This week, the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council held three meetings. Here are the key takeaways:

Audit & Governance Committee – Tuesday 25 June 2024

The Audit & Governance Committee met to review several important reports concerning the financial health and risk management of the Council.

Annual Report

The Committee approved the draft Annual Report for 2022-2023 and recommended it for the next Council meeting. This report is crucial as it summarises the Council's activities and financial performance over the past year.

Internal Audit Progress Report

The Internal Audit Progress Report indicated that the Internal Audit team had completed all but one of its planned audits for the 2023/24 financial year. Significant progress was noted in improving the Council's overall audit score, with key risks identified in cyber security, the cost of living crisis, and the financial sustainability of the Council.

The audit universe has remained relatively stable throughout 2023/24, with limited new additions and removals as a result of service changes or emerging risks.

External Audit Progress Report

The External Audit Progress Report from Grant Thornton confirmed that there were no matters requiring reporting under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

Overall, the Council has made positive progress in strengthening its financial resilience and addressing the issues identified in the Best Value Notice.

Annual Risk Management Report 2023/24

The Annual Risk Management Report highlighted several strategic risks, including financial sustainability, children's services, climate change, and data security. Controls are in place to manage these risks effectively.

Counter Fraud Annual Report

The Counter Fraud Annual Report detailed the Council's efforts in investigating fraud. The Council received 196 allegations of fraud in 2023/24, a 12% decrease from the previous year. Notably, the Council prevented a loss of £394,826, including £170,000 related to fraudulent COVID-19 business grant applications.

Head of Internal Audit Annual Audit Opinion Report 2023/24

The Annual Audit Opinion Report concluded that while the Council had made good progress, there were still areas needing improvement, particularly in financial management and risk management.

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2023/24

The Treasury Outturn Report showed that the Council's borrowing increased by £40m to £218m due to inflation and interest rate rises. The Council complied with its treasury management strategy for the year.

Going Concern

The Going Concern report confirmed that the Council is expected to meet its financial liabilities for at least the next 12 months.

Annual Governance Statement

The Annual Governance Statement concluded that the Council has appropriate governance arrangements in place to achieve its objectives and manage risks effectively.

Backstop Proposals

The Backstop Proposals outlined the process for appointing a new Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, and Section 151 Officer if current postholders are unable to continue.

Standards Committee – Wednesday 26 June 2024

The Standards Committee discussed training for Councillors and adopted new guidance on planning matters.

Member Training 2024-25

The Committee reviewed the training undertaken by Councillors and noted the need for more participation. There was a discussion about possibly linking training completion to allowances, as done in Pembrokeshire.

Planning Protocol for Members and Officers

The Member Officer Planning Protocol was adopted. This protocol aims to balance the role of Councillors in representing their communities with ensuring fair and transparent planning application determinations.

This protocol seeks to find a balance between the important role of Councillors in representing the views of their communities and ensuring that all planning applications are determined fairly and transparently.

Other Meetings

Two other meetings were held on Friday 28 June 2024, but no transcripts or videos were provided for these sessions:

• Meeting 1
• Meeting 2

For more details on these and future meetings, please visit the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council meetings page.