Issue - meetings

The Committee heard from the Internal Auditor, who presented the report. An update was provided on the 2024-25 Internal Audit Plan alongside of an overview of the reports that had been finalised since the November 2024 Committee meeting. It was confirmed that all remaining audits for the 2024-25 plan had been fully booked and agreed with Management Team, with confidence expressed that the plan would be completed by 31 March 2025.

The Auditor explained that the Purchasing and Creditors report had received a substantial assurance opinion, the highest opinion given. Four low priority recommendations had been made and were accepted by management. These recommendations included documenting order approval limits, verifying new suppliers and amendments to supplier details by phone, verifying all supplier changes, and conducting data cleansing exercises.

The Chairman expressed satisfaction with the reference checking measures and requested confirmation at a future meeting that the recommendations had been fully implemented. The importance of addressing low priority recommendations was emphasised in avoiding complacency.

It was stated by the Auditor that the Complaints Handling report had received a reasonable assurance opinion, the second highest tier. Two medium and four low priority actions were identified and accepted by the Management Team, with implementation due by 31 March 2025. The medium priority actions addressed areas for improvement in handling customer complaints within Council-set timelines and the need for a formal process to agree on extensions. The low priority actions included monitoring and providing refresher training for Officers handling complaints, setting timelines for sending outcome letters, and monitoring lessons learnt.

Members of the Committee raised concerns about the 20-day timeframe for handling complaints, highlighting the complexities of different complaints. The Monitoring Officer concurred, noting that some complaints might require more time due to their complexity, and emphasising the importance of engagement and communication.

The Chairman thanked the Auditor for the detailed report and reminded Committee Members to raise any concerns they might have for the Internal Audit Team through their group leaders.

With no further comments or questions, and having been moved, seconded and voted upon, it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the report had been considered and any required actions had been identified.