Issue - meetings

The Director for Finance, Risk and Performance introduced the report, he drew Members attention to Appendix A which detailed the agenda items which would come before the Committee over the rest of the financial year and highlighted that the January 2026 meeting would be a joint Audit and Governance Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the budget. He added that an additional February 2026 Audit and Governance Committee meeting had also been scheduled to pick up the 2024/25 Statement of Accounts approval, bringing the Council back in line with the Government backstop arrangement.

The Director for Finance, Risk and Performance said that the report also included a draft calendar for 2026/27, which proposed that the Committee move back to five meetings a year (plus the joint Audit and Governance Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in January 2027). He said that scheduling a meeting in July 2026 would assist with financial reporting, enabling the sign off the previous year’s accounts.

The Chair thanked the Director for Finance, Risk and Performance for the report.

Councillor Williamson thanked the Director for Finance, Risk and Performance for his helpful and productive approach.

Councillor Nicholls noted the slots within the calendar for Member training, and asked if the Director for Finance, Risk and Performance had any suggestions.

The Director for Finance, Risk and Performance said that there were areas which needed to be covered:

·            Treasury Management

·            Internal Audit

·            Anti-Fraud

·            Risk Management

Councillor Nicholls said that she would welcome Internal Audit training, and it was agreed that this should be delivered in person as the first item on the relevant meeting agenda.

The Committee Support Officer confirmed that an all-Member SAFS Anti-Fraud session was on the Programme of Training for November, which would be delivered to via Teams.   

Mr Sharman suggested that the next Risk Register report be moved higher up the agenda and include more content around cyber security – enabling the Committee opportunity to more robustly scrutinise this area.  

The Director for Finance, Risk and Performance said that the Assistant Director for Information Technology was bringing a Cyber Security Update before the Committee at their next meeting in November.

It was moved by Councillor Deering and seconded by Councillor Williamson that that the recommendations, as detailed, be approved. After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED. 

RESOLVED – that (A) the Finance and Audit Work Programme for the 2025/26 municipal year as outlined in the report be approved, and;

(B) that the proposed meeting schedule for the 2026/27 municipal year be noted and comments provided, and;

(C) that any training requirements to support Members in fulfilling their roles effectively be identified.