Agenda item

To review the Committee’s recommendations tracker.

Declarations of Interest:
None.

Witnesses:

Cath Edwards, Risk & Governance Manager

Kevin Kilburn, Deputy Chief Finance Officer

Nikki O’Connor, Finance Manager (Assets, Investment & Accounting)

Key Points Raised During the Discussion:

1.    In relation to R3/12 (Adult Social Care: Direct Payments), the Chairman informed the committee that he had reviewed the officer report to Adult Social Care Select Committee on Social Care Debt: Credit Balances.  The report suggested that improvements had been made over the past year.  As this is an ongoing problem, the committee would keep the issue under review.  Members raised concern that direct debit payments had fallen slightly.  It was felt that while it could not be made mandatory to repay debts via direct debit, a higher proportion of clients could be encouraged to set up direct debits.  A report on social care debt was requested for the next meeting of the Audit & Governance Committee, with a focus on the use of direct debits (Recommendations tracker ref: A1/14).

2.    In relation to A55/12 (Finance Dashboard), the Chairman reminded the committee that a second presentation on the finance dashboard had been arranged for Monday 31 March.

3.    In relation to A33/13 (Ethical Standards), it was felt that the necessity for further information or reminders to Members should be reviewed.

4.    In relation to A35/13 (Council Tax collection rates), the Deputy Chief Finance Officer updated the committee.  He explained that an officer from Surrey County Council and Mole Valley District Council had been asked to review the reasons for the poor response to the request for monthly monitoring information on council tax and business rates collection.  They concluded that the format of information the County Council was asking for could not easily be taken from existing sources of information.  In some circumstances it required additional analysis and re-keying, so was seen as an additional burden. A new format was developed and the Surrey Treasurers have approved this in principal, although on a quarterly rather than monthly basis.  The district and boroughs revenue managers are meeting in early April to determine how to enact this revised format.

5.    In relation to A40/13 (tree stumps), Members considered whether a policy on tree stumps needed to be developed.  The Chairman suggested that the development of such a policy would be the responsibility of the Environment & Economy Select Committee and the relevant portfolio holder.  He offered to pass the letter from the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and the Environment to Hazel Watson (Recommendations tracker ref: A2/14).

6.    In relation to A41/13 (Fraud Guidance), officers confirmed that fraud at Academy Schools and the auditing of those schools was the responsibility of the Academies, with oversight from the Department for Education and not from the County Council.  Members requested that references to the police within Babcock 4S’ guidance to schools be made more robust, particularly with regard to fraud (Recommendations tracker ref: A3/14).

7.    In relation to A45/13 (attendance figures), Members raised concerns about the low level of attendance by Priority 1 services at meetings and workshops arranged by the Council Risk and Resilience Forum.  The Risk & Governance Manager assured the Committee that improving attendance by Priority 1 services was a focus for the Forum.  The Emergency Management Team is helping services to understand about the importance of business continuity planning on an individual basis but attendance at meetings and workshops continues to be poor.  Feedback is being sought to understand the reasons behind poor attendance.  The Risk Management Annual Report in May 2014 would include feedback data.  The Risk & Governance Manager confirmed that those officers invited to attend meetings and workshops were at the operational risk level and so not senior managers.  She also confirmed that previously meetings had been held at County Hall but that from this year the venue was being rotated around various locations in Surrey.  The Chairman asked that the committee’s concern be noted and asked that the Risk & Governance Manager and the Chief Finance Officer address poor attendance as a priority (Recommendations tracker ref: A4/14).

Actions/Further information to be provided:

The recommendations tracker to be updated to reflect the discussion, as noted above.

RESOLVED:

a.    That the recommendations tracker was noted and the committee agree to remove pages 22-26 of the tracker as the actions were completed.

Committee Next Steps:
None.