Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes and Councillor Jennifer Adam-McGregor (both Renfrewshire Council); Margaret Kerr and Dorothy McErlean (both Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board); and Alan McNiven (third sector representative).

Margaret Kerr, Chair, presided.

Ken Graham, Head of Corporate Governance (Clerk), Andrea McMahon, Chief Internal Auditor and Elaine Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council); David Leese, Chief Officer, Sarah Lavers, Chief Finance Officer, Amanda Kilburn, Finance Business Partner, Carron O’Byrne, Head of Health and Social Care (Paisley), Kevin Hampsey, Change and Improvement Officer, Diane Young, Operations Nurse Manager and James Higgins, Project Officer (all Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership); and John Cornett, Audit Director and Adam Haahr, Audit Manager (both Audit Scotland).

The Chair intimated that this would be David Leese’s last meeting of the IJB Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee. She thanked David for welcoming her to the committee and for his support and contribution to the work of the committee.

David thanked the Committee for providing scrutiny and direction and endorsed the work of the Committee going forward.

Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Chair intimated that this meeting of the Committee would be recorded and that the recording would be available to watch on both the Council and HSCP websites.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

The Minute of the meeting of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee held on 11 September 2020 was submitted.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

The rolling action log for the IJB Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee was submitted.

The Chair referred to the revised Annual Internal Audit Plan 2020/21 approved at the meeting of this Committee held on 11 September 2020.  The Chief Internal Auditor advised that this audit review had been allocated to an auditor and the terms of reference had been written. The Chief Finance Officer advised that an auditor had engaged with the HSCP finance team.

DECIDED: That the updates to the rolling action log be noted.

Under reference to item 5 of the Minute of the meeting of the IJB held on 26 June 2020, the Chief Finance Officer submitted a report outlining Audit Scotland’s findings from the audit of the IJB’s financial statements for 2019/20.  A copy of the report by Audit Scotland were appended.

The report advised that, in terms of the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014, IJBs must meet to consider the annual accounts and aim to approve those accounts for signature no later than 30 September immediately following the financial year to which they relate. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, additional flexibility in terms of the approval process was provided under the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, which enabled the IJB to set their own timetable for approval of the audited accounts. 

However, Scottish Ministers indicated, in Finance Circular 10/2020, that they considered audited accounts should be published, and therefore approved by the IJB, no later than 30 November 2020.  In order to comply with these requirements, the audited financial statements would be presented to the IJB at a meeting scheduled to be held on 20 November 2020.

The Audit Director made reference to the covering letter, the independent auditor’s report and the letter of representation. He provided an overview of Audit Scotland’s proposed 2019/20 Annual Audit Report and advised that the audit opinions on the IJB’s accounts were unqualified and that the accounts presented a true and fair view of the financial position of the IJB.  In relation to the letter of representation, he advised that this contained nothing of particular concern and that all matters were standard representation items.

The Audit Director thanked the Chief Finance Officer and her team, for their help and support throughout the process and advised members that the quality of the working papers provided during the audit process were of a very high standard.  

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair also thanked the HSCP finance team and the team from Audit Scotland for the work undertaken as part of the audit process and noted that the quality of the work provided was of a very high standard.

The Chair then proposed that members approve the letter of representation and note the reports from Audit Scotland. This was agreed. 

DECIDED: 

(a) That the letter of representation be approved; and

(b) That the Audit Scotland reports be noted.

Under reference to item 5 of the Minute of the meeting of the IJB held on 26 June 2020, the Chief Finance Officer submitted a report relative to the audited annual accounts for the IJB for 2019/20, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report intimated that the audited annual accounts to 31 March 2020, which had been prepared in line with proper accounting practice and statute, had been submitted to the appointed auditor. The audited financial statements would be presented to the IJB at a meeting scheduled to be held on 20 November 2020.

It was noted that, during the course of the audit, a number of presentational adjustments had been identified and had been updated in the audited annual accounts.  There were no unadjusted misstatements which, due to materiality, had not been reflected in the annual accounts.

The Chief Finance Officer thanked her team for the high standard of work carried out in difficult circumstances this year and advised that a report on the financial outlook would be submitted to the IJB meeting next week which addressed recommendation 1 in Audit Scotland’s report.

The Chief Officer thanked the Chief Finance Officer, Amanda Kilburn, the finance team and Audit Scotland for the complex work undertaken during the audit process. He also thanked all staff involved in the presentation of the accounts.

It was proposed that consideration be given to the production of a summary document capturing the performance highlights and key messages from the audited accounts for wider publication. This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the IJB Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee recommend to the IJB that the audited annual accounts 2019/20 be approved for signature; and

 

 

(b) That consideration be given to the production of a summary document capturing the performance highlights and key messages from the audited accounts for wider publication.

Under reference to item 4 of the Minute of the meeting of this Committee held on 11 September 2020, the Chief Officer submitted a report providing an update on the status of the IJB Strategic Risk Register as at November 2020, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report intimated that the status of the Strategic Risk Register was regularly reported to the HSCP SMT and updated as required. Scrutiny of the register would be undertaken by the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee and information relating to key partnership risks would be provided to the IJB for awareness.

There were six live risks on the register with four items having a risk level of high and two with a risk level of moderate.  It was noted that there had been no risks recommended for closure since the last review by the Committee in June 2020.

It was proposed that a risk matrix which defined the level of risk be included in the register and that the register be submitted to all meetings of the Committee to allow consideration of the strategic direction and long-term implications and also the shape of the IJB in the medium-term. This was agreed.   

DECIDED: 

(a) That, following review of the content of the report, the IJB Strategic Risk Register be approved; and

(b) That a matrix be included in the IJB Strategic Risk Register and that it be submitted to all meetings of this Committee to allow consideration of the strategic direction and long-term implications and also the shape of the IJB in the medium-term.

Under reference to item 10 of the Minute of the meeting of this Committee held on       19 June 2020, the Chief Officer submitted a report providing an update in relation to the Care Inspectorate inspection of HSCP internally operated Care at Home Services undertaken in October 2019.

The report intimated that Renfrewshire’s Care at Home Services were inspected on 31 October 2019 against three quality themes: quality of care and support; quality of staffing; and quality of management and leadership.  The service was graded as ‘4 good, important strengths for improvement’ for quality of care and support and quality of staffing, and ‘3 adequate, strengths just outweigh weakness’ for quality of management and leadership. 

The report detailed the recommendation made in relation to quality of care and support and the one requirement in relation to quality of management and leadership and the action taken in relation to each.

 

Care at Home services were currently undertaking development sessions to identify and implement improvements to support the service in managing challenges around increasing demand, recruitment and retention whilst also addressing the recommendation and requirement in the Care Inspectorate report.

The measures put in place from this work would be closely monitored and kept under review with a detailed action plan, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The Chief Officer advised that a further update report would be submitted to the meeting of this Committee scheduled to be held on 18 June 2021.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the performance of the HSCP internal Care at Home services, with services graded as ‘adequate’ for quality of management and leadership and ‘good’ for quality of care and support and quality of staffing be noted; 

(b) That the actions taken towards the requirement and recommendation set out in the Care Inspectorate report of 31 October 2019 be noted; and

(c) That it be noted that a further update report be submitted to the meeting of this Committee scheduled to be held on 18 June 2021.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of this Committee would be held at 10.00 am on 12 March 2021.