Agenda item

7.1

The Committee considered a report regarding the Internal Audit Tracker on progress with recommendation implementation.  The report tracked progress made against recommendations in audit reports that had been given a no assurance opinion, or a limited assurance with high organisational impact opinion.

7.2

The Senior Finance Manager (Internal Audit) Linda Hunter advised that four reviews were added to the recommendation tracker report in December 2022.  These were not followed up for the last report in January 2023 due to the original agreed implementation dates.  For three of the reports the implementation dates had now passed and where included in the report.

These reports were:-

• Heritage Park Community School
• Holgate Meadows Community School
• Freedom of Information (FOI/Subject Access Requests (SAR) recovery plan.

For this period no new reports had been added.

7.3

Members raised concerns over FOI timescales and responding to these in a timely manner.  It was advised that resource had been put into getting through the backlog of FOI’s and there was a plan in place.  There was a need to improve the systems we have in place and the processing times.

7.4

Sarah Green from the FOI team was on the forward plan to come and update the committee.  It was requested that she bring a report back sooner.

7.5

In terms of the impact that this was having on staff, it was requested that an action be put in the plan to ensure support was in place for staff.

7.6

RESOLVED: - that the Audit and Standards Committee notes the content of the report and agrees to the removal of the following reports from the tracker;

• Direct Payments
• Adult Safeguarding