Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Committee Room 1 - Council Offices/Virtually via Zoom

Contact: Ann Holmes 01248 752518 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declaration of Interest

To receive any declaration of interest by any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Minutes:

None received.

 

2.

Review of the Draft Annual Self-Assessment Report pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To present the report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation.

Minutes:

The report of the Head of Profession (Human Resources) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Self-Assessment 2021/2022 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

 

The Head of Profession (Human Resources) and Transformation reported that the report evidences the output of the Councils corporate planning and performance management framework.  The draft Annual Self-Assessment Report was initially considered by the Executive at its meeting held on 19th July, 2022 and thereafter the Governance and Audit Committee at its meeting held on 26th July, 2022 in accordance with the Constitution.  She noted that amendments proposed by this meeting has been incorporated within the report and further amendments the Committee wishes to make will be presented to the full County Council on 27th October, 2022.

 

In considering the report, the Committee made the following points:-

 

·           Whilst clarification has now been included within the report as regards to the increase in the reserves, questions were raised as to whether the Council is contented with the current level of reserves.  The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that the earmarked reserves are for potential risks and to fund specific projects.  The general reserves are held at 5% of the net budget of the authority which equates to £8m.  He noted that due to uncertainties in 2021/2022 following the end of the covid restrictions and also whether Welsh Government would be able to fund the additional costs, he recommended to the Executive to set the minimum balance for the end of the 2021/2022 financial year at £9m.  At the end of the financial year it exceeded the minimum to £12m and this will now allow the Council to be in a better financial position to address future funding challenges it faces from 2023/2024 onwards. 

·           Reference was made that it should be included in the report that Internal Audit has reviewed the document rather than in the covering report.

 

It was RESOLVED to recommend to the full Council at its meeting to be held on 27 October, 2022 that the Governance and Audit Committee accepts the report subject to the inclusion of the following:-

 

·           That at page 20 of the report shall note that the Council are comfortable with the overall level of reserves; and

·           That Internal Audit has reviewed the document and that it should be included within the report rather than in the covering report.

 

ACTION : As noted above.

 

3.

External Audit: Springing Forward - Isle of Anglesey County Council pdf icon PDF 964 KB

To present the report of Audit Wales.

Minutes:

The report of Audit Wales was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

 

In the absence of Mr Alan Hughes, Audit Wales the following comments were read out on his behalf to the Committee:-

 

‘The main messages from the Springing Forward report is that it was found that more prominent consideration and application of the sustainable development principle would lead to a more complete understanding of the challenges presented by both the Council’s building assets and workforce, and lead to improved visions, strategies and plans.  This conclusion was reached because:-

 

·      The Council understands the challenges presented by its land and building portfolio but has not yet developed a corporate vision for its assets or the associated delivery plans;

·      The Council has rationalised and modernised part of its asset base and service delivery model, but this is not yet driven by a clear corporate vision;

·      Defining and reviewing progress towards short, medium and longer-term objectives for its asset base will strengthen the Council’s ability to transform, adapt and maintain the delivery of its services;

·      The Council has a vision and key delivery themes for its workforce which can be strengthened by more prominent consideration of applying the sustainable development principle and further embedding the lessons learnt from the pandemic;

·      The Council has engaged with staff and managers and is responsive to workforce challenges, it recognises the need to, and has started, the work of developing longer-term integrated strategies;

·      The Council maintains and overview of current workforce issues but there is an opportunity to make more use of data and use benchmarking to measure the current and longer-term success of its workforce initiatives.

 

The Head of Profession (Human Resources) and Transformation said that the ‘Springing Forward’ report summary is relevant to all 22 local authorities in Wales; not everything included in the introduction is specific and relevant to the Isle of Anglesey County Council.  The Officer said that she valued the opportunity to discuss the document Audit Wales.  She noted that it is encouraging that the report recognises that the Council is undertaking good practices with a recognition that the Council supports and adheres to the five ways of working detailed within the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.  It was important to note that the initial interviews and audit had commenced in December 2021 and a number of matters raised within the report had progressed since then.  She gave an example as regards to the national recruitment issues and noted that this Council has addressed this by producing a marketing strategy together with the appointment of a specific officer to deal with marketing of vacant posts; a people strategy action plan has been implemented for 2022/2023, hybrid policy for staff which is active since 1st February, 2022, workforce strategy currently been updated.

 

The Head of Highways, Property and Waste said that there is reference in the report to the Corporate Asset Management Plan and it was an intention to submit this document to the Executive before the local government elections in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Review of the Forward Work Programme for 2022/2023 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To present a report by the Head of Audit and Risk.

Minutes:

The report of the Head of Audit and Risk incorporating the Committee’s Forward Work Programme and Training Programme 2022/23 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

 

The Head of Audit and Risk gave an update on the Forward Work Programme and highlighted that the completing of Mandatory training for Members as seen at Appendix B is currently blank; updated version will be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee.   She further said that the Risk Management training is anticipated to be undertaken in the New Year.    The Head of Audit and Risk referred that it is uncertain at present whether the next scheduled meeting of the Committee to be held on 23 November, 2022 to consider the Final Annual Governance Statement 2021/2022 and Final Statement of the Accounts 2021/2022 will be convened.  The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer gave a detailed analysis of the current position to enable the Final Annual Governance Statement for 2021/2022 and Final Statement of the Accounts for 2021/2022 to the Committee. 

 

It was RESOLVED to accept the Forward Work Programme as meeting the Committee’s responsibilities in accordance with the terms of reference.