Issue - meetings

At the meeting of the Audit Committee held on 7 December 2021 Members approved the Council’s Statement of Accounts 2020-21, which had included the Annual Governance Statement and Action Plan.

One of the responsibilities of the Council’s Governance Group was to conduct an ongoing review of key systems and processes operated within the Council to ensure that effective Corporate Governance was promoted and delivered. The Governance Group had a key role in the ongoing review and development of the Local Code of Corporate Governance and the production of the Annual Governance Statement and Action Plan.

The proposed Local Code of Corporate Governance had been finalised by the Governance Group and was attached at Appendix 2 to the report. This had identified the Council’s policies, procedures and actions which demonstrated compliance with each sub-principle of the Delivering Good Governance in Local Government and underpinned good governance. The existence of a Local Code of Corporate Governance would help inform the production of future Annual Governance Statements and would be subject to scrutiny to ensure that expected actions were being delivered and any gaps identified and addressed.

Progress against the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan was monitored by the Governance Group. The implementation of the areas for improvement which had been identified in the Action Plan were subject to regular review and was attached at Appendix 3. The current position together with the further actions required to implement the improvements were summarised by this Appendix.

Members requested if consideration could be given to further training provision to help obtain the relevant knowledge and understanding required by the many aspects of the Committee. The officers agreed to explore various areas including sessions with other audit committees within Derbyshire; requesting Mazars to identify any appropriate training; and discussions with the County Council’s Member Development Working Group.

RESOLVED that the Committee (1) approves the Local Code of Corporate Governance; and

(2) notes the progress against the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan.