Agenda and minutes

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee - Wednesday 6 September 2023 6.30 pm

Venue: Ground Floor Meeting Room G01A - 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH. View directions

Contact: Virginia Wynn-Jones  Email: virginia.wynn-jones@southwark.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    Apologies were received from Councillor Hamish McCallum, Chris Page, director of climate change, and Nina Dohel, director of education.

2.

Confirmation of voting members

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    A representative of each political group will confirm the voting members of the committee.

    Minutes:

    The members present were confirmed as the voting members.

3.

Notification of any items of business which the chair deems urgent

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    In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda within five clear days of the meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

4.

Disclosure of interests and dispensations

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    Members to declare any personal interests and dispensation in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

5.

Minutes

6.

Governance conversation: Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth

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    Caroline Bruce, Strategic Director of Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, to discuss with the committee.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Caroline Bruce, strategic director for environment, neighbourhoods and growth, addressed the committee.  The committee had questions for the strategic director.

     

    Officers undertook to investigate the status of traffic management consultations in multi-ward forums and circulate the outcome to members.

     

    Members thanked the strategic director for attending the meeting.

7.

Climate Champion civic award

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    Chris Page, director of climate change, to discuss the proposed climate champion civic award

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Officers introduced the report.  Members had questions for the officers. 

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.  The committee noted the recommendations from Council Assembly to establish a Climate Champion Award.

     

    2.  The committee agreed the nomination and award criteria set out in the report.

8.

External audit update report

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    Grant Thornton to provide a verbal update the committee.

    Minutes:

    Grant Thornton, the council’s external auditors, introduced the update.  Members had questions for the auditors. 

     

    Grant Thornton undertook to bring an update report to each committee meeting until the historic accounts are signed off.

     

    The chair thanked Grant Thornton for their work for the council over the years.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the committee noted the report.

9.

Response to Internal audit schools summary report 2022-23

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    Nina Dohel to update the committee on the internal audits on schools

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Officers introduced the update. Members had questions for the officer.

     

    Officers undertook to bring back a fuller response to the November 2023 meeting of the committee.

10.

Progress report on the work of internal audit: September 2023

11.

Anti-fraud update

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    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    BDO, the council’s internal auditors, introduced the report.  Members had questions of the internal auditors.

     

    BDO undertook to revert to management to confirm officer support for the staffing element of the housing fraud team.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the committee noted the report.

12.

Establishment of sub-committees - conduct sub-committee: voting membership

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    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Officers introduced the report.  Members had questions for the officer.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the membership of the audit, governance and standards (conduct) sub-committee be agreed as:

     

    Members:

    Councillor John Batteson (Chair)

    Councillor Cass Brown

    Councillor Graham Neale

     

    Reserves:

    Councillor Barrie Hargrove

    Councillor Hamish McCallum