The Audit and Standards Advisory Committee of Brent Council was scheduled to convene on Wednesday 23 September 2026 to review the performance and management of the Council's housing companies, discuss the response to findings from the Housing Regulator, and examine the Council's strategic risk register. The meeting also included a review of the 2025-26 Statement of Accounts and Audit Findings Reports, alongside planning the Committee's work programme for the upcoming year.

Review of Housing Companies: i4B Holdings Ltd and First Wave Housing Ltd

The Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance and management of two Council-owned housing companies: i4B Holdings Ltd (i4B) and First Wave Housing (FWH). The report aimed to provide assurance on the governance and oversight arrangements in place for these companies, outlining the mechanisms used by the Council to monitor their performance, risk, financial sustainability, and compliance. Key governance developments since the previous report were to be highlighted, including updates from the most recent Shareholder/Guarantor meeting held in July 2026. The report also intended to provide an update on actions arising from the Committee's previous review of these housing companies and the measures in place to strengthen assurance over operational performance, health and safety compliance, and service delivery. The Committee was asked to note the governance arrangements and oversight mechanisms for i4B and FWH and to comment on any areas where further assurance might be required.

Update on Response to Housing Regulator Findings

A report was scheduled to update the Committee on the Council's ongoing progress in response to the C3 regulatory judgement issued by the Regulator of Social Housing following a self-referral in April 2025. This judgement indicated serious failings and the need for significant improvements in safety and quality standards. The update was expected to detail material improvements made, including the rebuild of the True Compliance software, correction of approximately 3,000 certificate issues, removal of inaccurate property records, and closure of over 5,200 fire risk assessment actions since July 2025. Stronger governance and specialist accountability were also to be discussed, alongside stock condition survey coverage reaching 72% with a target of full coverage by April 2027. The report was to acknowledge that despite progress, the Council remained graded C3 and could not yet demonstrate sustained compliance across all safety and quality requirements. Principal areas of non-compliance or high residual risk, such as remaining overdue fire safety actions, completion of Building Safety Cases and external wall assessments, and procurement delays, were to be highlighted. The Committee was to be asked to consider whether risk reduction was keeping pace with recovery, whether closed actions were supported by evidence, and whether procurement delays, system dependencies, and workforce capacity threatened key milestones.

Strategic Risk Register Update

The Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Council's Strategic Risk Register as of September 2026. This report, prepared in consultation with risk leads and Directorate Leadership Teams, was intended to summarise the risks considered to have a material impact and/or likelihood of materialising, potentially adversely affecting the achievement of the Council's corporate objectives. Since the previous update, the overall strategic risk profile was expected to remain heightened. The report was to detail changes in risk scores, including reductions in the Dedicated Schools Grant High Needs Block Deficit and AI Risks, and an increase in Cyber Attacks due to a heightened external threat environment. The risk of Non-compliance with Statutory Housing Duties was noted as remaining one of the highest scoring risks. A new strategic risk, Business Continuity, was to be added to the register. The report was also to outline amendments to existing risks and the action plans in place to manage and mitigate these risks, with clear ownership assigned to promote accountability.

Statement of Accounts 2025-26 & Audit Findings Report

This item was scheduled to provide an update on the statement of accounts for the Council and the Pension Fund for the 2025-26 financial year. The Council had published its draft Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement by the statutory deadline of 30 June 2026. The report was to provide an update on the audit of these accounts by the Council's external auditors, Grant Thornton. The draft Audit Findings Reports for both the Council and the Pension Fund were to be attached as appendices. The report was to detail the status of key audit areas, including outstanding matters such as Property, Plant & Equipment, Borrowings, and Pensions. It was also to highlight a post-balance sheet event relating to a proposed commercial agreement impacting the value of certain Plant, Property and Equipment assets. The Committee was to be asked to recommend approval for the draft letters of representation and to delegate approval for signing off the final statement of accounts to the Chair of the Audit & Standards Committee, subject to written assurance. Agreement of the audit fees for 2025-26 was also on the agenda. The Auditor's Annual Report was to be attached, providing commentary on the Council's arrangements for securing value for money.

Audit & Standards Advisory Committee Forward Plan & Work Programme 2026-27

The Committee was scheduled to review its forward plan and work programme for the 2026-27 municipal year. An amendment to the Forward Plan was to be noted, specifically regarding the item for the approval of the Statement of Accounts, which was to be shown against the September meeting rather than November. Members were to be reminded that the September meeting was expected to have a lengthy agenda and were asked to prepare accordingly.