Issue - meetings

The Executive Director for Governance and Monitoring Officer presented the

report, which outlined the framework of Council policies and procedures currently in place to support its governance arrangements in accordance with CIPFA’s Code of Corporate Governance.

The report also detailed the arrangements for preparing the Annual Governance Statement for 2022/23, outcomes arising from Anti-Fraud and Data Matching work undertaken during the past year and an update in relation to how the Whistleblowing Policy has operated in the preceding 12 months.

Work had already commenced on the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) and Members were advised that they would be sent a draft copy for consideration before the District Elections in May 2023.  The finalised AGS would then be submitted to the Audit Committee meeting in July for final approval.

The Anti-Fraud and Corruption Group continued to meet quarterly to review the Fraud Risk Register in addition to other agreed work plan items.  It had recently been established that no high level risks required reporting to Committee at this present time, which was acknowledged and welcomed by Members.

To conclude, Committee was advised that the responsibility for Anti-Fraud would, following a transition and handover period, be moving to the Corporate Resources Director’s remit in the near future.

RESOLVED that

a)    the process for preparing the 2022/23 Annual Governance Statement, as presented, be received and noted;

b)    the overview of the Anti-Fraud and Data Matching work undertaken during the past year, as detailed in the report, be also noted;

c)    the minor changes to the Whistleblowing Policy in accordance with the draft document attached at Appendix 1, be approved;

d)    it be noted how the Whistleblowing Policy has operated during 2022/23.