Issue - meetings

To provide members with the position of progress made by management in implementing agreed Internal Audit recommendations as at 31 March 2021 to 1 November 2021 (report of the Head of Internal Audit enclosed).

The following officers will be in attendance to give verbal updates on progress of previous recommendations:

·         Strategic Property Manager - Marc Whelan

·         Environmental Services Manager – Charlotte Paine

·         Head of ICT and Digital (PSPS) – Jackie Wright

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Internal Audit for South Holland District Council which provided members with the position on the progress made by management in implementing the agreed Internal Audit recommendations as at 31 March 2021 to 1 November 2021.

The report was introduced by the Internal Audit Manager. Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members thanked officers for progress in this area;
• Members requested an update relating to point 3.2 of the report which noted one urgent outstanding internal audit recommendation which related to Asset Management SH1809. Members asked whether the resolution timeline of 31 December 2021 had been achievable or whether March 2022 would have been more realistic.
  • The Assistant Director – Finance delivered a verbal update on behalf of the Strategic Property Manager which stated that assurance action had been in place to resolve the issue. Ninety per cent of the fifty leases had been in the process of renewal and a resolution had been expected by the end of the calendar year. The December deadline had arisen from a recent assessment, but the query would be referred to the relevant officer to ensure it was realistic. Any extension would need to be brought to the committee for discussion.
• The Chairman replied that reasonable and realistic extension requests, brought to the Committee by the responsible officers, would be considered.  

• Members queried why the Car Park payment system review had been linked to the toilet upgrade.
  • The Assistant Director – Finance confirmed that a review of the car park payment system had been due to take place in tandem with the implementation of the new toilets. For contractual efficiencies, both facilities would have shared payment collection facilities. The implementation of the new toilets had been delayed and this had affected both projects. The car park payment system review had since recommenced, and a procurement process was underway.

• Members queried whether the Accountancy Services deadline of 30 December 2021 was realistic.
  • The Assistant Director – Finance confirmed the deadline had been realistic and added that a review of policies and procedures had been in place by the Interim Treasury Investment Manager which ensured harmonisation and resilience across the partnership.

• Members commented that the Asset Management (SH2108) audit area had been place-based and therefore queried how the note which related to the partnership had been relevant.
  • The query would be referred to the relevant officer for comment.

• Members requested an explanation regarding the relevance of  planned maintenance programmes to capital bids.
  • The query would be referred to the relevant officer for comment.

• Members noted that the recommendation 2 on the Asset Management (SH2108) audit area had been highlighted as a priority item on the South Holland Centre Task Group.

AGREED:

That the content of the report be noted.