Skip to main content
Business - Renfrewshire Council
You are in Meetings

Meeting Details

Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board
25 Oct 2021 - 10:00 to 12:00
  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests
  • Webcast

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Councillors
Standard Items
Hybrid Meeting
Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers.  However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish.
Recording of Meeting

This meeting will be recorded for subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site. If you have any queries regarding this please contact Committee Services on 07734358719

To find the recording please follow the link below

https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/608639.

Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Board would be webcast live on the Council's website.

Thereafter the Clerk undertook a roll call of members in attendance at the meeting, indicating those in the Council Chamber and those participating remotely.
Section 1 Heading
Section 1
Apologies
Apologies from members.
Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest.
Councillor Sharkey declared a non-financial interest in respect of Item 4 - Review of Bus Deregulation and Effect on Transport Services in Renfrewshire, as he was currently in dispute with McGill’s Bus Company and intimated that it was his intention to remain in the meeting and to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

Councillor Hood declared a non-financial interest in respect of Item 4 - Review of Bus Deregulation and Effect on Transport Services in Renfrewshire, as he was currently in dispute with McGill’s Bus Company and intimated that it was his intention to remain in the meeting and to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.
Section 2 Heading
AUDIT
Section 2
Report by Chief Auditor.
1
There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to the requirement in terms of the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) that Internal Audit communicated the results of each engagement to the Board.

The appendix to the report detailed the category of assurance, service, engagement and assurance rating and gave recommended risk ratings for each engagement as either critical, important, good practice or service improvement. A summary of findings was also provided in relation to final reports issued for those engagements completed during the period 1 July to 30 September 2021.

The report intimated that in addition to the reports listed in the appendix, Internal Audit had an ongoing commitment to arrange corporate and service initiatives, progress information security matters in partnership with ICT and Legal Services, provide regular advice to officers, provide Internal Audit services to the associated bodies for which Renfrewshire Council was the lead authority and to Renfrewshire Leisure and Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Integration Joint Board, co-ordination of the Council’s Corporate Risk Management activity and management of the counter fraud, risk management and insurance team.

DECIDED: That the summary of Audit findings report for the period 1 July to 30 September 2021 be noted.
Report by Chief Auditor.
2
There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to Internal Audit and Counter Fraud performance between 1 April and 30 September 2021 in terms of the delivery of the Audit Plan for the year and outlining actual performance against targets set by the Director of Finance & Resources.

No formal performance targets for fraud investigation had been established as a major part of the team’s work involved being the single point of contact for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Single Fraud Investigation Service and the Service Level Agreement for the work contained time targets for completing this work. It was noted that the focus over the last year had been on increasing fraud awareness amongst employees to prevent fraud from occurring against the Council. The types of fraud referrals received to date were wide-ranging and the team’s objective was to concentrate on investigating those referrals considered to contain the greatest fraud risk. 

The report also detailed the progress made against local and national initiatives involving Internal Audit and the Counter Fraud Team in the period.

The report advised that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic joint working with the DWP’s Single Fraud Investigation service had ceased and they had now been informed that some of the fraud work had recommended. All of the Counter Fraud Team were currently working at home although any necessary site/home visits had recommenced.

It was noted that the Internal Audit team also worked from home full-time and were continuing to work on planned audit assignments.  The Team also provided advice and support where necessary to Council services.

DECIDED:  That the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Team progress and performance from 1 April to 30 June 2021 be noted.
Section 3 Heading
MONITORING & REVIEWING SERVICE DELIVERY PERFORMANCE POLICIES AND PRACTICE
Section 3
Report by Chief Executive.
3
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the annual complaints report 2020/21.

The report intimated that the Council’s complaint-handling procedure ensured that the Council knew how well it was delivering its services and showed its commitment to using the issues raised in complaints to improve services. Full implementation of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s (SPSO) guidance commenced within the Council from 1 March 2013 which introduced quicker, simpler and more streamlined complaints handling with local, early resolution. 

The report provided information on complaints closed during the year from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 and performance on key indicators and highlighted improvements made to the complaints handling procedure over the past year to ensure that complaints were handled well, and the organisation learned from them and improved services

It was noted that 2020/21 had been a year of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no service being untouched by changes to service delivery and with a range of new services which required to be delivered in response to restrictions in place. It was recognised by the SPSO and Councils that the pandemic also had an impact on complaints handling, as many staff who were responsible for complaints handling were redeployed to critical response work, or provided advice on new services, grants or support available. Despite the significant challenges of the pandemic, services continued to strive to resolve complaints and support customers throughout the process, as a result performance for complaints handling had remained comparatively stable over 2020/21.

The SPSO introduced changes to the national complaints handling process in 2019.  Local authorities were required to introduce these changes by April 2021. The key changes to the statutory model were set out within the report; and a new system to support the logging of and learning from complaints was launched by the Council in April 2020.

A performance scorecard was included within the appendix to the report to provide additional data.  It was noted that the performance indicators that had declined in performance for 2020/21 would be further explored and monitored, working closely with services to identify where additional support and guidance was required.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Section 4 Heading
ANNUAL PROGRAMME
Section 4

Report by Lead Officer.

 

 

 

 

 

4
Under reference to Item 8 - Bus Deregulation and the Effect on Transport Services in Renfrewshire - of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 24 August 2020, there was submitted a report by the Lead Officer relative to an update on the review of bus deregulation and the effect on transport services in Renfrewshire.

The report updated the Board on the operation of bus services during the pandemic and the early stages of recovery, developments over this period and progress in relation to the bus service provisions of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

It was proposed that the Lead Officer write to the witnesses who had previously submitted evidence to afford them the opportunity of updating their evidence.  This was agreed.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the information presented at this stage of the review be noted; 

(b)  That the next stage of the review be noted; and

(c)  That the Lead Officer write to the witnesses who had previously submitted evidence to afford them the opportunity of updating their evidence.
Section 5 Heading
AUDIT
Section 5
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
The Board may by resolution exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public are present, there could be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1973.

The Board resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Item 6 as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Exempt Item
Exempt documents are no longer available in print format.  You will require to log in to Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Exempt Items to access documents.  Please note that access to exempt documents is now restricted.
Report by Chief Auditor.
5
There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to the requirement in terms of the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) that Internal Audit reported on the findings and conclusions of audit engagements to the Board. The appendix to the report provided a summary of the findings of four internal audit investigations.

DECIDED:   That the summary of Audit Reports finalised during the period from 1 July to 30 September 2021 be noted.
Section 6 Heading
Section 6
Section 7 Heading
Section 7
Section 8 Heading
Section 8

Attendance

Name
No other member attendance information has been recorded for the meeting.
NameReason for Sending Apology
No apology information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
Councillor John Hood4Non-financial interest declared by way of communication with McGills Bus CompanyNon-PecuniaryRemained in meeting and took part in discussion/vote.
Councillor Jim Sharkey4Non-financial interest declared by way of communication with McGills Bus CompanyNon-PecuniaryRemained in meeting and took part in discussion/vote.

Visitors

Visitor Information is not yet available for this meeting

Webcast



This link will take you to an external website, the content displayed is managed and hosted externally to CMIS. Please note that the webcast may not be immediately available due to third party synchronisation delays.