance arrangements had continued to support proper governance.  Assurance for the Annual Governance Statement was provided by all areas of the Council including senior management, Members, the Chief Financial Officer, the Monitoring Officer and internal audit.

The Council’s current Code of Good Governance, had been approved in June 2018 to reflect the CIPFA/SOLACE updated framework including revised principles and guidance but further application and good practice had been received during the year and the local code had therefore been updated further.  The Code continued to reflect the Council’s culture and values, including the “Being the Change” document.

RESOLVED – that the Annual Governance Statement 2018/19, attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved and that the information in the report be noted.