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Meeting Details

Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board
24 Jan 2022 - 10:00 to 12:00
  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests
  • Webcast

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Councillors
Standard Items
Remote Meeting
This meeting will be held remotely with all attendees participating via the Microsoft TEAMS platform. The meeting will be broadcast live via the Council’s website. Following the meeting a recording of the meeting will be available to view on the Councils website. If you have any queries regarding this please contact Committee Services on 07734358719.
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.
Section 2 Heading
AUDIT
Section 3 Heading
MONITORING & REVIEWING SERVICE DELIVERY PERFORMANCE POLICIES AND PRACTICE
Section 3
Report by Acting Director of Finance & Resources.
2
There was submitted a report by the Acting Director of Finance & Resources relative to an update on the strategic, corporate and key service risks for 2021/2022.

The report advised on the latest position in managing the agreed risks for the final quarter of the year. The appendices provided details of longer-term strategic and corporate risks as at 15 December 2021, details of longer-term significant service risks as at 15 December 2021 and a list of ‘business as usual’ risks.

DECIDED:  That the progress being made by Council in managing the risks identified be noted.



Report by Acting Director of Finance & Resources.
3
There was submitted a report by the Acting Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Council’s absence statistics for quarter 2 ending 30 September 2021 and for quarter 3 ending 31 December 2021.

The report provided information in relation to absence targets and how services and categories of staff had performed against them. An analysis of the reasons for absence for the period was included in the report. Information was also provided on supporting attendance activity levels by service and costs of sick pay and the overall number of days lost.

DECIDED: That the report on absence statistics for quarter 2 ending 30 September 2021 and for quarter 3 ending 31 December 2021be noted.
Report by Acting Director of Finance & Resources.
4
There was submitted a report by the Acting Director of Finance & Resources relative to the annual report by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.

The report provided details of the investigation of complaints about the conduct of councillors, members of devolved public bodies and MSPs and scrutiny of Scotland's Ministerial public appointments process.

It was noted that a new Acting Commissioner for Ethical Standards had taken over in April 2021 and was faced with significant activity during a particularly challenging period due to staff movement and restructure.  A revised 2020/24 strategic plan was published and the Code of Conduct was reviewed in order to bring it up to date, make the Code easier to understand, and to take into account developments in society such as the increased use of social media.

Nationally during 2020/21 the Commissioner received 238 complaints compared with 284 in 2019/20. The subject matter of the complaints was detailed in the report, however, it was highlighted that the largest category of complaints related to disrespect toward employees/public.

No specific figures relative to Renfrewshire Council were included in the Commissioner’s report. However, information had been received separately from the Commissioner that, during the period covered by the report five complaints had been received compared with five in 2019/20 and three in 2018/19.  Of the five complaints received three of these were about disrespect to the public/council officers, one related to a declaration of interest and one concerned disrespect towards councillors.  Four of the complaints were dismissed at the admissibility stage and did not progress to investigation. One of the complaints progressed to investigation where the Commissioner found the Councillor in breach of the Code of Conduct and referred the case to the Standards Commission for Scotland.




DECIDED:

(a) That the 2020/21 annual report by the Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland be noted; and

(b) That the actions taken in Renfrewshire in relation to the Code of Conduct and members' development opportunities be noted.
Section 4 Heading
ANNUAL PROGRAMME
Section 4
Report by Lead Officer.
5
Under reference to Item 7 – Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Annual Programme 2021/22 – Request for Review of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 15 November 2020, there was submitted a report by the Lead Officer relative to the proposed purpose, scope and terms of reference and witnesses to be called for the review of linking the national cycle route 7 with Howwood.

The report advised that the key purpose of the review was to understand what motivated people to use, and the demand for, walking and cycling from the National Cycle Route 7 at Lochwinnoch to and from Howwood; set out the current provision for walking and cycling from the National Cycle Route 7 at Lochwinnoch to and from Howwood; and identify any other mitigation that could be recommended which the Council could pursue within available resources.

A copy of the proposed timetable was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the purpose and scope of the review be approved;

(b) That the provisional timescale as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(c) That the Lead Officer be authorised to contact any organisations recommended by the Board who may have information useful to the Board and who may be potential witnesses;

(d)  That powers be delegated to the Lead Officer in consultation with the Convener to alter the timetable having regard to the availability of evidence and witnesses throughout the course of the review;

(e) That the Lead Officer be authorised to make the necessary arrangements to progress the review within the agreed timescales.
Section 5 Heading
AUDIT
Section 5
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.
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.
Report by Chief Auditor.
6
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 October to 31 December 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.
NameReason for Absence
No absentee information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
Councillor Jim Sharkey9Has relatives in Renfrewshire CemeteriesNon-Pecuniarytbc

Visitors

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Webcast



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