Issue - meetings
Annual Internal Audit Report.
Meeting: 13/07/2010 - Audit Committee (Item 10)
10 Internal Audit Annual Report 2009/10 PDF 303 KB
Minutes:
Mr Minesh Jani (Service Head Risk Management) introduce the report setting out the annual internal audit opinion. He reported that overall the Authority had a sound system of internal control and was operating effectively in 2009/10.
The report contained a summary of all audit work including the assurance ratings assigned to each area.
The Committee considered a list of the areas assigned a limited assurance including Tower Hamlets Homes Budgetary Control and the Morpeth Secondary School and the recommendations for improvement.
Reference was made to the performance targets for priority one and two recommendations. Mr Jani reported that he had written to the Corpoarte Directors detailing the outstanding actions to enable CMT and DMTs to quickly respond to them.
Members queried the reasons why some of the recommendations had yet to be implemented. Mr Jani reported that this could be partly due to staffing changes, changing priorities. It was considered that the target of 100% for priority 1 and 2 recommendations was obtainable. The Committee requested that steps be taken across the directorates to deliver them.
Members recommended that e-mail alerts be sent to services two months before follow up audits in addition to the e-mail notifications sent one month beforehand.
It was also Agreed that the actual numbers for recommendations be provided as well as percentage figures.
Action: Minesh Jani (Service Head, Risk Management)
In reply to questions from Members about the legal planning meetings, Mr Jani reported that this area had since been re - inspected and had been ascribed a satisfactory level of assurance. The findings purely related to administrative rather than child protection issues. Mr Jani reported that the ‘to be scheduled audits’ would all be allocated a date by September 2010.
Mr Les Warren (Director of Finance and Resources, Tower Hamlets Homes) replied to the limited assurances ascribed to the Tower Hamlets Homes (THH).
THH had implemented a number of additional controls aimed at ensuring staff understood the budget process and managers/budget holders appreciated their budgetary and monitoring responsibilities. THH had simplified and refocused the format for management budgets which was now risked based. THH had also reviewed and strengthened their Financial Regulations which had been approved by the THH Board who robustly scrutinised budgets along with its Finance and Audit Committee . In support of this, THH had held events with officers and face to face meetings to discuss budgets. He also referred to the controls in place to prevent overspend and mitigation measures.
Mr Warren stated that he was satisfied with the new measures, (set out on Page 61) and considered that they would rectify the issues. The findings of the follow up audit were due to be reported in Autumn 2010.
In response to questions from Members, it was reported that officers reviewed the Audit Plan to identify which audits reports should be resourced in house or by external auditors based on expertise and value for money. This judgement was reviewed on a regular bases.
In relation to Morpeth School , ... view the full minutes text for item 10
Meeting: 29/06/2010 - Audit Committee (Item 71.)
71. Internal Audit Annual Report 2009/10 PDF 302 KB