The Chief Internal Auditor, Mark Niblock, introduced his report which identified and evaluated the performance of the Internal Audit Section and included four items of note arising from the actual work undertaken during the period 1 April to 30 June, 2019. The items of note were:

·  Monthly verification assessments of Troubled Families claims

·  Increasing the utilisation of Procurement Cards within Children’s Services

·  Wirral Growth Company

·  ICT Audit

and he gave details of audit work undertaken in these areas and identified how any actions arising were being addressed by officers.

In response to Members’ questions Mark Niblock commented that the percentage delivery of internal audit plans, 10 from a target of 90, was a target for the year and he would look at how this was presented for future reports. With regard to savings within Children’s Services following an audit of petty cash holdings which had led to an increase in the use of P (Purchasing) cards he would need to find this information from Children’s Services.

The Director of Finance and Investment, Shaer Halewood, confirmed that within the 2019/20 budget there were savings for Children’s Services which would come out of a restructure and these innovative changes to processes would contribute to the savings.

Resolved – That the report be noted.