The Audit Committee of Blackpool Council convened on Thursday, 13 June 2024, to discuss various audit and governance matters. Key topics included updates on the Driving at Work internal audit, the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23, and the progress of external audits for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. The committee also reviewed the Audit and Risk Services Quarter Three Report and approved several key documents, including the Internal Audit Charter and Plan for 2024/2025, the Strategic Risk Register, and the Anti-Money Laundering Policy.

Internal Audit Follow-Up - Driving at Work

John-Paul Lovie, Head of Waste Policy and Partnerships, provided an update on the progress made against recommendations from the Driving at Work internal audit. A new Driving at Work app was launched to manage risks associated with the grey fleet of staff members' privately-owned vehicles used for work purposes. The app achieved 53% compliance, and efforts are ongoing to increase this through departmental leads and a Communications Plan. The committee noted the challenges in achieving full compliance and discussed linking compliance to mileage claims.

Annual Governance Statement 2022-23 Half-Year Review

Mark Towers, Director of Governance and Partnerships, presented the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23 Half Year Review. The committee discussed assurance against risks from Wholly-Owned Companies, with oversight provided by the Council’s Shareholder Committee. Tracy Greenhalgh, Head of Audit and Risk, also provided oversight of the companies' individual risk registers, feeding into the Council’s Strategic Risk Register.

External Audit/Accounts Update

Nicola Wright, External Auditor from Deloitte, updated the committee on the progress of finalising the Statement of Accounts for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. The 2021/2022 accounts are expected to be completed by the end of March 2024, with the 2022/2023 accounts to follow. The Council’s new external auditor, KPMG, has begun work and is in discussions to ensure the necessary capacity for the 2023/2024 accounts.

Audit and Risk Services Quarter Three Report

Tracy Greenhalgh presented the Audit and Risk Services Quarter Three Report. Ian Large, Head of Highways and Traffic Management Services, updated on the progress of Priority 1 recommendations from the Stores Internal Audit. The committee also discussed the Contract Management audit and the Statutory Property Inspections internal audit, with plans for further audits and compliance reviews.

Internal Audit Charter 2024/25

The committee approved the Internal Audit Charter 2024/2025, which saw minimal changes from the previous year but highlighted potential changes due to new professional standards.

Internal Audit Plan 2024/25

The Internal Audit Plan 2024/2025 was approved, outlining proposed internal audit work. The committee discussed the importance of cyber security audits, with ongoing testing and reviews by IT services and the Council’s insurer.

Strategic Risk Register 2024/25

The committee approved the revised Strategic Risk Register for 2024/2025, including a schedule of deep dive reviews. Cyber security was added to the schedule for further review.

Fraud and Error Prevention Charter 2024/25

The Fraud and Error Prevention Charter 2024/2025 was approved, with minimal changes from the previous year. The committee discussed the risk of fraud in Short Term Holiday Lettings, recognising it as an area of concern within Blackpool.

Anti-Money Laundering Policy and Procedure (2024)

The revised Anti-Money Laundering Policy and Procedure was approved, with ongoing assurance of compliance to be reported in quarterly audit and risk reports.

Audit Academy Training Programme 2024/25

The committee approved the Audit Academy Training Programme 2024/2025, with the first training session scheduled for March 2024 on the Role of the External Auditor.