Agenda item

The Audit Committee were provided with a summary of audit assignments completed between 21^st January 2020 and 15^th September 2020.  Members were asked to consider the following Audit Assignments:

Finance & Digital Services

•    General Ledger

•    Treasury Management

Community & Children’s Services

•     Registration Services

Prosperity, Development & Frontline Services 

•   Street lighting

Education & Inclusion Services

•   Maes y Coed Primary School

•   Pengeulan Primary School

•   YGG Aberdar

•   Penyrenglyn Community Primary School

•   Ynyshir Primary School

•   Trealaw Primary School

•   Maesgwyn Special School

•   YGG Tonyrefail

•   YGG Bodringallt

•   Attendance: Referrals & Intervention

•   Ysgol Hen Felin

In respect of the Audit Assignment for YGG Aberdar, one Member spoke of the private school fund, which had been utilised for inappropriate purposes and requested that officers undertake a follow up. The Group Audit Manager explained that many of the assignments detailed before Members, were included in the Head of Internal Audit’s Annual Report in July 2020, and as such, assurance had been given that where an insufficient evaluation provided for primary schools, officers would request supplementary information. The officer acknowledged that not all areas of concern would be deemed an ‘insufficient’ evaluation, but assured the Committee that the schools would be provided with a target date to complete a check list and would need to provide evidence that the controls were in place.

Referring to the Audit Assignment for Trealaw Primary School, one Member queried whether the checklist of non-chequebook primaries review had been carried out. The Group Audit Manager advised the Member that the review is an annual rolling process, which requires each individual school to review the standards as part of the annual self-assessment process and present their findings to its Governing Body and Internal Audit. The officer explained that the standards are looked at by Internal Audit each year to ensure the data is accurate and relevant, before sending each of the schools an updated checklist.

One Member spoke of vacancies on the Governing Body memberships, which was a continuous theme in a number of the Audit Assignments and a problem across the Board. The Head of the Internal Audit Service acknowledged the Member’s comments, stating that it is a recurring theme, which has been noted in previous Audit Assignments and other Local Authorities. The Service Director, Performance and Improvement recommended that the a future Education report is presented to the Audit Committee to provide Members with information on the work carried out to encourage individuals to sit on Governing Bodies and should the Committee find it to be inadequate, they may wish to refer it to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.

(Note: At this point in proceedings, County Borough Councillor J Harries left the meeting)

Members also raised concerns in respect of the lack of Safeguarding Training for staff, which was another recurring theme throughout the Audit Assignments. Members agreed that safeguarding training was a high priority and vital given that children had been out of school for a number of months due to the National Lockdown. The Group Audit Manager advised the Committee that many of the schools do carry out adequate safeguarding training, but fail to sufficiently evidence it, which results in the issue being identified within the Audit. The officer continued, explaining that there is a process in place, which requires schools to review their safeguarding procedures before presenting it to the Governing Body, The Service Director, Performance and Improvement suggested that it would be beneficial to communicate with schools that the topic of ‘safeguarding’ should be included on the majority of their Governing Body agendas to ensure a holistic and pro-active approach to improving the issue.

In respect of the Audit Assignment for Attendance: Referrals and Intervention, one Member spoke of the six sampled schools, whereby it was identified that during the period 1^st September to 29th November 2019, there were 19,969 unauthorised absences, with 6,325 of these at just one school - Tonyrefail Community School. The Member felt that the issue should be looked into further.

Members agreed that it would be beneficial for a representative from the Council’s Education department to attend a future meeting of the Audit Committee in the first instance to discuss the issues of safeguarding, attendance and Governing Body vacancies, prior to referring any of the points to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair thanked the officers for the report and the Audit Committee RESOLVED:

1.      To seek clarity and explanation where there are areas of concern;

2.      To identify further action to be taken where deemed necessary; and

3.      That a representative from the Council’s Education department attend a future meeting of the Audit Committee to discuss the issues of safeguarding, attendance and Governing Body vacancies.