Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2019.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 24 July 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

No urgent decisions were reported.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair on any matters within the powers and duties of the Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.  (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meetingon the card provided.  These are available at the meeting. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions).

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Chair on any matters within the powers and duties of the Area Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.

No public questions were submitted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Governance Group.

The final Annual Governance Statement has been considered by Corporate

Leadership Team and the Corporate Governance Group.  There has been no

material change in governance issues from production of the draft AGS in April

2019 up to the date of this meeting.

The Committee is requested to approve the Annual Governance

Statement.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email:

john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Governance Group submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the final version of the Council’s Annual Governance Statement 2018/2019.

Councillors discussed the effectiveness of the budget setting process in respect to Children’s and Adult Services and heard about the process used by managers to monitor those budget areas. The Committee further discussed the continued evolution of the governance arrangements for Health and Social Care integration.

RESOLVED – That the Annual Governance Statement 2018/2019 be approved in so far as the Committee is concerned.

To consider information provided by the External Auditor in respect to understanding management processes and arrangements.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Stephen Nixon on Tel: 0161 238 9233 or email: stephen.nixon@mazars.co.uk

The External Auditor submitted a report (copies of which had bene circulated) providing detail on management processes and arrangements for the Audit 2018/2019.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer. (To Follow)

The report presents for comment and approval the Annual Accounts.

The Committee is invited to consider and approve the Annual Accounts.

Officer Contact: Jonathan Davies on Tel: 0161 218 1025 or email: jonathan.davies@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment and approval the draft 2018/2019 Statement of Accounts. Once approved the final 2018/2019 Statement of Accounts would be published on the Council website.

RESOLVED – That the 2018/2019 Statement of Accounts be approved.

To consider a report from the external auditor, Mazars. (To Follow)

The report provides for comment the Audit Completion Report.

The Committee is asked to note the report.

Officer contact: John Pearsall on 474 4033 or Email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

The External Auditor submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting for comment the Audit Completion Report for the year ended 31 March 2019. The document summarised conclusions on audit risks and areas of management judgement in the Audit Strategy Memorandum.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider the letter from the Borough Treasurer.

The report provides for comment the management letter of representation.

The Committee is asked to note the report.

Officer contact: John Pearsall on 474 4033 or Email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

The Borough Treasurer submitted the Management Letter of Representation (copies of which had been circulated) relating to the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and Group - audit for year ended 31 March 2019.

RESOLVED – That the Management Letter of Representative be noted.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The report sets out the progress made by internal audit against the approved 2018/19 and 2019/20 internal audit plan for the period 1^st February 2019 to 30^th June 2019.

The Committee is invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the progress made by internal audit against the approved 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 internal audit plan for the period 1^st February 2019 to 30^th June 2019. The report provided an update on the status of all audit work, the dates for draft and final reports and the level of assurance for the work completed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to provide information on the new performance indicators that will be measured and reported and the reasons for their inclusion.

The Committee is invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the new performance indicators used to measure performance and explaining the rationale for their inclusion.

The performance indicators currently produced by the Internal Audit Section were as follows:

·         Percentage of the Audit Plan completed

·         Percentage of audits completed within budget

·         Percentage of draft reports issued within 15 working days of completion of fieldwork

·         Chargeable time

·         Percentage of agreed audit recommendations reported to Management are high Level, strategic and prioritised as high risk

·         Percentage of agreed recommendations have been implemented by the target date

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Head of Iternal Audit.

The report presents for comment the draft Head of Internal Audit Report and Opinion 2018-2019.

The Committee is invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out an overall audit opinion together with a summary of the work of the Council’s Internal Audit Service in 2018/2019 and an assessment of the compliance against the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS).

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to present the work carried out during the past year to minimise the risk of fraud, bribery and corruption occurring in the Council.

The Committee is invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the work undertaken during the past year to minimise risk of fraud, bribery and corruption occurring in the Council as well as setting out planned work for 2019/20.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Chair of the Audit Committee.

The report presents for comment the annual review of Audit Committee effectiveness.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

The Chair submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) explaining how the Audit Committee fulfils its terms of reference during the financial year and outlining the committee’s activities which contribute to the continual improvement of governance arrangements across the Council.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to update Members on the current status of

corporate risks.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 3206 or email: john.persall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Committee with an update in respect to corporate risks.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.