Agenda and minutes

In the event the fire alarm sounds attendees will be advised to evacuate the building via the nearest fire exit and assemble at the Bottle of Notes opposite MIMA.

The Chair welcomed all present to the meeting and read out the Building Evacuation Procedure.

To receive any declarations of interest.

The minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 17 April 2025 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The Director of Finance and Transformation (S151 Officer) submitted a report, the purpose of which was to allow Members the opportunity to:

·        consider and discuss the draft Statement of Accounts (SOAs) for the 2024/25 financial year;

·        to review the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS), which needed to be published alongside the draft SOA, under the Accounts and Audit Regulation 2015, and the progress made in relation to continuous improvement activity;

·        to note the key financial metrics in the draft financial statements, movements during the financial year; and

·        to determine whether any dedicated training was required to understand these before the audited accounts returned for approval in February 2026.

The Head of Finance and Investment provided an overview of the report, together with some contextual background information.  Mention was made of an Audit Committee training session that had been provided to Members earlier in the day.

The Committee considered the AGS section of the report, prior to considering the draft 2024/25 SOAs, certification and public inspection matters.

The Chief Executive provided an overview of the AGS to the Committee; the following matters were highlighted:

• The purpose of the AGS was to provide Members and the public with a comprehensive and clear account of how the Council had managed arrangements over the preceding 12-month period.  It assessed the extent to which the Council complied with its Code of Corporate Governance; how it had monitored and improved the effectiveness of its governance arrangements in 2024/25; and how it had identified actions to strengthen those arrangements going forward.
• There were legislative requirements that required the Council to undertake a review of internal controls, which also indicated how any further necessary or intended action would be carried out. 
• A significant amount of work had been undertaken to assist in tackling the backlog of unaudited accounts, which had been an issue for local authorities nationally.
• Section four of the AGS detailed the significant governance-related events that had occurred during 2024/25.  Reference was made to:

·        The cessation of intervention in Children’s Safeguarding Services.

·        The cessation of the Best Value Notice.

·        The permanent appointments to the Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer posts.

·        The completion of a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge review; closure of the discretionary Independent Improvement Advisory Board; and completion of delivery of the Corporate Governance Improvement Plan.

·        The closure of the Section 24 Action Plan.

• Appendix 1 of the AGS detailed the self-assessment of compliance with the Local Code of Corporate Governance; Appendix 2 detailed the Corporate Governance Priorities for 2025/26.
• The AGS was felt to be more streamlined in comparison to those of previous years - the intention had been to provide the key critical information to Members in a more effective manner.
• The AGS demonstrated a combination of the strong progress that had been achieved, together with an indication of the areas where further work was required.
• Full Council had committed to a continuous improvement plan; the first associated report would be considered by the Executive on 16 July 2025.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/105

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