Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Apologies were received from    Cllrs Matthew Jackson and Neil Slater.

Cllrs Waqar Hussain and Matt Gibson were absent from the meeting.

Due to the apologies received and absentees from the Audit Committee Members the meeting did not meet the quoracy guidelines, therefore, as indicated, no formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

No Declarations of interest were made by Members of the Committee.

  RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 18^th March 2024 were submitted for approval.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Council's External Auditors, Grant Thornton, will provide the Committee with an update on the progress of their statutory audit work.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The   Council’s new External Auditor, Forvis Mazars, will provide the Committee with an introductory report, including a sector update.

Karen Murray from BWD’s new External Auditors, Forvis Mazars, provided an update re their work on the 2023/24 external audit.

There was a proposed back stop date of 30^th September 2024 for all audits for the 31^st March 2023 financial year and earlier where these are not complete.  The Council’s predecessor auditor has not yet completed the external audit for the year to 31 March 2023.  Forvis Mazars will continue open discussions with management to agree an appropriate timeline to commence work on 2023/24 external audit, taking into account progress of 2022/23 audit.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting

The Strategic Director, Finance & Resources will provide a report to inform the Committee of an assessment of the Council as a going concern in respect of the production of the 2023/24 Statement of Accounts.

The Strategic Director of Finance and Resources presented a report informing the Committee of an assessment of the Council as a ‘going concern’ for the purposes of producing the Statement of Accounts 2023/24.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting

The Strategic Director, Finance & Resources will provide the Committee with an annual report on Treasury Management activity for the 2023/24 financial year, including the period from January to March 2024.

The Strategic Director of Finance and Resources provided the Committee with an annual report on Treasury Management activity for the 2023/24 financial year, including the period from January to March 2024.

In March 2023, the Council agreed a Treasury Management Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy for 2023/24.

The CIPFA Treasury Management Code requires the Council to approve a Treasury Management Strategy (including various Treasury Management Indicators) before the start of each financial year, and to consider the outturn after each year-end.  This report is to update Audit and Governance Committee on the overall outturn position for 2023/24.

The Strategic Director of Finance and Resources confirmed that the Council had received more funding than expected.  The Executive Member for Finance and Governance acknowledged the good investments and management decisions being made by the Finance team.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Head of Audit & Assurance will report on progress and outcomes achieved within Audit & Assurance in the period.

The Head of Audit & Assurance reported on the progress and outcomes achieved within Audit and Assurance in the period from 1^st February 2024 to 31^st May 2024.

The Internal Audit function is required to comply with the Public Sector

Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS).

The PSIAS required the Head of Audit & Assurance (as the Council’s Head of Internal Audit) to communicate any

significant governance, risk management and control issues identified to the

Audit Committee during the year.  This Progress and Outcomes report

complies with the requirements of the PSIAS by communicating any

significant issues identified by the internal audit team during the year.

The work completed to date had not identified any significant governance,

risk management or control issues to bring to the Committee’s attention at

this time.  However, the Committee should consider the information provided

in the following sections regarding the work carried out during the period and

the summary of issues in respect of the limited assurance audit noted.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Head of Audit & Assurance will provide the Committee with the Risk Management Annual Report for 2023/24.

The Head of Audit & Assurance provided the Committee with the Risk Management Annual Report for 2023/24.

The report informed the Committee of the risk management related activity which had taken place and been delivered during 2023/24 and also provided an overall conclusion on the effectiveness of the risk management arrangements which are in place within the council.

These arrangements were continually under review as new and emerging risks were identified and assessed for their impact on the Council and its corporate priorities.

RESOLVED –No formal resolution was made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Head of Audit & Assurance will provide the Committee with the Counter Fraud Annual Report for2023/24.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Head of Audit & Assurance will provide the Committee with the Internal Audit Annual Opinion Report for2023/24

The Head of Audit & Assurance provided the committee with the Internal Audit Annual Opinion Report 2023/24.  Independent evidence was provided to allow the Audit & Governance Committee to fulfil its role and function of providing independent assurance to the Council on the adequacy of the risk management and internal control arrangements in place within the Council.

The internal audit function is required to comply with the requirements of the PSIAS.

The PSIAS require the Head of Internal Audit to present an Annual Opinion Report to the Audit & Governance Committee, which gives an opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the Council’s framework of governance, risk management and internal control.  The report should be timed to support the production of the Council’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS). 

RESOLVED –No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Strategic Director, Finance & Resources will provide the Committee with the draft Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24 for approval.

The Strategic Director of Finance & Resources provided the committee with the draft Annual Governance Statement for the year ended 31^st March 2024 and up to the date of June 2024.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council recognises that there always will be risks that it must manage effectively.  Whilst it recognises that due diligence will not always ensure that it gets things right first time, it continues to put in place assurance frameworks and enhance existing arrangements that are intended to ensure that its system of governance is fit for purpose and has flexibility to meet the challenges that the change agenda brings.  During the year, the Council has had to put in place processes to allow it to respond to the cost-of-living crisis and the impact that this has had on both the council’s budget, with rising costs and reduced income, and on service users and the demand for Council services.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.

The Chair of the Committee will present the draft Audit & Governance Committee Annual Report for 2023/24 for approval.

The draft Audit & Governance Committee Annual Report was submitted for consideration.  The report summarised the work undertaken, and reports considered by the Committee during the year to demonstrate that is has fulfilled its agreed terms of reference.

The CIPFA ‘Audit Committees: Practical Guidance for Local Authorities and Police’ 2022 edition incorporates CIPFAs Position Statement on Audit Committees in Local Authorities and the Police as well as setting out the purpose and core functions of an audit committee.  This notes that although no single model of committee is prescribed, all should report regularly on their work and at least annually report an assessment of their performance.

RESOLVED – No formal resolution could be made due to the inquorate status of the meeting.