PAPER B1

Purpose : For Information

Committee : EXECUTIVE

Date : 18 JUNE 2002

Title : DISTRICT AUDIT – ANNUAL AUDIT LETTER

PORTFOLIO HOLDER - RESOURCES

At the Executive on 29 January the District Auditor presented his Annual Audit Letter.

The letter made a number of recommendations and the attached table sets out each recommendation, the Director or other officer responsible and the target date for completion of the tasks.

Further reports will be made at regular intervals.

ALAN KAYE R R BARRY

HEAD OF PAID SERVICE PORTFOLIO HOLDER - RESOURCES

DISTRICT AUDIT – ANNUAL AUDIT LETTER 200/01 ACCOUNTS

Recommendations

Who

by?

Target

Date

Ensure that Best Value reviews lead to significant improvements in outcomes that will deliver the Council’s key strategic objectives

All

End June

(a)Continue to give high priority to developing the Council’s performance management framework

(b)Ensure there is rigorous scrutiny of service plans and targets, and of subsequent performance reports

(c)Ensure that Best Value principles are integrated with performance management at all levels

(d)Ensure that management structures enable the Council to meet the challenges of modernised local government

(e)Consider designating a corporate champion for modernisation and improvement

All

Done

In hand

September

End May

Ensure that ICT strategy is fully aligned to service delivery priorities once they are fully developed

10 Year Plan for ICT investment in draft

JP/All

In hand

End June

School budgets

(a)A Monitoring Officer has been appointed and action on these matters is in progress

(b)Action is planned through the Education Development Plan and the school self-evaluation programme. The Monitoring Officer and the Link Inspector are to provide support, advice and training as appropriate

(c)Risk assessment and schools’ audit programme are being developed and results will be reported through Internal Audit’s annual reporting process

Partnerships and external funding

This work commenced in November, focussing on the Tourism Partnership and the Island Partnership for economic development. We expect to report the results to officers in January

Risk management

(a)Identify a risk management ‘champion’ Member to help ensure the effective implementation

(b)Produce a detailed action plan for embedding risk management principles throughout the Council’s business

(c)Develop systematic processes for identifying and assessing risks in a consistent manner

(d)Monitor the effectiveness of controls introduced in response to risks identified

Rehabilitation Services for Older People

There is a need to establish an agreed, multi-agency, Island-wide rehabilitation strategy.

In addition, action is needed to:

Develop consistent documentation across agencies and services
Clarify and communicate referral criteria and mechanisms to General Practitioners.

We have reported our findings to a working group encompassing all the relevant agencies and are working with them to develop an action plan

Mental Health Services for Older People

Because the Health Advisory Service (HAS) carried out a detailed review of this area in 1999/2000, we have agreed with the Director of Social Services and the Chief Executives of the health bodies on the Island, to deliver a tailored review to measure progress since the HAS review. Our report will be completed in December

Tenant consultation

Our work is in progress, looking at consultation processes in two areas: the current housing strategy consultation and the planned consultation for the multi-agency ‘Supporting People’ initiative. We expect to complete the work in December and report our conclusions to officers in January

Probity in Planning

Our recommendations were taken into account in revising the Code of Conduct for Members and restructuring the Planning Committee, and we are satisfied that good progress has been made with implementation

Asset Management

There has been some progress with the recommendations and an Asset Manager has been appointed to provide the necessary focus. There remains a need for commitment to strategic management of the estate and to address the problems of the maintenance backlog, the balance of planned to reactive maintenance, space utilisation and benchmarking of property related costs

JP/AK

JP/All

MF/TF

Done

End June

Final report awaited

Done

Sept 02

Ongoing

Awaiting reports in September

Done

In progress. AMP for 2002/04 to GOSE in July 2002

Action is needed to raise confidence in the quality of performance monitoring information

End June

Carry out a stocktake of progress in ensuring compliance with the Human Rights Act

In Hand

Ensure that reports in support of early retirement proposals provide comprehensive details of costs and options

JP/MF

Done

The Council must take urgent action to avoid a significant budget overspend in the current year (2001/2) and set out a clear medium-term strategy for maintaining future budgets in balance

(a)Urgent action part of sentence (201/2)

(b)Medium term strategy (Process)

All

Done

End June

Protect the independence and status of Internal Audit through arrangements for oversight by Directors’ Group and members

JP/MF

To be discussed with Members