Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday, 24 November 2016 at 10.30am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Michelle Morris
Depute Chief Executive/
Director of Corporate Development 

Business 

1. Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Introduction of the Council’s External Auditors
Toirt A-steach Luchd-sgrùdaidh na Comhairle on Taobh A-muigh

Members are advised that Joanne Brown, Director of Grant Thornton, the Council’s recently appointed external auditors will be introduced to Committee. 

4. Internal Audit Reviews and Progress Report    
Ath-bhreithneachaidhean In-sgrùdaidh agus Aithisg Adhartais

There is circulated Report No. AS/20/16 dated 14 November 2016 by the Corporate Audit Manager which provides details of the final reports issued since the previous meeting of this Committee, work in progress and other information relevant to the operation of the Internal Audit section as follows:-

• All Services – Rental Income (Limited Assurance) 
• Community Services – Housing Rents (Full Assurance) 
• Finance Service - Matters Arising from the Statement of Internal Control 2015/16 (Substantial Assurance) 
• Development & Infrastructure – LEADER Programme 2015/16 (Substantial Assurance) 
• Development & Infrastructure/ Community Services – Control of Road Bonds & Enforcement of Planning Conditions (Reasonable Assurance) 

The Committee is invited to consider the Final Reports referred to in Section 1.1 to the report and note the current work of the Internal Audit Section.

5. Action Tracking Report        
Aithisg a’ Leantainn Gnìomhachd

There is circulated Report No. AS/21/16 dated 15 November 2016 by the Corporate Audit Manager which provides information regarding the most recent action tracking undertaken since the last update provided to Committee on 16 June 2016.  This update covers the period from 1 May to 31 October 2016. 

The Committee is invited to note the action tracking information provided including the revised target dates for the completion of outstanding actions.

6.Code of Corporate Governance     
Còd Riaghladh Corporra

There is circulated Report No. AS/22/16 dated 7 November 2016 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Development which provides an update on progress with delivering the actions agreed in Local Code of Corporate Governance for 2015/16 and also presents the Code for 2016/17, which was agreed by Highland Council on 27 October, for further scrutiny.
 
The Committee is invited to:-

i.    note the progress on delivering the agreed actions in the 2015/16 Code of Corporate Governance;
ii.   note that Internal Audit has reviewed the Code to inform the Statement on Internal Control and for the Annual Governance Statement; and 
iii.  consider the 2016/17 Code of Corporate Governance.

7. Corporate Complaints Process Report      
Aithisg Ghearanan Corporra

There is circulated Report No. AS/23/16 dated 14 November 2016 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Development which provides an update for Members on the Council’s Corporate Complaints Process for the period 1 April 2016 to 30 September 2016 along with comparative data and includes a high level analysis of our complaint handling per service.

The Committee is invited to note the:-

i.    6 month and annual performance for Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints;  
ii.   benchmarking activity of the Ombudsman; and  
iii.  SPSO Complaints Improvement Framework work that is being undertaken.