Issue - meetings

Purpose: to approve the annual governance statement.

The committee considered the final annual governance statement that explained how the council had complied with its local code of governance and met the requirements of regulation 4 of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011 in relation to an annual review of the effectiveness of the council’s systems and the preparation and approval of an annual governance statement (AGS). The committee had considered the draft version of this document at its meeting on 9 July 2013.

Whilst not requiring any changes to the AGS the committee discussed training for councillors.  In doing so reference was made to the perceived lack of training across a councillor’s range of duties particularly as requirements for the role changed; the training and briefings provided; and the poor level of attendance by councillors.  The committee asked senior officers to:

·       review training provision for councillors;

·       consider how training could be provided such as a programme that allowed identification of areas where knowledge was required;

·       consider alternatives to face to face training and briefings, e.g. using podcasts;

·       the manner in which training was delivered.

In response, Mr Steve Bishop, Strategic Director, stated that the action set out in the annual governance statement picked up on the point about councillor training and that there was an acceptance that more systematic training was required.  In doing this there could be options for mandatory training and annual appraisals so any proposals could be more radical than that currently provided.

RESOLVED: to approve the final annual governance statement.

Purpose: This statement explains how South Oxfordshire District Council has complied with its local code of governance and also meets the requirements of regulation 4 of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011 in relation to an annual review of the effectiveness of the council’s systems and the preparation and approval of an annual governance statement (AGS).

The purpose of the attached AGS is to ask the committee to consider its content, to seek clarification of any of the assurances within it and note that this version of the AGS will be amended to ensure that it is up to date when the accounts are signed in September

Mrs K Fiander, Democratic Services Officer, introduced the Annual Governance Statement (AGS), which explained how the council had complied with its local code of governance and also met the requirements of Regulation 4 of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011 in relation to an annual review of the effectiveness of the council’s systems and the preparation and approval of such a statement.

The committee considered the content of the AGS noting that officers would amend it to ensure that it was up to date when the financial statements were considered and agreed at the September meeting.

In response to a question, Mr S Bishop, Strategic Director, advised that there was no one definition of internal control so it was a matter of individual councils’ judgement.  A key document for the committee to support the AGS was the internal audit annual report.  The committee was expected to seek assurance that the standards were appropriate and so the system of internal control would evolve over time.

Mr M Welply, Chairman, drew attention to paragraph 93 and reference to councillor training, which he considered to be vitally important and on which he would welcome committee members’ thoughts.

The report was noted.