Issue - meetings

Meeting: 09/03/2021 - Governance and Audit Committee (Item 59)

59 Combined Assurance Report 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 332 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the Council’s Combined Assurance Report for 2020/2021.

 

The following points from the report were highlighted:

 

·         When compared to the findings from previous years in relation to risks and projects the impact of Covid had been realised.  Resources within the Council had been diverted and work had had to be re-prioritised to make sure that staff were there to help the vulnerable, and also to make sure that businesses didn’t suffer;

 

·         Over previous years functions that the Council’s performed have, on average been at around 75% ‘green’, that is to say they have been performing well.  This year it had dropped to 54%.  The key for officers was to make sure that this dip to 54% was not systemic, and was a direct result of the impact of Covid-19.  A close eye would be kept on those services that have seen a big impact from Covid-19;

 

·         If this report was seen alongside Progress and Delivery reports considered by other committees it was evident that performance had remained at a high level.

 

Members asked questions of officers present.  Further information was provided:

 

·         The delivery of street cleansing had been superb, and waste services were praised during the Budget consultation.  However, street cleansing was rated as ‘amber’ as Covid-19 had impacted this.  If there were further illnesses within the team they would come under further strain;

 

·         A succession plan had been put in place for the Data Protection Officer as the previous post-holder had retired;

 

·         Where teams have been working from home in some cases they had been reassigned to other duties and this would impact on their day job.  When business as usual was returned to it was hoped that the dip in assurance would be reversed;

 

·         There had been two staff surveys since staff started working permanently from home.  The results had been generally positive, whilst acknowledging there were difficulties with the home working situation.  Management Team were pleased by the efforts staff were putting in;

 

·         A Covid Recovery Group were looking into how office use would return.  It was expected that it would be into the summer or autumn before staff levels in the office were to return to what had been previously seen;

 

·         No causal links between departments had been identified at this stage that resulted in the overall drop in assurance.

 

The recommendations were moved, seconded, and following a vote it was unanimously RESOLVED to:

 

(1)  Approve the report;

 

(2)  Be assured that the findings illustrate that the Council’s governance framework was operating effectively.