The Audit Committee of Wokingham Council was scheduled to consider a range of financial and governance matters at its meeting on Wednesday 23 September 2026. Key discussions were scheduled to include updates on the council's financial accounts, risk management, and corporate governance.

Building Back Assurance Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from KPMG regarding the council's progress in rebuilding assurance for its financial statements. This report detailed the work undertaken to date and further steps required to achieve full assurance, with the council's audit categorised as 'A', indicating it is expected to be relatively straightforward. The report noted that the council's accounts for 2024/25 had received a qualified opinion, and the aim was to achieve an unmodified opinion for the 2025/26 accounts.

CIPFA Management Code

A report was scheduled to be presented regarding the CIPFA Financial Management Code, which sets a standard for financial management in local authorities. The council was to report on its progress against the code's principles, which focus on financial sustainability, resilience, and transparency. The report was expected to highlight progress made in areas such as financial training for budget managers, the integration of the asset management plan with the capital programme, and the process of bringing auditing of closed accounts up to date.

Risk Assurance Plan

The committee was scheduled to review a Risk Assurance Plan designed to outline assurance and improvement activities related to each corporate risk. This plan aims to increase transparency in the management of strategic risks, improve coordination between council committees, and provide a holistic view of risk management. The plan maps corporate risks to the relevant committees, including the Audit Committee, Standards Committee, Employment & Staffing Committee, and Overview & Scrutiny committees, and proposes a programme of risk spotlights.

Risk Spotlight – Corporate Governance

A spotlight report was scheduled to focus on the corporate governance risk, which is identified as a long-term strategic risk. The report was to detail the current position, noting that governance arrangements remain broadly effective but are influenced by increasing financial pressures and regulatory expectations. The risk trend was described as stable but with potential to increase, and the council's risk appetite for governance failures was noted as low. Mitigating actions, including the implementation of the Annual Governance Statement action plan and an upcoming LGA Corporate Peer Review, were to be discussed.

Corporate Risk Register Review

The committee was scheduled to review the Corporate Risk Register for September 2026. This register, updated following reviews by an officer Risk Management Group and the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT), was expected to show a net increase in overall risk due to the reassessment of risk 32, Delivery of Sustainable Improvement across the Local Area SEND Partnership. The report was to detail changes to existing risks and mitigating actions, with the top corporate risks identified as Budget and Financial Resilience, Costs of Provision for Children with SEND, Cyber Security, Adult Social Care supplier sustainability and sufficiency, and Children's Placement & Transitional Accommodation Sufficiency.

Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) Annual Report 2025/26

The SIRO Annual Report was scheduled to be presented, providing strategic assurance on the council's arrangements for information governance, data protection, cyber security, and information risk management. The report was expected to confirm that information risks are being managed at an acceptable level, while also highlighting areas requiring continued attention. Key areas of discussion were to include data breach management, IT security and cyber risks, and access to information requests under FOI, EIR, and the Data Protection Act.

Forward Programme

The committee was also scheduled to consider the forward programme for the remainder of the municipal year, outlining items planned for future meetings.