Audit, Governance and Standards Committee

25 September 2023

 

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Annual Report

 

Final Decision-Maker

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee

Lead Head of Service

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

Lead Officer and Report Author

Katherine Woodward - Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

 

Based on the activity during the year, the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee can demonstrate it has appropriately and effectively fulfilled its duties during 2022/23. The report details how the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee has effectively discharged those duties and sets out the achievements of the Committee during the year.

 

Purpose of Report

 

Decision

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

1.   That the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Annual Report for 2022/23 is agreed.

2.   That the report is taken to a meeting of the Full Council to demonstrate how the Committee has discharged its duties.

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee

25 September 2023

Full Council

6 December 2023



Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Annual Report

 

1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

We present this report for decision. The Audit, Governance & Standards Committee’s work supports all Council activity and the wider Corporate Priorities in evaluating governance.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Cross Cutting Objectives

Risk Management

The report introduces no risks that require separate description in the Council’s risk registers, nor materially impacts any currently described.

Financial

There are no additional costs or savings associated with this proposal.

Mark Green – Director of Finance & Business Improvement

Staffing

There are no staffing implications associated with this proposal

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Legal

There are no legal implications identified in the report. The report demonstrates that measures are in place to ensure good governance arrangements which enable the Council to meet statutory requirements.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Privacy and Data Protection

There are no direct privacy or data protection implications associated with this report.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Equalities

There are no direct equalities implications associated with this report.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Public Health

 

 

There are no direct public health implications associated with this report.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Crime and Disorder

There are no direct crime and disorder implications associated with this report.

 

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

Procurement

There are no direct procurement implications associated with this report.

Mark Green – Director of Finance & Business Improvement

Biodiversity and Climate Change

There are no direct biodiversity and climate change implications associated with this report.

Katherine Woodward – Head of Mid Kent Audit Partnership

 

 

 

2.    INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     The Audit, Governance & Standards Committee is required to monitor audit activity (internal and external), review and comment on the effectiveness of the Council’s regulatory framework and review and approve the Council’s annual statements of accounts and scrutinise associated strategy and policy. This report sets out how this has been achieved during 2022/23.

 

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     It is the usual practice to produce and present an annual report to demonstrate to the Council how the Committee has discharged its duties.  No alternative options are recommended.

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     This report provides the Council with assurance that important governance, risk and standards issues are monitored and addressed.

 

4.2     Our recommendation is for the Committee to agree the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee Annual Report, subject to any comments and amendments, and that the Chairman of the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee then provides the report to a meeting of full Council setting out how the Committee has discharged its duties.

 

 

5.       RISK

5.1    The risks associated with this proposal, including the risks if the Council does not act as recommended, have been considered in line with the Council’s Risk Management Framework. We are satisfied that the risks associated are within the Council’s risk appetite and will be managed as per the Policy.

 

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1     This report has been compiled through consultation between Officers and the Chairman of the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee.

 

 

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

7.1    The report will be presented to Full Council to demonstrate how the Committee has discharged its duties during 2022/23.

 

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

 

Appendix 1: Audit, Governance & Standards Committee Annual Report

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None.