Agenda item

To report to Full Council the commitment and effectiveness of the Corporate Governance Committee’s work from April 2018 to March 2019.

Members considered the Corporate Governance Annual Report presented by Kathy Woodward.

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows;

1.    Councillor Booth suggested that the response to point 1.13 (page 169 of the agenda pack) should be ‘No’ as members skills and experiences are not individually assessed. He suggested that this should be considered.

2.    Anna Goodall highlighted that a number of years ago, member’s skills were assessed by an external assessor to inform officers of members training requirements. She highlighted that officers hold briefings for members on specific training topics, as requested and required.

3.    Councillor J Clark highlighted that there are a number of training sessions being held by the Council currently for new and existing members. He suggested that members reflect on today’s earlier training session held by officers and report back to the Corporate Governance Committee meeting in July 2019, of any areas of further training they may require.

4.    Councillor Booth agreed but reiterated that in response to point 1.13 of the report, the answer should be no as this skill assessment has not been carried out.

5.    Kathy Woodward explained that the members of the Corporate Governance Committee in the previous Municipal Year requested and received training on specific topics. Therefore she believes the response to 1.13 should remain as ‘Partial’.

6.    Councillor J Clark agreed with Kathy Woodward.

7.    Anna Goodall explained that it is incumbent for officers to ensure members feel confident in the roles they hold on Committees therefore officers are open to providing any training, members require, to ensure this.

8.    Councillor S Clark agreed and added that new members of the Corporate Governance Committee will improve their learning and knowledge throughout this year’s cycle of meetings.

9.    Councillor Benney asked if changing the response to point 1.13 from ‘Partial’ to ‘No’ would have a negative outcome. Kathy Woodward confirmed that changing the response would have no negative outcome.

10. Councillor J Clark agreed to consider Councillor Booth’s comments and asked members to consider their training requirements in time for the next Corporate Governance Committee meeting.

11. Councillor Mrs French explained that as Portfolio Holder for Member Services, she would discuss member’s ongoing training programme with officers.

12. Councillor J Clark said he had found today’s earlier training session held by officers, very useful to members. He saw no need for a further skill assessment as officers are happy to provide members with training as required and requested.

13. Councillor Topgood explained that he had recently attended a Local Government Association (LGA) training session for new members and had been impressed with the training programme offered to members by the Council, in comparison with other Local Authorities training programmes.

14. Councillor Booth suggested that the response to point 4.6 (page 173 of the agenda pack) should be amended to ‘Yes’. He explained that just because our external auditors adopt a substantive audit approach, this does not been that there is not appropriate co-operation between the internal and external auditors.

15. Kathy Woodward explained that she had based her ‘partial’ response to point 4.6 on her experience as the Internal Audit Manager at the Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk (BCKLWN). The BCKLWN’s external auditors consider all of her internal audit reports however the auditors at Fenland District Council do not.

16. Councillor Miss French highlighted that in her experience, many private sector auditors work in the same manner. She agreed that the response to 4.6 should remain as ‘Partial’.

17. Councillor J Clark agreed with Kathy Woodward’s response to 4.6.

The Corporate Governance Committee AGREED to forward the Corporate Governance Annual Report for 2018/19 to Full Council.