Agenda item

To review the Committee’s recommendations tracker and work plan.

Witnesses:

Nikki O’Connor, Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate)

Paul Evans, Director of Law and Governance, and Monitoring Officer

Amelia Christopher, Committee Manager

David John, Audit Manager

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Chairman asked for a verbal update on completed action A5/24, he understood that one Member had not signed the requisite documentation. The Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate) explained that the External Audit Plan 2023/24 ideally would have come to March’s Committee meeting, it would however be brought to June’s Committee meeting. She noted that the new external auditors Ernst & Young (EY) had to delay the beginning of their audit planning work by a month as they could not start that work until they had a complete set of independence questionnaires from all Members and senior officers. She was actively chasing the outstanding questionnaire from a Member.

2.    The Chairman referred to action A16/23 noting that the target date for completion was still outstanding. The Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate) explained that Grant Thornton had responded that Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) had approved a series of ‘bake in’ variations which had been included on the audit plan for 2022/23, they do not however approve any additional variations on top of that until after the accounts are signed. The Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate) noted that they were close to signing off the 2022/23 Statement of Accounts. Final checks were underway, and it was hoped that it would be signed by early next week; once signed off the fee variation would be formally approved.

3.    Regarding action A38/23 the Director - Law and Governance, and Monitoring Officer referred to the report going to March’s Health and Wellbeing Board which outlined how health integration was improving. The Committee Manager noted that she sent the update to Committee members yesterday afternoon attaching that report titled: Health and Wellbeing Board and Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Partnership/Integrated Care Board Governance Review.

4.    A Committee member referred to action A1/24 which was scheduled to be deleted, he noted ongoing concerns about the issue of late payments to members of staff; he welcomed the response provided and the progress being made, however he had not had a response to confirm that the issue had been resolved. From his research he found that there were many outstanding issues and having asked a question on the website, the answer given was that a response would be provided in three months. He requested an up-to-date response as to how all the complaints around late payments concerning the new Unit4/MySurrey system were being progressed. The Audit Manager noted that an audit was planned to start in March/April looking at the schools’ payroll function and it was hoped to be completed within quarter one, an audit was currently underway on the corporate payroll system.

5.    The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources explained that the issues around payroll had been well publicised, and a lot of work had been done and was underway to resolve the issues concerning Unit4/MySurrey, the current data showed that progress was being made. He suggested that the Committee member awaits the outcome of the deep dive by the Resources and Performance Select Committee’s Task Group. The Committee member noted that he was concerned that there were many employees who were in difficulties due to the failings of Unit4/MySurrey, he noted that it would be useful for the Committee to receive a report before the summer about the progress being made.The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources noted that it was incorrect to say that there were large numbers of employees with problems. A Committee member noted that he was the Chair of the Digital Business & Insights (DB&I) Task and Finish Group, which would produce the report to the select committee in May, that could be shared with the Committee for it to review alongside Internal Audit’s report.

6.    The Chairman referred to completed action A2/24 asking when the Greener Futures Team would take an annual carbon report to the Cabinet. A Committee member suggested that the action be reinstated and for a date to be included around when the report would be taken to the Cabinet; the Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate) would find out the timing, a Committee member noted that the Cabinet Forward Plan might include that report.

7.    Regarding action A10/23 whereby the SharePoint site was now up and running, a Committee member asked whether that link would be shared with Members by the end of the month. The Committee Manager noted that she had been advised that the link would be available to all by the end of March and would follow that up.

8.    Regarding action A33/23 a Committee member noted that the Committee should have received the report which sets out the parameters of the Complaints Task and Finish Group in March and asked when it would be shared. The Chairman noted that the report had been delayed to June’s Committee meeting.

RESOLVED:

1.    Monitored progress on the implementation of recommendations from previous meetings (Annex A).

2.    Noted the work plan and the changes to it (Annex B).

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.    A6/24 - The Committee will receive the report from the Resources and Performance Select Committee’s DB&I Task and Finish Group, for it to review alongside the later report from Internal Audit; ensuring that the Committee member gets an up-to-date response as to how all the complaints around late payments concerning the new Unit4/MySurrey system were being progressed.

2.    Regarding completed action A2/24, it will be reinstated and the Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate) will find out when the Greener Futures Team would take an annual carbon report to the Cabinet.

3.    Regarding action A10/23, the Committee Manager will follow up with officers around the SharePoint link being made available to all Members by the end of March.