Issue - meetings

(Chief Internal Auditor) To consider the attached report (AGC-016-2017/18).

The Chief Internal Auditor presented a report on the revised Internal Audit Charter.

The Chief Internal Auditor reminded the Committee that the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Audit Committee’s Practical Guidance for Local Authorities and Police 2013 edition stated that the Audit and Governance Committee (the Committee) should have a role in reviewing and approving the Internal Audit Charter, which set out the purpose, authority and responsibility of the Internal Audit function. In addition, the Committee had a role in overseeing the independence, objectivity, performance and professionalism of the Internal Audit service.

The Chief Internal Auditor reported that during the review, the most significant changes to the Charter were that it was now more explicit on the mission and principles of the Internal Audit function, and ensured the role of Internal Audit included risk management and governance, as well as internal controls. The safeguards required in order to maintain impartiality and independence, should the Chief Internal Auditor take on additional responsibilities, were also outlined. The Internal Audit Charter had been revised with these minor amendments to ensure it remained current, fit for purpose and aligned to the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

The Committee welcomed the revised Internal Audit Charter, but felt that the performance indicators should have been listed in Section 13 of the Charter – Periodic Assessment. The Chief Internal Auditor apologised for not having included them in the Charter, but they had been listed in the Internal Audit Strategy approved by the Committee in 2017. They would be included in the Internal Audit Monitoring Report for the next meeting of the Committee.

Resolved:

(1)        That the revised Internal Audit Charter be approved.