Issue - meetings

The Internal Audit Charter is a formal document that defines the internal audit activity’s purpose, authority and responsibility consistent with the Definition of Internal Auditing, the Code of Ethics and the Standards.  The Public Sector Internal Audit Standards require the charter to be reviewed and approved annually.

[5 minutes]

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Senior Audit and Counter Fraud Manager presented the report to the Committee. The Internal Audit Charter was a formal document that defined the internal audit activity’s purpose, authority and responsibility consistent with the Definition of Internal Auditing, the Code of Ethics and the Standards. The Public SectorInternal Audit Standards required the Charter to be reviewed and approvedannually. There had been no material changes since the 2023/24 Charter had been presented last year.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor May and seconded by Councillor Turner.

The Chair invited questions and debate from Members. Clarification was sought on paragraph 4, page 64 regarding ‘Internal auditors will be alert to the possibility of intentional wrongdoing, errors and omissions, poor value for money, failure to comply with management policy and conflicts of interest’. It was asked who would be responsible for this, and whether it would be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Group Heads. The Senior Audit and Counter Fraud Manager explained it was the internal auditors that would be alert to the possibility, and they would take into account the areas fraud may be more likely. If Officers identified areas of irregularity the onus would be on management to make internal audit aware of these. The Chair also advised that the Monitoring Officer ensured statutory compliance in matters, and there was also an open door to whistle-blowers in the authority.

The  Committee

 RESOLVED

That the internal audit charter, as attached, be approved.