Agenda and minutes

Standards and Governance Committee - Tuesday, 14th December, 2010 3.00 pm

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Pat Wood, Democratic Support Officer  023 8083 2302

Items
No. Item

14.

Minutes Of Previous Meeting (Including Matters Arising) pdf icon PDF 57 KB

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 23rd September 2010 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards and Governance Committee held on 23rd September 2010 be approved and signed as a correct record.  (Copy of Minutes circulated with agenda and appended to the signed Minutes).

15.

Audit Commission: Annual Audit Letter 2009/10 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Report of the Chief Internal Auditor concerning the Annual Audit Letter presenting the results of the statutory audit of the Council’s 2009/10 financial statements and the assessment of arrangements to achieve value for money in the Council’s use of resources, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted the report of the Chief Internal Auditor concerning the Annual Audit Letter presenting the results of the statutory audit of the Council’s 2009/10 financial statements and the results of the work undertaken to assess arrangements to secure value for money in the use of resources. (Copy of the report circulated with the agenda and appended to the signed minutes).

 

Ms K Handy, District Auditor, was in attendance for this item and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

 

The Committee noted that the Final Certificate could not be issued until the method of calculating heating charges for tenants and leaseholders had been resolved.  However an appropriate action plan had been agreed which was currently on target to meet the implementation dates.

 

It was further noted that the few issues raised in conjunction with the Audit were insignificant for the size of Council and that Officers should be duly congratulated.

16.

CRB Checks for Members pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Report of the Solicitor to the Council seeking consideration of the implications of the Government’s new regime for criminal record checking, attached.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Solicitor of the Council requesting a review of CRB checks as this matter had not been examined since 2003.  The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) had been due to bring in a new scheme although this is currently under review by the Government and the timescale not known as yet.

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)

that all Members involved in regulated or controlled activities have an enhanced check carried out by Southampton City Council;

 

 

(ii)

that all Members be strongly encouraged to have an enhanced CRB check, as it provides protection for themselves as well as the Council;

 

 

(iii)

that for Members not involved in regulated or controlled activities, enhanced CRB checks carried out by other organisations would be accepted by the Council as portable if carried out within the preceding six months;

 

 

(iv)

that the frequency of refreshing CRB checks would be as follows:

Members involved in regulated or controlled activities – every 3 years,

Portable CRB checks – in line with the expiry date, generally 3 years;

Other CRB checks for Members – every 4 years to coincide with the electoral cycle;

 

 

(v)

that a further report be brought to the Committee when the ISA arrangements become operational.