The Audit and Standards Committee of Rother Council met on Monday, 17 June 2024, to discuss various matters, including the monitoring of code of conduct complaints, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman complaints, the external audit plan, the internal audit annual report, a review of the risk register, and a proposed change to the decision-making structure. Key decisions were made to separate the Audit and Standards Committee into two standalone committees and to approve the internal audit manager's opinion on the council's control environment.

Code of Conduct Complaints Monitoring and Other Standards Matters

Linda Walker, the Interim Monitoring Officer, presented the six-monthly report on the Member Code of Conduct complaints. Since the last meeting, 22 complaints were received, involving six district councillors and 26 parish or town councillors. Of these, 19 were dismissed, while the others resulted in training or apologies. Walker highlighted the challenges with one town council and emphasized the importance of training and awareness to address recurring issues. Councillor Brian Grayson declared an interest as a member of Bexhill Town Council.

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Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Complaints Monitoring

Mark Adams, Head of Digital Customer Services, introduced the six-monthly report covering the period from 13 February to 20 May. Five complaints were received, with one upheld relating to a sensitive burial matter. The council apologized and considered compensation. Additionally, 67 non-ombudsman complaints were received, with 33 treated as service requests and 27 as stage 1 complaints. Planning remained the area with the highest number of complaints.

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Grant Thornton - External Audit Plan 2023-24

Darren Wells from Grant Thornton presented the indicative audit plan for 2023-24. The plan highlighted significant risks and set out the proposed audit fee, which has increased due to a revised standard scale fee by the Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited. Wells assured that the council's audit recommendations are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.

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Internal Audit - Annual Report and Opinion 2023-24

Gary Angel, the Council's Internal Audit Manager, delivered the annual report and opinion for 2023-24. The report indicated that 86.2% of the planned audit work was completed, with all reports issued in the final quarter providing good or substantial assurance. Angel expressed concern about staff resourcing issues but concluded that the council's framework of governance, risk management, and control is adequate and effective.

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Review of the Risk Register

Anna Everett, Corporate Program Risk and Improvement Manager, reviewed the risk register, highlighting changes in five key risks. The council's inability to meet housing objectives and the failure to operate within a sustainable budget remain high risks. The risk of failure of a neighbouring authority has been significantly reduced, and the governance arrangements of Blackfriars housing company are now considered effective.

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Proposed Change to the Decision-Making Structure

The committee approved the proposal to separate the Audit and Standards Committee into two standalone committees: the Audit Committee and the Standards Committee. The Audit Committee will comprise eight members and meet five times a year, while the Standards Committee will include a member from each political group and meet twice a year. The changes aim to ensure more focused and effective oversight.

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Work Programme

The work programme was reviewed, noting the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 24 July 2024, which will be chaired by Councillor Barnes. The programme includes various reports and updates to be discussed in future meetings.

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