Committee details

1.      The role of the Audit and Standards Committee is two-fold:

Audit and Governance

2.      The Committee is responsible for ensuring that the authority operates an effective and proportionate system of internal control. It oversees the effectiveness of authority’s Code of Corporate Governance, which sets out the policies, processes and practices that comprise the authority’s internal control environment. It makes recommendations to Council and Cabinet, where required, to secure continuous improvement in the authority’s internal control environment.

3.      In particular, the Committee:

·       oversees the authority’s internal audit and risk functions

·       receives and approves external audit reports

·       scrutinises the Annual Statement of Accounts

Members Standards

4.      The Committee is responsible for overseeing standards of Member conduct. It is responsible for ensuring that the Member Code of Conduct remains current and effective.

Statement of Purpose

5.      The committee’s purpose is to provide an independent and high-level focus on the adequacy of governance, risk and internal control arrangements. Its role is to ensure that there is sufficient assurance over governance, risk and the internal control environment, giving confidence to those responsible for corporate governance that those arrangements are effective.

6.      The committee has oversight of internal and external audit, together with key financial and governance reports, helping to ensure there are adequate arrangements in place for both internal challenge and public accountability.

Terms of Reference

Audit and Governance

7.      Support a comprehensive understanding of governance across the council and among those responsible for governance.

8.      Consider the effectiveness of the authority’s risk management arrangements. It should understand the authority’s risk appetite and profile and seek assurances that active arrangements are in place on risk-related issues for both the authority and its collaborative arrangements.

9.      Monitor the effectiveness of the system of internal control, including arrangements for financial management, ensuring value for money and managing the authority’s exposure to the risks of fraud and corruption.

10.   Consider the arrangements in place to secure adequate assurance across the authority’s full range of operations and collaborations with other entities.

11.   In relation to the authority’s internal audit functions:

·       Oversee its independence, objectivity, performance and conformance to professional standards.

·       Support effective arrangements for internal audit.

·       Promote the effective use of internal audit within the assurance framework.

12.   Consider the opinion, reports and recommendations of external audit and inspection agencies and their implications for governance, risk management or control, and monitor management action in response to the issues raised by external audit and inspection agencies.

13.   Contribute to the operation of efficient and effective external audit arrangements, supporting the independence of auditors and promoting audit quality.

14.   Support effective relationships between all providers of assurance, audits and inspections, and the organisation, encouraging openness to challenge, review and accountability.

Member Standards

15.   Promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Members and co-opted people serving on the authority’s committees (Co-Optees).

16.   Advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the Member Code of Conduct.

17.   Adopting and agreeing revisions to the Code of Conduct Complaints Handling Procedure.

18.   Monitoring the operation of the Code of Conduct.

19.   Having oversight of all aspects of Councillor development.