Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes and Councillor Jennifer Adam-McGregor (both Renfrewshire Council); Margaret Kerr and Dorothy McErlean (both Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board); Alan McNiven (third sector representative); and David Wylie (Health Board staff member involved in service provision).

Margaret Kerr, Chair, presided.

Ken Graham, Head of Corporate Governance (Clerk), Andrea McMahon, Chief Internal Auditor (for items 1 to 3 only) and Elaine Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council); David Leese, Chief Officer, Sarah Lavers, Chief Finance Officer, Jean Still, Head of Administration and James Higgins, Project Officer (all Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership); and John Cornett, Audit Director  and Mark Ferris, Senior Audit Manager (both Audit Scotland).

David Wylie joined the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

The Chair intimated that items 5 and 6 of the agenda would be considered together and requested that the Audit Director refer to matters which were relevant to the IJB.

Guides produced by Audit Scotland entitled ‘Guide for audit and risk committees’ and ‘Implications for public finances in Scotland’ were submitted.

The ‘Guide for audit and risk committees’ focused on the short-term challenges facing public bodies in the response phase of the pandemic.  It had been prepared for auditors and public bodies and provided audit and risk committee members with suggested questions to help them effectively scrutinise and challenge in key areas.

The ‘Implications for public finances in Scotland’ guide brought together Audit Scotland’s analysis of the latest position on how public money was being spent and funded in Scotland, before considering the key financial and performance risks facing the Scottish Government.

The Audit Director provided an overview of the publications to members and advised that the ‘Guide for audit and risk committees’ was the second guide produced by Audit Scotland since the pandemic and was applicable to any committee or board.  In relation to the ‘Implications for public finances in Scotland’ he advised that publication had been written at a point in time and matters had since moved on.

DECIDED: That the publications and overview provided by the Audit Director be noted.

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

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 19 June 2020 was submitted.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

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

It was noted that the action in relation to Local Code and Sources of Assurance for Governance Arrangements would be closed as members had been provided with the clarification sought.  Further, that in relation to the action on Inspection of Care at Home Services by the Care Inspectorate, the update report would be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee.

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

Under reference to item 3 of the Minute of the meeting of the IJB Audit Committee held on 31 January 2020, the Chief Internal Auditor submitted a report relative to a revision to the Annual Internal Audit Plan 2020/21.

The report intimated that, when approved, it was noted that the plan might be subject to amendment during the course of the year due to the emergence of issues of greater priority or other unforeseen circumstances. The global COVID-19 pandemic had necessitated a review of the plan in light of emerging risks arising from new or revised duties placed on the IJB.

The current plan formed Appendix 1 to the report and the revised plan formed Appendix 2 to the report.  It was noted that the revised plan still provided for 35 days of audit resource and proposed to replace the main assurance review of budget monitoring with a review of providers sustainability payments. If approved, this review would commence during quarter 3, September to December 2020.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the revised Annual Internal Audit Plan 2020/21, which formed Appendix 2 to the report, be approved; 

(b) That it be noted that the revised Annual Internal Audit Plan 2020/21 would be shared with the local authority and the health board; and

(c) That the proposed timescale for commencement of the audit review be noted.

The Chief Officer submitted a report providing detail on the IJB’s risk management framework most recently approved in November 2017.

The report set out the significant changes in the IJB’s operating context over the last six months as a result of COVID-19 and the commencement of recovery and renewal programme activity, factors which acted as drivers for a review of this framework; and the HSCP’s proposal for a review process to be undertaken, with the objective of agreeing a revised risk management framework for implementation from 1 April 2021. 

It was noted that the HSCP would work with IJB members throughout this process to ensure that a robust and flexible framework was in place to manage risks arising from the current and future complex and challenging environment.  

It was proposed that update reports be submitted to future meetings of this Committee and this was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the status of the existing risk management framework and external content be noted; 

(b) That the proposal for a review of the risk management framework be approved; and

(c) That update reports be submitted to future meetings of this Committee.

The Head of Administration submitted a report relative to a change to the date of the next meeting.

The report intimated that following discussion with the Chair and Vice Chair it was proposed that the meeting of this Committee scheduled to be held at 10.00 am on 4 December 2020 be rescheduled to 9.30 am on 13 November 2020 to facilitate consideration of the audited annual accounts, prior to submission to the meeting of the IJB scheduled to be held on 20 November 2020.

It was noted that owing to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, flexibility in terms of the timescales for approval of the audited annual accounts had been provided under The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020. Scottish Ministers had indicated an expectation that audited annual accounts would be published by 30 November 2020.

The Chair intimated that the change to the date of the meeting allowed members of this Committee to consider and scrutinise the accounts, the audit output and any relevant matters prior to submission to the IJB.

The Chair requested that the Head of Administration review the workplan for the Committee to ensure that the change to the date for the consideration and scrutiny of the audited accounts and any other matters affected were accurately reflected. 

DECIDED: 

(a) That the meeting of this Committee scheduled to be held at 10.00 am on 4 December 2020 be rescheduled to 9.30 am on 13 November 2020; and

(b) That the Head of Administration review the workplan for the Committee to ensure that the change to the date for the consideration and scrutiny of the audited accounts and any other matters affected were accurately reflected.