In the Governance and Audit Committee meeting held on June 6th, the main topics discussed were the election of the chairperson and vice-chairperson, the approval of minutes, the corporate risk assessment, and various audit reports. Key decisions were made regarding the appointment of Mr. Gareth Chapman as the chairperson and Andrew Bagley as the vice-chairperson for the 2024-2025 term.

Election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson

• Chairperson: Mr. Gareth Chapman was reappointed as the chairperson for the 2024-2025 term. The nomination was made by Councillor Martin-Hughes and seconded, with unanimous agreement from the committee.
• Vice-Chairperson: Andrew Bagley was appointed as the vice-chairperson. The nomination was moved by Richard and seconded by Martin. Andrew Bagley had given his apologies for the meeting but had indicated his willingness to accept the position.

Apologies for Absence

• Apologies were received from Colin Davis and Andrew Bagley. An additional apology was noted from Councillor Stephen Easterbrook.

Declarations of Interest

• No declarations of interest were made at the beginning of the meeting. It was clarified that members could declare interests during discussions if they realized they had an interest in a particular matter.

Approval of Minutes

• The minutes from the previous meeting were approved with a minor amendment to correct a typographical error regarding virtual attendance.

Corporate Risk Assessment

• The committee reviewed the corporate risk assessment, noting that all risks remained in the high category. Two changes were proposed:
  • Increased Risk Level: The risk level for setting a balanced budget was raised to reflect the challenging financial position.
  • New Risk: A new risk related to business continuity due to changes in key corporate ICT systems, particularly in education and social care, was added.

Audit Reports

• Annual Internal Audit Report 2023-2024: The report provided a reasonable level of assurance across the organization. The committee noted the completion of 90% of the audit plan and discussed the limited assurance reports in detail.
• Internal Audit Strategy and Risk-Based Plan 2024-2025: The committee approved the draft internal audit strategy and the annual risk-based audit plan, which includes 50 items for the year.
• Regional Internal Audit Service Charter 2024-2025: The charter was approved with minor updates, including references to the new global internal audit standards and the anti-fraud bribery and corruption policy.
• Forward Work Program 2024-2025: The updated forward work program was approved, with additional training sessions and updates on specific audit areas to be scheduled.

Other Discussions

• ICT and Cyber Security: The committee discussed the importance of tracking progress on ICT and cyber security issues, with a suggestion to include regular updates in the forward work program.
• Capital Program Management: Councillor Martin Williams raised concerns about the management of the capital program, suggesting a deep dive into the process to ensure robust governance and forecasting.

The meeting concluded with no urgent items to discuss, and the next meeting was scheduled for July 19th.