Issue - meetings

This report provides an update against the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) Action Plan which identified actions to be taken to address the significant governance issues in 2019/20 AGS. These are:

•       Governance of Children’s Social Services

•       Governance Arrangements with Key Partners, Wholly Owned Companies, Trusts and Contractors

Two further governance issues were identified, as below, and actions to address these had already been implemented prior to the publication of the AGS:

•       Adjustments to the Highways Register

•       Omission to make available for public inspection the draft AGS in June 2019

The Head of Audit and Management Assurance presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided an update against the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) Action Plan which identified actions to be taken to address the significant governance issues in the 2019/20 AGS namely ‘Governance of Children’s Social Services’ and ‘Governance Arrangements with Key Partners, Wholly Owned Companies, Trusts and Contractors’.

Both these subjects would now also feature within the AGS for 2020/21 which was reported to be in preparation and would be available for public inspection in June in accordance with statutory timetable requirements.

Two further governance issues had been identified and actions to address these had already been implemented prior to the publication of the AGS. These two actions were ‘Adjustments to the Highways Register’ and ‘Omission to make available for public inspection the draft AGS in June 2019’.

It was confirmed that it was still anticipated that a report on the Governance and Contractual arrangements in place at ‘BH Live’ would come to the Audit and Governance Committee. It was also agreed that, for completeness, the Bournemouth Parks Foundation would be included within the table of individual organisations listed in the AGS Action Plan.

RESOLVED that Audit & Governance Committee note the progress made to address the significant governance issues on the BCP Council Annual Governance Statement Action Plan 2019/20.

Voting: Unanimous