Councillor Ann McLachlan introduced a report by the Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources which informed that the preparation and publication of an Annual Governance Statement (AGS) was necessary to meet the statutory requirement set out in the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011, Regulation 4(3).  Appended to the report were:

·  Appendix 1 – The Annual Governance Statement; and

·  Appendix 2 – The Significant Governance Issues Action Plan.

The Cabinet noted that it was necessary for the Council to have approved and adopted a Code of Corporate Governance that complied with the principles of the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework Delivering Good Governance in Local Government and to report publicly through the Annual Governance Statement the extent to which the governance processes outlined in the Code were operating effectively in practice.

The Framework identified the following six core principles of good governance:

·  Focusing on the purpose of the Authority and on outcomes for the community and creating and implementing a vision for the local area.

·  Members and officers working together to achieve a common purpose with clearly defined functions and roles.

·  Promoting values for the Authority and demonstrating the values of good governance through upholding high standards of conduct and behaviour.

·  Taking informed and transparent decisions which are subject to effective scrutiny and managing risk.

·  Developing the capacity and capability of Members and Officers to be effective.

·  Engaging with local people and other stakeholders to ensure robust accountability.

Councillor Ann McLachlan reported that the Council had made good progress since the withdrawal of its Improvement Board.  There were four items outstanding.  Last year there had been five and before that there had been 15.  Particular progress had been made with Asset Management and there was now a Strategy in place.  No new issues had been identified for 2015.

Councillor Ann McLachlan also reported that the Council had won the Local Government Chronicle’s Most Improved Council Award in 2015 and this achievement had shown that its peers in local government recognised the improvements it had made as a local authority. The Council had also been shortlisted for some other awards.

Councillor Phil Davies thanked Councillor Ann McLachlan for her hard work over the last three years which had helped to move the Council into the improved position it was now in and thanked the Officers who had worked with her on this.

RESOLVED:

That the Annual Governance Statement for 2014 - 15 be endorsed.

The Strategic Director Transformation and Resources introduced his report setting out the Annual Governance Statement 2014-15, meeting the statutory requirement set out in the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011, Regulation 4(3).

The Strategic Director informed that production of the Council’s Governance Statement was evidence based and complied with the principles of the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework to ‘Deliver Good Governance in Local Government’. Members were also told that the Annual Governance Statement was not ‘owned’ solely by the audit function of the Local Authority, but was a Council statement on the effectiveness of its governance processes, and as such was the responsibility of all councillors and employees.

Members were told the current processes provided a rigorous test base and good evidence of actions e.g. review of reports had been undertaken by external review agencies that included External Auditors, LGA, OFSTED and the Care Quality Commission. In each case, key governance processes had been challenged and supported, and assurance statements obtained.

The Committee heard that the Council had continued in progressing its plans during 2014-15, strengthening its governance arrangements and had now reached a stable situation, with no new governance issues arising. This had been further evidenced in the Council’s recent successes in achieving awards including from the Local Government Chronicle as the ‘Most Improved Council’.

The Strategic Director updated the Committee on the various principles underpinning the Annual Governance Statement 2014-15, namely:

• Principle 1: Focusing on the purpose of the Authority and on outcomes for the community including citizens and service users and creating and implementing a vision for the local area.

• Principle 2: Members and officers working together to achieve a common purpose with clearly defined functions and roles.

• Principle 3: Promoting the values of the Authority and demonstrating the values of good governance through behaviour.

• Principle 4: Taking informed and transparent decisions which are subject to effective scrutiny and managing risk.

• Principle 5: Developing the capacity and capability of members to be effective and ensuring that officers, including statutory officers, also have the capability to deliver effectively.

• Principle 6: Engaging with local people and other stakeholders to ensure robust local public accountability.

Members questioned the Strategic Director on a number of matters that included the procedures for handling absence and the Council’s duty of care to its employees. The Strategic Director explained the procedures in place to support staff when they fall ill, associated aspects of health and safety, individual responsibilities and meeting / reporting arrangements between officers, and between officers and elected members, via Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) updates and Policy and Performance reporting respectively. 

Resolved: That the final draft of the Annual Governance Statement and action plan be presented to Cabinet at its meeting in October 2015.