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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27th February 2024 as an accurate reflection.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the position statement of progress made by the Council to implement recommendations set out in the reports referenced in the Audit Wales Annual Audit Summary 2023 and to consider the adequacy of the progress made to date; 2. To consider whether there are any matters of a governance, internal control or risk management nature that require further action or attention by the Governance and Audit Committee; and 3. To consider whether there are any matters of a performance nature that require referral to the Council’s Scrutiny Committees.
RESOLVED: 1. To review and if appropriate approve the Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24 in line with the requirements placed upon the Council by the 2017 Regulation; and 2. To consider whether any other changes or improvements to the current whistleblowing arrangements are required.
RESOLVED: 1. To consider and approve the Internal Audit Service Charter for 2024/25.
RESOLVED: 1. To approve the Risk Based Internal Audit Plan for 2024/25
In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, the Service Director of Finance and Improvement Services declared the following personal interest in respect of agenda item 6 - Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24: “The report contains reference to submissions in respect of community recycling sites, the operatives of which are employed by Amgen Cymru, for which I am a Board Member of the Company.”
The Chair welcomed Members and officers to the meeting and it was noted that an apology for absence had been received from Mr J Roszkowski. The Chair informed the Governance and Audit Committee that the transfer of the Internal Audit Service back to the Council was successfully completed on 17th April 2024 and thanked the Regional Internal Audit Service for assisting the Council in what was described as a seamless transfer. The Chair advised that going forward, Internal Audit Officers would attend committee meetings and took the opportunity to welcome the officers.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27th February 2024 as an accurate reflection.
The Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27th February 2024 as an accurate reflection.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
Audit Wales provided the Committee with the 2023 Annual Audit Summary and emphasised that the summary did not contain any new updates, which the Council had not previously had sight of. The Chair thanked the officer for the report and was interested to note that the change in the population demographic would have an impact on Council services in years to come. The Vice-Chair sought clarity on the source of the demographic projections and queried whether there would be any financial support from the Government to deal with such an increase. Audit Wales informed the Member that the projections were publicly available from Stats Wales and had been included for information. The Service Director of Finance and Improvement Services fed back that Welsh Government’s allocation of funding to local authorities in Wales is based on a detailed suite of information and formulae that takes into account a wide range of data such as population, length of roads and housing, to determine need. The Service Director added that it is important the Council has robust arrangements in place to collect and report such information to ensure the needs of Rhondda Cynon Taf are accurately represented in determining the allocation of resources. One Member questioned how Rhondda Cynon Taf compared to other Local Authorities in South Wales in respect of the forecasted demographic picture, in particular, those people aged 65 and over. The Audit Wales Officer fed back that on the basis of the information reviewed, the picture was consistent across Wales and informed the Committee that all Audit Wales audit reports would be available online, should Members wish to compare. The Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
Audit Wales provided the Committee with a work programme update for the final quarter of the year, which covered the positions in respect of financial audit work; performance audit work; Local Government national studies planned / in progress; other Regulators; Audit Wales national reports and other outputs published since March 2023 / work in progress / planned; and Good Practice Exchange events and resources. The Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To note the update.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To note the position statement of progress made by the Council to implement recommendations set out in the reports referenced in the Audit Wales Annual Audit Summary 2023 and to consider the adequacy of the progress made to date; 2. To consider whether there are any matters of a governance, internal control or risk management nature that require further action or attention by the Governance and Audit Committee; and 3. To consider whether there are any matters of a performance nature that require referral to the Council’s Scrutiny Committees.
the Service Director ofFinance and Improvement Services provided the Governance and Audit Committee with a progress update on the implementation of recommendations, as included in the reports referenced in the Audit Wales Annual Audit Summary 2023. The Service Director set out the Committee’s responsibilities in line with its Terms of Reference, which is to seek independent assurance around the arrangements in place within the Council to monitor / evaluate progress against recommendations reported by Audit Wales and to determine whether there are any matters of a governance, internal control or risk management nature that require further action or attention. Members were also reminded that as part of discharging its Terms of Reference, the Governance and Audit Committee should take account of the conclusions and findings from each Audit Wales report when forming an opinion on the adequacy of internal control/governance arrangements in place; and where the Governance and Audit Committee considers there are performance related matters that require further review, it is able to refer these to the designated Scrutiny Committee for consideration and feedback, as deemed appropriate. The Service Director noted that at its meeting on 24th January 2024, the Committee received a report which set out the actions the Council planned to take to address the recommendations as included within the Audit Wales Report ‘The use of performance information – service user perspective and outcomes. The Service Director went on to provide the Committee with a progress update on the action taken to date to address the recommendations, this being set out at Appendix 1 of the report for Members consideration. One Member questioned how the Council intended on communicating with the public in terms of its work. The Service Director fed back that the Council’s ‘You Said, We Did’, approach, published on its website, demonstrates the action taken by Council Services to address feedback from residents, with direct feedback also provided to service users where appropriate and possible. The Service Director added that this information is also used to inform the Council’s annual Corporate Feedback Report, that sets out the comments, compliments and complaints received by the Council alongside action taken where relevant and is reported to Members and a publicly available document. Another Member questioned how public consultation fits into the approach. The Service Director advised that where feedback is captured as part of public consultation events, this is fed back to the relevant services to take account of as part of on-going service delivery arrangements. The Chair was content that the matters raised by Audit Wales were being addressed and the Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To note the position statement of progress made by the Council to implement recommendations set out in the reports referenced in the Audit Wales Annual Audit Summary 2023 and to consider the adequacy of the progress made to date; 2. To consider whether there are any matters of a governance, internal control or risk management nature that require further action or attention by the Governance and Audit Committee; and 3. To consider whether there are any matters of a performance nature that require referral to the Council’s Scrutiny Committees.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To review and if appropriate approve the Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24 in line with the requirements placed upon the Council by the 2017 Regulation; and 2. To consider whether any other changes or improvements to the current whistleblowing arrangements are required.
The Head of Employee Relations presented the Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24 in accordance with the Prescribed Persons (Reports on Disclosures of Information) Regulation 2017 (the ‘2017 Regulation’). The Annual Report provides an overview of the arrangements in place for 2023/24 and also summarises the reported instances received, whilst protecting the confidentiality of the whistleblowers. The Head of Employee Relations went on to update Members that the Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24 had been prepared in accordance with the responsibilities placed upon the Council by the 2017 Regulation and the Annual Report sought to provide an overview of the arrangements in place for 2023/24 and concluded that ‘the Council’s whistleblowing arrangements are appropriate’. The Chair thanked the officer for the report and noted that there was a wide range of areas that were subject to a whistle-blowing referral and a number that were unfounded and / or seemingly malicious following completion of the investigatory processes. The Head of Employee Relations provided assurance that regardless of the claim, all whistleblowing submissions are investigated and decisions based on information and evidence obtained as part of the investigation process. One Member queried if there was a ‘Question and Answer’ or feedback arrangement in place to gather information on the success of the process. The Head of Employee Relations advised that although there is an option for whistle-blowers to provide contact details, the vast majority of submissions were anonymous, which made it difficult to gather feedback. One Member commented that it was a difficult but important piece of work and questioned if there was a process in place to identify a trend for those individuals who may be generating more whistle-blowing submissions over time. The Head of Employee Relations advised that themes are identified and that investigating officers work closely with service areas to identify if support is required and also ensure that staff are protected. The Member sought the Officer’s assurance that the individuals investigating these issues were competent, to which the Head of Employee Relations confirmed that investigations are undertaken via Heads of Service and are the most appropriate and competent officers to undertake such work. The Vice-Chair questioned how well the Whistleblowing Policy was advertised to Council staff and how the 2023/2024 Annual Report compared to the previous year’s Annual Report. The Head of Employee Relations informed the Committee that the Policy was shared as part of the induction process for new staff, posters have been placed in centres where staff may not have access to emails and a payslip insert has been provided to all Council staff. In comparison to previous years, the Head of Employee Relations advised that the number of submissions was consistent and that last year, a comparison to neighbouring Councils had evidenced that Rhondda Cynon Taf’s whistle-blowing report was comprehensive. The Chair thanked the Head of Employee Relations for the report and the Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To review and if appropriate approve the Whistleblowing Annual Report 2023/24 in line with the requirements placed upon the Council by the 2017 Regulation; and 2. To consider whether any other changes or improvements to the current whistleblowing arrangements are required.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To consider and approve the Internal Audit Service Charter for 2024/25.
The Internal Audit Manager presented to Members the Internal Audit Service Charter for 2024/25. The Internal Audit Charter is a formal document that defines the purpose, authority and responsibility of Internal Audit activities. The Internal Audit Charter establishes Internal Audit’s position within the organisation; authorises access to records, personnel and physical properties relevant to the performance of engagements; and defines the scope of Internal Audit activities. Members were referred to the Internal Audit Charter, which was attached at Appendix A to the report, and had been reviewed and updated to support the delivery of internal audit services, this also reflecting the service being brought back in-house. The Charter had been split into the following sections: Purpose, Authority and Responsibility; Independence and Objectivity; Proficiency and Due Professional Care; and Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme. The Chair thanked the Internal Audit Manager for the report and the Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To consider and approve the Internal Audit Service Charter for 2024/25.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To approve the Risk Based Internal Audit Plan for 2024/25
The Internal Audit Manager provided Members of the Governance and Audit Committee with the draft Risk Based Internal Audit Plan for 2024/25, which had been compiled in conformance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards and the Audit Charter. Members were informed that the outcome of the Audit Needs Assessment, undertaken in consultation with the Council’s S151 Officer, had confirmed the Internal Audit Service would have adequate resources available during the forthcoming financial year to deliver an annual audit opinion for 2024/25. Members were referred to Appendix A of the report, where the draft Risk Based Internal Audit Plan was detailed. It was noted that the Plan is flexible to allow for changing circumstances and events that may occur, such as requests to respond to new issues that may arise, and that the Plan provided information that shows the ‘source’ from where the audit originated. One Member was complimentary of the comprehensive Audit Plan and sought assurance that the plan is flexible to consider unforeseen economic, environmental, or social circumstances. The Internal Audit Manager assured the Committee that there were contingency days within the plan, to allow officers to manage changes in circumstances or emerging risks that may occur during the year.. The Chair thanked the Internal Audit Manager for the report and the Governance and Audit Committee RESOLVED: 1. To approve the Risk Based Internal Audit Plan for 2024/25
It was RESOLVEDthat the press and public be excluded from the meeting under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of the exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Part 4 of the Schedule 12A of the Act.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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