Here is a summary of the scheduled items for the Audit and Governance Committee meeting held by Torridge District Council on 23 September 2025. The meeting was scheduled to cover internal and external audit reports, corporate risk, and the council's financial accounts. Also on the agenda was the forward plan for future meetings.

External Audit Reports

The committee was scheduled to receive two reports from Bishop Fleming, the external auditors for Torridge District Council: the Audit Completion Report for the year ending 31 March 2025, and the Auditor's Annual Report for the same period.

The Audit Completion Report was expected to summarise the audit conclusions and highlight key findings. The report noted that the audit was largely complete, pending resolution of outstanding queries. It identified the following significant risks:

• Management override of controls
• Valuation of land and buildings
• Valuation of investment properties
• Valuation of the pension fund net liability

The report stated that no material adjustments had been identified to date, though some immaterial adjustments were proposed but not made. A number of control points were identified, none of which were considered to have an important effect on the system of internal control. The report also stated that work had not identified any significant weaknesses in value for money.

The Auditor's Annual Report was expected to summarise audit conclusions and highlight key findings arising from value for money work.

Internal Audit Update

Darren Roberts, Assurance Manager at Devon Assurance Partnership (DAP), was scheduled to present an Internal Audit Update Report. The report was expected to provide a summary of performance against the internal audit plan for the 2025/26 financial year to date, highlighting key areas of work undertaken and summarising main findings and recommendations aimed at improving controls.

The report stated that the Head of Internal Audit was currently unable to provide an opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of the authority's internal control framework at this stage of the year, but that an opinion would be provided later in the year when the plan was further progressed.

The report also included a counter fraud update, stating that counter-fraud arrangements are a high priority for the council. It referenced the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)'s code of practice on managing the risk of fraud and corruption, and noted that fraud now accounts for over 40% of all crimes.

Final Accounts

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from the Finance Manager (S151 Officer) on the final accounts. Members were directed to a link to the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts Unaudited.

Corporate Risk

The Finance Manager (S151 Officer) was scheduled provide an update on corporate risk. The summarised update included in the report pack listed the following risks:

• A balanced budget
• Workforce management
• Reputation of the council
• Business continuity
• Civil emergency response
• Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
• Corporate manslaughter
• Cyber security
• Data security
• The Maritime Innovation Centre ¹, Westward Ho! Linear Defence Scheme ², Operational Services Centre ³, Hostel Developments
• Local government reorganisation

A more detailed update on corporate risk was scheduled to be discussed in Part II of the meeting, which was closed to the public.

Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to review its forward plan for 2025/26. Items listed for future meetings included:

• Annual governance statement
• Assessment of going concerns status
• Property terrier
• Annual fraud resilience report
• Internal audit plan
• Internal audit update report
• External audit plan
• Draft accounts
• Final accounts