Issue - meetings

Report of Chief Internal Auditor detailing the Annual Internal Audit Opinion 2017-18.

The Committee received and noted the report of the Chief Internal Auditor detailing the Annual Internal Audit Opinion 2017/18 which was required in accordance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards on an annual basis to provide an opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of the Council’s framework of risk management, internal control and governance.

The Committee noted that the annual opinion for 2017/18 was that “limited assurance” could be provided.  Four audit opinion levels were in place and these were: no assurance, limited assurance, reasonable assurance and full assurance.  Where there were mainly medium or low risk exceptions the annual audit opinion would be reasonable or full assurance.  During the course of the year 78 high risk exceptions were raised along with 34 medium and 19 low hence the “limited assurance” however the Committee noted that this was in keeping with similar Unitary Authority comparators.

The Committee requested that within the next annual report there be a reminder of the “high risks” albeit they noted these would have been detailed in the progress reports throughout the year.