The Audit and Standards Committee of Staffordshire County Council met on Tuesday 21 April 2026 to review the council's information governance, civil contingencies, and internal audit functions. Key decisions included the endorsement of changes to the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board's terms of reference, the approval of the Internal Audit Charter for 2026, and the adoption of the proposed Internal Audit Strategy and Plan for 2026/27.

Annual Report on Information Governance 2025/26

The committee received the annual report on Information Governance for the period April 2025 to March 2026. Tracey Foley, Assistant Director for Corporate Operations, presented the report, highlighting a significant increase in Subject Access Requests (SARs), particularly within Children's Services, which had impacted response times. Despite this, the council reported a slight decline in information security incidents. While 20 data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), all cases resulted in no further action being taken. The report also noted a dramatic decline in Freedom of Information response rates due to staffing issues, with temporary agency support now in place to address backlogs. The council had also successfully completed the Data Security and Protection Toolkit for 2024/25 and received confirmation of compliance with the 'Get CAF Ready' programme for local authorities, securing a £15,000 grant to strengthen third-party and supply chain security. The committee accepted the report, acknowledging that information governance practices were appropriate, current, and well-communicated.

Annual Civil Contingencies Report 2025/26

Adam Cooper, Head of Registration Service & Emergency Planning, presented the annual Civil Contingencies Report for 2025/26. The report assured members that Staffordshire County Council's emergency planning, response, recovery, and business continuity arrangements were fit for purpose and compliant with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Key achievements from the past year included reviewing and exercising a COMAH site external emergency plan, maintaining an accredited training and exercise programme, and implementing a national power outage plan. A new Care & Welfare Task & Finish Group was established to enhance humanitarian assistance and support for vulnerable people. The council also developed a combined Staffordshire Resilience Forum (SRF) and Local Health Resilience Partnership Risk Management Framework and created the Staffordshire Voluntary Emergency Network (SVEN) Framework. The report detailed the council's governance structure for emergency planning, its updated Civil Contingencies Policy, and reviewed plans such as the Reservoir Plan and the SCC Incident Response Guide. Business continuity management had been strengthened with a revised framework rolled out across all directorates, and a new programme of testing and validating business continuity plans had commenced. The committee considered the report and the assurances provided, accepting that the emergency planning arrangements were fit for purpose and up to date.

Internal Audit Charter 2026

Lisa Andrews, Assistant Director – Audit, Risk Management and Insurance Services, presented the Internal Audit Charter for 2026. This annual document, which defines the purpose, authority, and responsibilities of the internal audit function, had been revised to comply with the Global Internal Audit Standards in the UK Public Sector, which came into effect on 1 April 2025. A key change for the 2026 Charter is the inclusion of a requirement for both internal and external auditors to meet annually with the committee in private, without senior management present. The committee endorsed the Internal Audit Charter 2026.

Proposed Internal Audit Strategy & Plan 2026/27

Lisa Andrews also presented the proposed Internal Audit Strategy and Plan for 2026/27. The plan was developed through consultation with senior leadership, wider leadership teams, and operational managers, and is aligned with the council's Corporate Risk Register and the new Strategic Plan. Key areas of focus for the upcoming year include new system implementations (Finance & HR ERP and Care Case Management), Local Government Reorganisation support, Children's Services improvements following the Ofsted review, SEND governance, and digital transformation projects including AI and RPA. The plan also emphasises strong financial management and controls, a full programme of ICT audits including cyber assurance, and continued counter-fraud work. The committee reviewed the proposed content and coverage of the Internal Audit Strategy and Plan 2026/27 and approved it.

Proposed Update to the Constitution

Jennifer Norman, Member and Democratic Services Support Officer, presented a report on proposed updates to the Council's Constitution concerning the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board. Following a review of the board's format and scope, revised terms of reference were agreed, including the establishment of a smaller formal board for statutory responsibilities and a larger informal board for discussions. A co-chairing arrangement, with the Cabinet Member for Health and Care and a clinical lead from the Integrated Care Board, was also adopted. The committee noted these changes and endorsed them, referring them to Full Council with a recommendation to update the Constitution accordingly.

Forward Plan for the Audit and Standards Committee 2026/27

The committee reviewed the Forward Plan for the Audit and Standards Committee for 2026/27. Lisa Andrews highlighted the cyclical nature of the committee's business, noting that the next meeting on 7 July would include the second outturn report. The committee noted the format and content of the forward plan.

The meeting concluded with a five-minute comfort break before moving to exempt items.