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Issue - meetings

Internal Audit Progress Report

Meeting: 22/01/2019 - Audit Committee (Item 61)

61 Internal Audit Progress Report 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 492 KB

To receive an Internal Audit progress report from the Head of the Devon Audit Partnership.

Minutes:

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Deputy Head of the Audit Partnership providing an update on work within the Internal Audit area.

 

Consideration was given to:

 

·         The Internal Audit Manager’s opinion continued to be that there was ‘Significance Assurance’ on the adequacy and effectiveness of the Authority’s internal control framework.

·         Core Audits were on track to be completed by the year end. There were no major concerns on controls although system user access controls were still not fully reviewed on staff changes.

·         Performance monitoring had received increased focus from Leadership Team.

·         Comments had been made by Internal Audit on succession planning in the areas of Procurement, Council Tax, and leisure where staff changes had increased business continuity risks.

·         Good progress had been made against the Audit Plan for 2018/19.

·         A summary of the audits that had taken place since the last update was provided showing that they had all been of a ‘good standard’ and one being of a ‘high standard’.

·         An amber direction of travel had been identified in the area of ICT as periodic checks were not being carried out to confirm the ability to restore key business systems in the event of an emergency. However a plan was in place to address this.

·         In the area of ‘Cyber Security’ it was noted that this had received a ‘Good Standard’ assurance opinion but that no computer network connected to the internet could ever be completely secure and mitigation measures could never fully prevent incidents from occurring.

·         It was requested that again, recommendations outstanding from pre 2018 be addressed as a matter of urgency and either dealt with or, if no longer applicable, removed.

 

The Chairman requested that for those service areas receiving a ‘Good Standard’ internal audit that the thanks and congratulations of the Committee be conveyed back to the staff working in those areas.

 

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.