Agenda item

The Committee received a report of the Interim Chief Internal Auditor and Corporate Fraud Manager which provided information relating to the work that had been carried out by Internal Audit during the period 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021 as part of the six- month Internal Audit Plan to September 2021 (for copy see file of minutes).

Referring to the audit table and the additional resources required, Councillor McGaun asked if there had been more audits required than expected. The Audit Manager advised there had been staffing issues and delivering the nature of the work remotely had been more time consuming which impacted the number of audits conducted than originally planned.

Mr Robinson congratulated the team on the new tender work for New College Durham. In relation to resources and the impact of remote working, he asked if the FTE equivalent should be increased to be able to deliver the level of service that would be required if remote working was to continue. The Interim Chief Internal Auditor and Corporate Fraud Manager advised that work was ongoing to identify how to best deliver services now staff are able to access establishments again. It was noted that a Senior Auditor position on a permanent and temporary basis and employing agency staff were being considered to help bridge the gap to deliver the plan and part time employees were being offered to increase hours temporarily.

The Corporate Director of Resources added that working from home has resulted in audits taking longer to complete. The new model in terms of delivery is a hybrid approach with a mix of people working from home and attending the office would improve efficiency. Establishments have re-opened allowing access to carry out audits and he did not anticipate an ongoing issue in the future.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.