Issue - meetings

To receive a report on Internal Audit Activity.

The Principal Auditor presented the Internal Audit Activity Report which updated Members on progress against the 2024/25 Audit Plan and recent work undertaken during the period 1 April 2024 and 30 June 2024.

There had been ten reports issued within the reporting period, three limited, two reasonable and five good.  The report also set out details of follow up visits in relation to the status of reports previously brought before committee.  Since publication of the Audit Committee report, Direct Payments (Children) and Muxton Primary School, follow ups were both now in progress.

The 2024/25 Audit Plan, which was approved at the May 2024 meeting, was only 2% complete as resources had been spent completing audits from the 2023/24 plan.  The team would now be moving into the second quarter and resources would focus on the 24/25 plan.

Work continued on commercial contracts held with nine academies and two town councils.  The team had recently been asked to provide audit services for the Local Serious Violence Board, to identify how the council and its partners were managing it serious violence duty.

During the debate, some Members were pleased to see improvements, particularly in relation to direct payments.  They thanked the team for their hard work.

Members noted the report.