DRAFT MINUTES OF AUDIT & IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE HELD ON

Jo.Maskell

Informations

• Publié par: Mocher
• Nombre de lectures: 26
• Langue: English

Extrait

MINUTES OF AUDIT & IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE HELD ON

24 January 2008

7.30pm –8.17pm

PRESENT

COUNCILLORS

Robert Thurston (Chair)

David Carter

Jean Clark

Mike Garnett

Lorna Spenceley

APOLOGIES

Rob Eschle

Andrew Johnson

52.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None.

53.

MINUTES

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meetings held on 29 November

2007, 5 December 2007 and 10 December 2007 be agreed as a

correct record and signed by the Chair.

54.

MATTERS ARISING

(a)

Overspend Against Playhouse Budget 2006/07

(Minute 50 Refers)

It was noted that this report would be submitted to the next meeting

of this Committee via the Budget & Performance Monitoring

Working Party.

(b)

Concessionary Travel

(Minute 53 Refers)

It was noted that the officers’ findings would be presented to this

Committee in the first cycle of the new municipal year.

55.

WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS

None.

56.

NON-CONTENTIOUS BUSINESS

RESOLVED

that the following agenda items be taken as non-

contentious business:-

7

Committee Forward Work Plan.

9

Update on Internal Audit.

12

Organisational Culture Change and Learning Strategy.

14

Implementation of the Council’s Procurement Strategy.

15

Service and Improvement Strategies.

16

Improvement Group Minutes – 28/11/07.

57.

COMMITTEE FORWARD WORK PLAN

RESOLVED

that the Committee Forward Work Plan be noted and

the Operation of Bus Travel in Harlow be allocated to the first

meeting of this Committee in the new municipal year.

58.

AUDIT & INSPECTION PLAN 2007/08 – UPDATE

Further to Minute 41 (29/11/07), Paul King and Martina Lee from the Audit

Commission attended the meeting and submitted a report which

summarised the progress to December 2007 against the audit plan for

both 2006/07 and 2007/08.

RESOLVED

that this progress report be noted.

59.

UPDATE ON INTERNAL AUDIT

The Committee received a report, which was a standing item on this

Committee’s agenda, giving an update on Internal Audit.

RESOLVED

that the continuing progress being made and the

actions being taken, be noted.

60.

PLAYHOUSE UPDATE

The Committee received a verbal update from Lynn Seward, Head of

Community Services.

A written report would be submitted to the next

meeting of this Committee, when the December figures would be

available.

It was noted that monthly budget meetings were being held with Members

and each month an item would be selected for detailed scrutiny so that

any problems could be addressed at an early stage.

Steps were also

being taken to improve the system for recording income and expenditure

to ensure that the figures reflected the actual situation as near as possible.

The latest figures available showed that the budget was on track to come

in on target.

RESOLVED

that the report be noted.

61.

UPDATE ON PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE

2007-2008 OUT TURN ACTION PLAN

The Committee received a copy of the report, which was submitted to and

noted by the Special Policy & Resources Committee on 16 January 2008.

RESOLVED

that progress towards the achievement of the action

plan to reduce the impact on the Council’s service provision and

reserves for 2007-2008 be noted.

62.

ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE CHANGE AND LEARNING STRATEGY

The Committee received a progress report on the implementation of this

strategy.

RESOLVED

that the report be noted.

63.

USE OF RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

The Committee received a report on the Use of Resources Assessment,

which was part of the Audit Commission’s assessment regime of local

authorities.

The Council’s assessment score was 2 (adequate

performance, at only minimum requirements).

Members noted that an improvement plan would be developed in

response to this assessment.

Paul King and Martina Lee from the Audit Commission attended the

meeting.

They commented on the Council’s consistent trend of

improvement since 2005, even though the average score remained at 2.

The score had not been increased partly due to the way in which the

scores were collated and the fact that the criteria for certain scores were

changed from one year to the other.

RESOLVED

that

(a)

Harlow Council’s Use of Resources score for 2007 be noted;

(b)

the approach to be taken to respond to the findings of the

2007 assessment and the Audit Commission’s planned and

proposed changes to future Use of Resources Assessments

be noted.

64.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL’S PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

2005-08

The Council received a report on the impact which the Procurement

Strategy has had on the Council’s business and its capacity to deliver best

value services to the community.

RESOLVED

that the contents of the report be noted.

65.

SERVICE AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES – KEY

LEARNING

The Committee received a report which gave an update on the learning

derived from the seven Service and Performance Improvement Strategies,

which were established under the Council’s Recovery Plan Phase II.

RESOLVED

that the report and learning be noted.

66.

IMPROVEMENT GROUP MINUTES

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the Improvement Group held on 28

November 2008 be noted.

67.

REFERENCES FROM OTHER COMMITTEES

None.

68.

MATTERS OF URGENT BUSINESS

None.

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