Agenda item

Consideration was given to the 2018-19 draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) presented by David Webster, Head of Internal Audit.

In producing the 2018-19 AGS, the Council had gathered sufficient evidence to support the statements that it had made.  Each Strategic Director had been asked to oversee a self-assessment of governance in their Directorate.  This had comprised of completion of a self-assessment form based on the Principles and Sub-Principles in the Local Code by each Assistant Director as well as a review and update of the detailed issues raised in the 2017-18 AGS. Each Strategic Director was also required to sign a Statement of Assurance based on the information arising from their review of current and previous governance issues.

The Corporate Governance Group had reviewed evidence contained within the returned Statements of Assurance as well as considering which issues were of sufficient significance to require reporting in the Statement.  The Group had then produced the AGS.

The AGS would be updated by 31st July to reflect any issues that emerged between now and the completion of the final Statement of Accounts.  It would also take account of any comments made by the Committee and external auditor.

At the start of 2018/19 the Commissioners had retained responsibility for Children’s Safeguarding all other Children’s Social Care Services, the appointment and dismissal of statutory officers and for Adult Social Care.  On 14th June, 2018, the results of an independent check, a "Health Check", of the Council had been published and reported that the Council had demonstrated that it was fit to continue its improvement journey without Commissioner oversight.

As a result of the Health Check, the Commissioner Team recommended to the Secretary of State that the Government intervention in Rotherham could be concluded.  The Secretary of State had announced on 18^th September, 2018, that he would remove the Commissioners from the Council but that the Council should submit to him an independent review of their performance to ensure compliance with the requirements of Part 1 of the 1999 Act. 

This was submitted on 14^th February, 2019, and stated that the Council had continued to make good progress since the Commissioners were stood down and had acted on the recommendations made by the independent progress review report in June 2018.  Accordingly, it was announced on 27^th March, 2019, that the Secretary of State was content to let the Directions relating to the governance of the Council lapse on 31^st March, 2019.

Recommended practice required the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive to sign the Annual Governance Statement prior to its publication.

It was felt that there should be reference within the Statement to the revised Audit Committee’s Terms of Reference as identified previously.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the 2018-19 draft Annual Governance Statement be noted subject to the suggested amendment with regard to the revised Terms of Reference.

(2)  That the requirement for the Leader and Chief Executive to sign the Statement prior to the publication of the Annual Governance Statement by 31^st July, 2019, be noted.

(3)  That the final version of the Annual Governance Statement be submitted to the 30^th July meeting of the Audit Committee following completion of the audit of accounts by Grant Thornton UK LLP.