Agenda item

The report was noted for information.

Officers from Audit Wales provided an overview to the circulated report. Members went on to request clarity to the following point,

·        Information on quarterly statuses and pending reports. Completion dates and have these been achieved.

·        Estyn Update

·        Ukrainian Refugee Study scope

Audit Wales provided an update to a number of reports. Members were informed, the report in front of them today was regarding the first quarter, April 2023 to June 2023, with quarter two September 2023 to December 2023, expected at the next Committee.

Officers stated the Accounts audit for 2022 2023 are nearing completion, including the ISA 260, which Members can expect to see at the next G&A Committee. The performance audit for 2021 - 22 is also nearing completion and members should have sight of the report prior to Christmas 2023. Several reports have recently been signed off by Audit Wales including the Digital Thematic review, performance review, and the scrutiny review, with the work on the Unscheduled Care report nearing completion. Members are expected to see all reports over the next few months. Work has started on the 2023-2024 Assurance and Risk Assessment.  

From pages 22 onwards are the national studies which can be found in the circulated agenda pack.

Audit Wales were able to confirm updates relating to Estyn and CIW and could be found on page 24 of the circulated report pack, which outlines any updates of the first quarter, from the 1^st April 2023 and, up to and including the 30^th June 2023.

Updates regarding quarter 2 1^st July 2023 to the 30^th September 2023 will be presented at the next scheduled Governance & Audit Committee.

Members referred to the table of reports that were in progress, particularly surrounding Ukrainian refugees, which could be found on page 29 of the circulated report pack. Members queried if the money received from Welsh Government had solely been used for this service, and how much finding had been received. Was the funding used within the current financial year, and if so, how much of the funding was spent on local authority accommodation and private accommodation.

Audit Wales stated that unfortunately they were unable to provide an answer to the question at the meeting but would send through the Ukrainian Refugee Study scope information to the Committee after the meeting. The Chair requested the information be distributed to all Committee members.

An update of the partly complete housing benefits subsidy and financial impacts to the authority would be provided following the meeting, Audit Wales confirmed.

Audit Wales was able to further confirm the status of the Springing Forward thematic report, informing members from quarter three all Councils across Wales would be in receipt of the thematic reports for their councils, and that the delay was not in relation to either party, it relates to scope of work to be delivered throughout the year. The 2023-24 Financial Sustainability thematic work along with the Commissioning and Contract Management thematic work are both currently being scoped as planned.

Members went on to query the setting of general deadlines, with Audit Wales confirming dates are usually set on a yearly basis, with some dependant on their statutory status. Resourcing issues experienced since the pandemic have impacted deadlines being stretched, but that resourcing has now been addressed and that progress was now being made quickly to finalise the remainder of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 work and that the Committee will be seeing many audit reports over the coming months which will be presented  alongside the Council’s organisational responses.

Resolved:

The report was noted for information.