Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, N22 8LE. View directions

Contact: Susan John, Principal Committee Co-ordinator 

Items
No. Item

161.

FILMING AT MEETINGS

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

 

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

Minutes:

The Chair referred Members present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting, and Members noted the information contained therein.

162.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions (if any)

Minutes:

Apologies for absence had been received from Cllr Engert for whom Cllr Carter was substituting and Cllr Jogee.

163.

Urgent Business

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business. (late items will be considered under the agenda items where they appear.  New items will be dealt with at item )

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

164.

Declarations of Interest

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

 

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

 

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

 

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

165.

Deputations / Petitions / Presentations / Questions

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, section B, Paragraph 29 of the Council’s Constitution.

Minutes:

There were no such items.

166.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 150 KB

To consider and agree the minutes of the meeting held on 25th July 2017 and special meeting held on 13th July 2017.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Corporate Committee held on 25th July 2017 and special meeting held on 13th July 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chair.

167.

Haringey Council Smoking Policy pdf icon PDF 142 KB

Report of the Director of Public Health seeking agreement from the

Committee to proposed changes to the Council’s revised Smoking Policy.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report on the Haringey Council Smoking Policy, as presented by Susan Otiti, Assistant Director of Public Health. Committee Chair, Councillor Blake, explained the misunderstanding that had occurred previously when this report was last presented to the Committee highlighting that the policy had already been approved by the Staffing & Remuneration Committee in relation to all staff members. The reason for it coming to this Committee was for approval for it to be implemented for non-council employees who use Council premises as a place of work as specified in the addendum provided to members.

 

In response to a question from the Committee is was confirmed that Public Health were working with the Communications team and the Workforce Health and Wellbeing Board to develop the implementation plan and ensure that communication on the policy is very clear to all who have dealings with the Council’s premises.

 

The Committee raised the fact that at the last Committee meeting a request had been made for a copy of the trade unions responses to this policy which had not yet been received. It was agreed that these responses would be circulated to the Members within 24 hours.

Action: Assistant Director of Public Health

 

Councillor Adje made a declaration that he was a trade union secretary and requested that this be minuted.

 

As there was an equality of votes, the Chair exercised her right to have a casting vote.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Corporate Committee agreed to the proposed changes to Haringey Councils Smoking Policy in relation to people who are not Council employees who use Council premises as a place of work. The proposed revised Smoking Policy is at Appendix A. All agency workers, consultants, individual contractors and the employees/workers of contractors, while on Council business will be required to comply with the Smoking Policy.

 

The proposed changes relevant to this Committee include:

 

· Under the existing policy Smoking is not permitted inside the buildings or within the grounds of all Council premises; this includes outdoor areas such as car parks and surrounding entrances/ exits to buildings (for at least 20 metres). The changes to the Smoking Policy instruct employees and contractors who smoke during unpaid breaks to do so away from residential properties and not congregate outside other commercial properties to smoke.

· Permitting the use of e-cigarettes (vaping) in outdoor Council premises

 

168.

Schools' Audit Performance - Action Plan pdf icon PDF 335 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive outlining the actions that Schools and Learning (along with other associated Services) are taking to address the increasing number of primary, secondary and special schools with either nil or a limited assurance from the audits carried out in the academic year 2016/17.

Minutes:

Item 13 on the agenda was brought forward.

 

The Committee considered the feedback report on the Schools Audit Performance-Action Plan, as presented by Eveleen Riordan, Joint Assistant Director Schools & Learning.

 

It was highlighted that historic training for schools and governors was being carried out around identifying key risk areas and controlling processes. Workshops were also being offered to all schools being audited during 2017/18 and the majority of schools have agreed to attend these sessions. A Schools Forum and Finance Board were implemented to financially support, challenge and assess financial decisions made within schools.

 

In response to questions raised by the Committee it was confirmed that the proposed timescale for reviews of schools that received nil assurance would be approximately once a year.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Committee noted the contents of this report.

 

 

 

 

169.

Treasury Management Update pdf icon PDF 350 KB

Report of the Chief Finance Officer to update the Committee on the Council’s treasury management activities and performance in the three months to 30th June 2017 in accordance with the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation on the Treasury Management update for the three months to 30th June 2017 from Thomas Skeen, Head of Pensions, which set out the general background and an update on the Council’s borrowing and investment positions. The Committee noted that all treasury management activity during the quarter had been in

line with the approved Treasury Management Strategy Statement.

 

It was noted that at the time of writing the report, market expectations were that bank rates may fall further but that market sentiment was changing and that a rate rise now appeared to be a more likely outcome.

 

In response to a question raised by the Committee it was confirmed that interest and gilt rates would be monitored  carefully in relation to the Council’s plan to take out additional long term borrowing in 2017/18. It was noted that the long term loans held by the Council had decreased by £2.6m.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Committee noted the Treasury Management activity undertaken during the three months to 30th June 2017 and the performance achieved.

 

 

170.

Implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive pdf icon PDF 162 KB

Report of the Chief Financial & S151Officer outlining the impact of the

Implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation on the Implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) from Thomas Skeen, Head of Pensions, which outlined the potential impact that the adoption within the UK of this legislation would have on the local authority treasury management investment strategies and the recommended actions needed to continue to act as a Professional Investor.

 

The Committee were notified that if no action was taken then the Council would be downgraded to a ‘retail client status’ which would mean being placed in the same category as non-professional individuals and small businesses. It was advised that choosing to ‘opt up’ to a ‘professional client status’ was essential to allow the Council to continue to effectively implement its treasury investment strategy.

 

In response to a questions from the Committee it was confirmed that this change would not incur additional costs other than internal officer time.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Committee:

 

·         Noted the potential impact on the treasury management investment strategy of becoming a retail client with effect from 3 January 2018.

·         Agreed to the immediate commencement of applications for elected professional client status with all relevant institutions in order to ensure it can continue to implement an effective treasury strategy.

·         In electing for professional client status acknowledged and agreed to forgo the protections available to retail clients attached as Appendix 1.

·         Agreed to approve delegated responsibility to the Chief Finance Officer (S151 Officer) for the purposes of completing the applications and determining the basis of the application as either full or single service

 

171.

Statement of Accounts pdf icon PDF 198 KB

Report of the Chief Operating Officer to present the Statement of Accounts for

2016/17 following the completion of the external audit and also to consider the

statutory Annual Report to those charged with Governance from BDO LLP,

which reports on their annual audit of the Council’s statutory accounts, value

for money and other relevant information.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report on the Statement of Accounts for 2016/17 following the completion of the external audit. Rob Woollatt, Interim Chief Accountant, gave an introductory presentation on understanding the statement of accounts, covering the purpose of the statement of accounts, how they were presented and what they meant. It was noted that from next year the deadline for the completion of the audit would be brought forward to 31st July 2018.

 

The Committee were advised that all the recommendations from the auditors on the draft accounts had been implemented in the final accounts. However there were further amendments, as specified in the addendum presented at the meeting. These amendments were outlined by the Interim Chief Accountant and it was highlighted that these did not alter the reserves, balances or net expenditure of the Council.

 

Leigh Lloyd-Thomas, Engagement Lead for the Council’s External Auditors, BDO LLP, presented the findings as set out in their Audit Completion Statement.

 

Mr Lloyd-Thomas explained that BDO had a responsibility to report errors in aggregate of over £16m according to the concept of materiality in order to give a true and fair opinion but noted that any errors over £0.5m had actually been reported.

 

BDO gave an overview of all the outstanding matters and the Committee discussed the audit areas of significant risk. One area of particular interest to the Committee was that of land, buildings, dwellings and investment property valuations. There were two material misstatements, one in the current year and one in the prior year, that were identified.

 

Another audit risk area discussed by the Committee was that of Housing Revenue Account asset componentisation. The question was raised as to why the Council had decided to increase the percentage allocation of the overall value as land and reduce the allocated value to the buildings. The Interim Chief Accountant advised that as the goal was to get the asset values materially correct the judgement of how to split the land and buildings was taken upon advice from the valuers .It was agreed that a copy of the engagement letter from the Council to the valuers would be distributed to the Committee.

Action: Interim Chief Accountant

 

BDO highlighted the  number of errors contained within the valuation reports received by the Council and advised that this should be addressed. The Interim Chief Finance Officer advised that the contract was due to be re-let during 2017/18.

 

While discussing the Notes to the Statements the question was raised as to why payments had been made back to the Government Housing Capital Receipts Pool in 2015/16 when they could have been used for Council investment. BDO advised that they were not aware of any other Local Authorities that had done this and the Interim Chief Finance Officer reassured the Committee that he was looking into this to ensure that in future, the use of such receipts by the Council was maximised.

 

The question was also raised as to why Services were allowed to carry over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 171.

172.

Internal Audit Progress report Quarter 1 pdf icon PDF 178 KB

Report of the Assistant Director, Corporate Governance, detailing the work

undertaken by the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Teams in the quarter

ending 30 June 2017 and focusing on progress on internal audit coverage

relative to the approved internal audit plan, including the number of audit

reports issued and finalised – work undertaken by the external provider

(Mazars).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report on the internal audit report 2017/18 quarter 1 as presented by Anne Woods, Head of Audit and Risk Management. The report detailed the work undertaken by Internal Audit in the quarter ending 30 June 2017 and focussed on the progress of audit coverage work relative to the approved plan.

 

Two audits, Osborne Grove and Appointeeships received a ‘nil’ assurance rating, which was a significant concern for the Committee.

 

In response to numerous questions raised by the Committee on the audit work undertaken on Osborne Grove it was confirmed that the Director of Adult Social Services was working to implement all of the recommendations by the end of October. It was noted that a formal follow up report by Internal Audit detailing the outcome would be presented to the Corporate Committee at the next meeting in November. The Committee were notified that out of the 11 priority 1 recommendations highlighted from the audit that 10 had been completed according to the service.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Corporate Committee noted the audit coverage and follow up work completed.

 

173.

Counter-fraud update Quarter 1 pdf icon PDF 199 KB

Report of the Assistant Director for Corporate Governance, detailing the work

undertaken by the Counter-Fraud Team in the quarter ending 30 June 2017 and focusing on details of pro-active and reactive investigative work undertaken relating to fraud and/or irregularities – work undertaken by the inhouse counter Fraud Team.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Counter Fraud Update report 2017/18, quarter 1, as presented by Anne Woods, Head of Audit & Risk Management.

The report detailed the pro-active and reactive investigative work undertaken by the in-house counter fraud team. These investigations included work in such areas as tenancy fraud, gas safety-execution of warrant visits, tenancy block visits and Right to Buy. The Committee noted the outcome of these investigations.

 

RESOLVED

The Corporate Committee noted the counter-fraud work completed in the quarter to 30 June 2017.

174.

Any other business of an urgent nature

To consider any items admitted at item 2 above.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

175.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

30th November 2017

Minutes:

Thursday 30th November 2017