Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 October 2021and to deal with any matters arising.

RESOLVED: that the minutes for the Committee meeting on 4 October 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director Finance and Commercialisation providing a review of prudential limits and treasury management for 2020/21 to date.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Finance and Commercialisation providing a review of prudential limits and treasury management for 2020/21 to date.

RESOLVED that the Committee

(i)  Noted the Treasury Management (TM) activities for 2021/22 and performance against Prudential Indicators.

(ii)  Noted that the continued proactive approach to TM has led to reductions in borrowing costs and safeguarded investment income during the year.

(iii)  Delegated authority to the S151 Officer to make any future changes which benefit the authority and to report back at the next Treasury update.

Report of the Service Director: Legal and Business Operations summarising the type and number of complaints received from the 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 together with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman annual review for the same period.

The Committee considered the report of the Service Director: Legal and Business Operations summarising the type and number of complaints received from the 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 together with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman annual review for the same period.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

(i)  noted the report on complaints outcomes for 2020/21; and

(ii)  Requested that officers seek to overcome any disparities within the way that complaints are dealt with, especially within Children’s Services, by ensuring that staff a fully aware and trained on how to deal with the complaints function. 

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Internal Auditor detailing the Internal Audit Progress report for 2021-2022

RESOLVED: that  the Governance Committee noted the Internal Audit Progress report for the period 1^st April 2021 to 29^th October 2021.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Quality and Integration detailing the current contracts managed by the Integrated Commissioning Unit and the arrangements for monitoring and management of these contracts.

RESOLVED that the Committee noted the report’s contents and the work of the Integrated Commissioning Unit (the ICU) to ensure contracts with external agencies for health and care services are properly managed, provide good quality and best value.

Report of the Executive Director for Finance, Commercialisation and S151 Officer setting out proposals for appointing the external auditor to the Council for the 2023/24 accounts and beyond.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director for Finance, Commercialisation and S151 Officer setting out proposals for appointing the external auditor to the Council for the 2023/24 accounts and beyond.

RESOLVED That the Committee recommended to Council that it accepts the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA)  invitation to ‘opt-in’ to the sector led national scheme for the appointment of external auditors.

To move that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the exempt appendix to the following item.

Appendix 2 is considered to be exempt from general publication based on Category (5) of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. It is not the public interest to disclose this because it includes information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

RESOLVED That the Chair moved that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the exempt appendix to the following item.

It was noted  that Appendix 2 is considered to be exempt from general publication based on Category (5) of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. It is not the public interest to disclose this because it includes information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Report of Executive Director for Finance and Commercialisation and Section 151 Officer detailing the annual report.

The Committee received noted the report of the of Executive Director for Finance and Commercialisation and Section 151 Officer detailing the annual report.

To move that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the exempt appendix to the following item.

Appendix 1 is considered to be exempt from general publication based on Category (7a) of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. It is not the public interest to disclose this because doing so could place the Council at a commercial disadvantage.

RESOLVED That the Chair moved that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the exempt appendix to the following item.

It was noted that Appendix 1 wass considered to be exempt from general publication based on Category (7a) of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. That it was not the public interest to disclose this because doing so could place the Council at a commercial disadvantage.

The Committee received and noted the report of the Head of Supplier Management providing an overview of the performance, governance and contractual matters relating to the council’s most strategically important contracts.