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APPENDIX A
Audit Committee Training Plan
It is the intention of the Council to provide effective training for all members and specialist topic specific training for those Members that sit on a Committee where technical issues are part of its remit. This is in order to ensure that members have the tools, skills and knowledge to perform their roles effectively.
The Council has agreed that no Member would be able to serve on the Audit Committee without having agreed to undertake a minimum period of training on the policies and procedures as specified by the Committee.
A proposed training plan is set out below. Once agreed it will be the responsibility of the ‘Lead Officer’ to roll this training out and ensure that it takes place effectively with the support of Learning & Development/HR. In the case of the Audit Committee at Maidstone BC the Lead Officer is Zena Cooke – Director of Regeneration and Communities.
In terms of how the training should be delivered, it must be consistent with the Learning & Development Guidelines, Equal Opportunities Policy and developed to suit all learning styles.
This is a rolling plan beginning each year in line with elections and runs over a 2 year period. This plan is supported by the wider Learning & Development Programme for members run annually.
|
Who |
Timeframe |
Topic |
Who to deliver |
Method |
|
All new committee members and substitutes – Mandatory
All members are encouraged to attend as a refresher |
Within 6 months (between May & Sept)
|
Induction training to include: · Overview of the role of the Audit Committee · Terms of reference · Governance Framework · Briefing on the roles of audit, O&S and standards committees · An overview of the councils activities & priorities · An overview of the financial and risk environment · The role of internal and external audit |
Lead & key officers as follows:
Head of Internal Audit, S151 Officer/Head of Finance and Lead officer as described above |
Discussion Forum with notes and guidance materials to be delivered in advance
Interactive Workshop/Presentation |
|
Who |
Timeframe |
Topic |
Who to deliver |
Method |
|
All Committee members and substitutes
Mandatory
OR
All members are encouraged to attend
|
Between November & January |
Finance & Budget, to include: · Financial reporting & monitoring · Understanding financial statements (council specific) · Local Government Finance |
Head of Finance/s151 Officer |
Interactive workshop Handouts and notes to be available Pre reading if possible |
|
All Committee members and substitutes
Mandatory
OR
All members are encouraged to attend
|
Between February & April |
Regulatory Framework, to include: · Statutory background, financial rules, contrast rules · The Constitution (council specific) · The role of Internal & External Audit |
Head of Internal Audit
Head of Democratic Service/ Head of Legal
Head of Finance/s151 |
Interactive workshop Handouts and notes to be available Pre reading if possible
|
|
All Committee members and substitutes
Mandatory
OR
All members are encouraged to attend
|
Between July & September |
The Importance of Risk Management
Business Continuity |
Head of Internal Audit
Officer responsible for BC |
Scenarios/practical examples in workshop format Media formats to be used Handouts and pre reading available |