The Audit Committee of Havering Council met on Thursday 17 April 2025 to approve the draft Internal Audit Plan for 2025/26 and the updated Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy. The committee also reviewed the Draft Annual Governance Statement for 2024/25.

Draft Internal Audit Plan 2025/26

The committee approved the Draft Internal Audit Plan for 2025/26, which has been developed to reflect the Council's strategic risks and objectives. The plan is designed to be continuous and flexible, allowing for changes in the operational environment. The Internal Audit Charter was also approved, having been updated to align with the Global Internal Audit Standards.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy

The committee received and noted the updated Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy for 2025-2028. Members discussed how the strategy's delivery would be monitored, with quarterly progress reports being made public. Concerns were raised about the achievability of the strategy given the council's financial situation, but a proactive approach to tenancy fraud was highlighted as ongoing. The committee was reminded of the recent increase in Right to Buy applicants due to changes in discounts, and the importance of a proactive, embedded approach to fraud prevention was emphasised. The strategy's flexibility and internal resource adjustments were supported, and it was noted that there were no significant changes at this four-year review. The strategy will be published on the Council's intranet upon approval.

Draft Annual Governance Statement 2024/25

The committee reviewed and discussed the Draft Annual Governance Statement for 2024/25. Members were informed that Havering is on track to separate from the OneSource IT shared service with London Borough of Newham by 31 December 2025, and that Newham would incur costs if they remained in the shared service arrangement beyond this date. It was noted that Newham is currently behind Havering's timeline for this separation. Any expected delays to Havering's separation would be reported.