Issue - meetings

Internal Audit Progress Report

Meeting: 15/02/2019 - Audit Committee (Item 49)

49 Internal Audit Progress Report pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the report be accepted.

Minutes:

The Principal Auditor presented the update on progress of the Internal Audit department including changes to the audit plan, action tracking and investigations.

 

None of the reports finalised since the last meeting included Red opinions and a satisfactory management response had been given to issues identified in the only Red/Amber report.  Information on cumulative assurance levels by portfolio were shared, as requested at the facilitation workshop.

 

On action tracking, Sally Ellis agreed with the suggestion that those of the 16 overdue actions without responses should be referred to the Chief Officer team in the first instance.  She sought assurance that actions on the Amber/Red report for the Strategic Housing & Regeneration Project (SHARP) were being monitored or that it be brought for discussion at the joint meeting with Overview & Scrutiny.

 

Councillor Peers asked why the Planning Enforcement audit remained Red following the appointment of two Enforcement Officers and discussion at Planning Strategy Group.  The report included the original risk rating of the report in order to assist Members to track and follow up issues that were a high priority.  Councillor Dolphin raised concerns that further resources would be needed to address the backlog of work.  Councillor Woolley raised similar concerns about capacity.  Internal Audit was satisfied that the risk was being managed and the original Red status would remain until all actions had been implemented.  The Chief Officer acknowledged that legal processes could be complex but that conclusions would be reached.  Monitoring would continue to ensure that measured progress was being made to reduce the backlog.

 

Councillor Johnson commented that the names of officers should not be shown in the reports.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the report be accepted.