Agenda and minutes

The Chair should be held on a rotational basis with each Council having a Member serve alternately for one year. Plymouth have recently held the Chair and it is therefore Torridge’s turn to hold the post of Chair for one year from the date of this meeting.

The Chairship is held on a rotational basis with each Council having a Member serve alternately for one year. Plymouth have recently held the Chairship and it is therefore Torridge’s turn to hold the post of Chair for one year from the date of this meeting.

RESOLVED that Councillor Hackett be elected Chair for the ensuing year.

The Vice-Chair shall be elected from a Council other than that which currently holds the Chair.

The Vice-Chair shall be elected from a Council other than that which currently holds the Chairship.

RESOLVED that Councillor Evans be elected Vice-Chair for the ensuing year.

The Chair welcomedMr Hipkin who was attending the meeting in his capacity as a Co-opted Member of the Council's Standards Committee to observe and monitor compliance with the Council’s ethical governance framework.

Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2018, attached.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2018 be signed as a correct record.

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

Report of the Head of Devon Audit Partnership (CT/18/56), attached.

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Devon Audit Partnership (CT/18/56) setting out the revenue outturn position and changes between month 9 and year end, the balance sheet as at 31 March 2018, the Accounting Statement, the Annual Internal Audit Report for 2017/18 and the Annual Governance Statement.

Members noted:

·         A backlog of receiving payments from customers, which officers advised had resulted from some administrative support issues that had now been resolved.

·         An increased risk of not collecting all income due had been identified. The Head of Devon Audit Partnership advised that such a risk remained slight with the smaller organisations the service works for and minimal with larger organisations.

·         That income had exceeded expenditure by £4,490 at year end.

It was MOVED by Councillor Hackett, SECONDED by Councillor Evans and

RESOLVED

(a)               that the Devon Audit Partnership Revenue Outturn Position Report 2017/18 be noted.

(b)               that the Devon Audit Partnership balance sheet as at 31 March 2018 and the balances contained be noted.

(c)               that the Accounting Statement prepared in accordance with the (former) small bodies return format be noted.

(d)               that approval be given for the Chair to sign the Annual Governance Statement.

(e)               that the Annual Internal Audit Report for 2017/18 be noted.

Report of the Head of Devon Audit Partnership (CT/18/57), attached.

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Devon Audit Partnership (CT/18/57) outlining the progress made by the Partnership during the course of the year; the ongoing development of arrangements with partners including Mid Devon Council; the successful transfer of the Counter Fraud Service to the Partnership and the continued high level of customer satisfaction achieved.

Members congratulated officers on their work as part of Audit Together which had been recognised nationally as one of the finalists at the Public Finance Initiatives award, as well as securing work with Leeds Beckett University and TWI in Cambridge.

Members noted:

·         Variance in terms of chargeable days and the actual number of days taken to complete an audit.

·         The risk that more productive time gets subsumed in more extensive audits

It was MOVED by Councillor Mathews, SECONDED by Councillor Clatworthy and

RESOLVED

(a)   that progress made by the Devon Audit Partnership during the 2017/18 financial year be noted.

(b)   that the successful transfer of the Counter Fraud Service to the Partnership be noted.

(c)   that the continued high level of customer satisfaction achieved by the Partnership be noted.

Introduction and update from the Head of the Devon Audit Partnership Counter Fraud Service. 

The Head of the Devon Audit Partnership Counter Fraud Service provided an overview of the Counter Fraud Team, which has recently been transferred to Devon Audit Partnership.

Members noted:

·         The Counter Fraud Team are seen as a leader in the field of counter fraud work in the South West with an experienced, committed and fully qualified team of investigators.

·         The Counter Fraud Team have in the last 4 years dealt with in the region of 1500 allegations of fraud including areas social housing, insurance, blue badge, bus pass etc realising a saving of £6,500,000 over that period.

·         The need for close working with district authorities in terms of countering fraud.

The Committee agreed to meetings at 10.30am on 12 November 2018 and 11 March 2019.