Agenda item - Internal Audit Strategy and Plan 2014/15

Report of the Executive Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached).

88.1         The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Finance & Resources in relation to the Internal Audit Strategy and Plan 2014/15. The report detailed the objectives and priorities of Internal Audit for the 2014/15 financial year. It also summarised the priorities and resources of the Corporate Fraud Team.

88.2         In response to Councillor Wealls the Acting Head of Internal Audit explained that the working methodology calculated the days spent and the costs; however, the distribution of the costs was less sophisticated as the service was treated as a central service in the larger recharging of the Council.

88.3         In response to Councillor Sykes it was explained that there was regular joint pieces of work with health partners and work in relation to understanding where the responsibility sat for governance arrangements, and which areas the Council had responsibility to audit. In relation to a further query it was explained that the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) was progressing work to move housing benefit investigators to the DWP and as such the Council would lose part of its anti-fraud capacity – this would impact on virtually all local authorities.

88.4         RESOLVED – That the Committee approve the Internal Audit Strategy and Annual Audit Plan for 2014/15.