The Audit and Risk Management Panel of Greenwich Council met on Wednesday 24 June 2026. The meeting agenda included a review of the council's internal audit plan for the upcoming year, consideration of the Head of Audit's annual report for 2025/26, and discussion of the panel's terms of reference and work programme. The meeting also included a review of the action log and a discussion on the anti-fraud service's performance.

Audit & Risk Management Panel Terms of Reference and Draft Work Programme 2026/27

The panel was scheduled to consider its Terms of Reference and its draft work programme for the 2026/27 period. The Terms of Reference, which align with guidance from the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), outline the panel's responsibilities in overseeing governance, risk, and control arrangements, as well as financial reporting and audit assurance. The draft work programme for 2026/27 was structured around these key areas: Governance, risk and control; Governance and financial reporting; Audit and assurance; and Accountability arrangements. The report noted that the work programme is in draft format to allow for flexibility in responding to emerging issues. The panel was to consider noting and approving the Terms of Reference and the draft work programme, which supports the council's missions of being an adaptive and efficient organisation.

Internal Audit Plan 2026/27

The panel was asked to consider the Internal Audit Plan for 2026/27. This plan is a statutory requirement under The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and aligns with the Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS). The plan is developed based on a documented assessment of the council's strategies, objectives, and risks, drawing from sources such as the council's risk register, Annual Governance Statement, and external auditor reports. The plan allocates 957 audit days, including 146 contingency days, and covers various audit activities across different governance domains. The report highlighted that the Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud team was managing staffing resource implications following departures, and a review was underway to enhance the service's resilience.

Head of Audit Annual Report 2025/26

The panel was scheduled to review the Head of Audit's annual report for 2025/26. This report, presented in line with the council's Constitution and the GIAS, provides an opinion on the effectiveness of the council's governance, risk management, and control processes. The report indicated that the internal audit function had undertaken 67 engagements, with 39 completed during the year. The Head of Audit's opinion was that the arrangements provided Reasonable Assurance that material risks were being identified and managed effectively, although improvements were still required in certain areas. The report also detailed the performance of the Anti-Fraud Service, including statistics on referrals and investigations related to Housing Benefit fraud, tenancy fraud, and Blue Badge misuse. The report noted that 214 referrals were received in 2025/26, with investigations into 131 cases concluded.

Action Log

The panel was to receive the current Action Log, which is a standing item established to improve transparency and accountability. This log tracks progress against agreed actions from previous Audit and Risk Management Panel meetings. The log indicated that an action to benchmark internal audit compliance with Global Internal Audit Standards against other London boroughs had been completed, with the finding that comparable data was difficult to identify and that benchmarking would be incorporated into the scope of the upcoming External Quality Assessment.