Meeting documents

None, all members of the committee were present.

There were no declarations of interest.

The chairman clarified that in respect of min. no.8 the committee?s role related to the governance of existing shared services arrangements. A request for a report looking at shared services options would not be considered by this committee and so was not included on the agenda for this meeting.

RESOLVED (unanimously):
that subject to the chairman?s clarification, the minutes of the meeting held on 29 June 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chairman.
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The Heads of Shared Assurance and Financial Services presented the progress made so far (end of August 2015) against the key service developments and performance indicators in the 2015/16 Business Improvement Plan (BIP) and set out the Partnership?s projected out-turn financial position to the end of this financial year.

In respect of the key projects 20 out of 23 had been completed or were on track with plans in place to address the remaining 3 which were scored as red or amber within the performance measurement categories. Only 6 performance measures out of the 29 were either red or amber with explanations for each detailed in the report.

Full statements on progress on key projects and performance targets as at the end of August 2015 had been attached as Appendices 1 and 2 to the report. There was a discussion around these and confidence the projects and targets would be back on track. In particular the question was again raised as to the relevance/irrelevance of the target that over/under-spend be within 1% of manageable/cash revenue budget. The question was a wider measure with accurate forecasting and this could be again reviewed as part of the BIP 2016/17.

The partnership was working well within its approved budget and as at the end of August was expected to achieve an under-spend by the end of the financial year in the sum of ?86,000 (essentially due to previously vacant posts in Shared Financial Services).

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the report be noted.
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The Head of Shared Financial Services presented the report on the partnership?s audited
Annual return 2014/15. There was a discussion around the annual return and previously reported removal of the need for the joint committee?s accounts to be prepared and externally audited. The committee accepted the comments and suggested way forward.

RESOLVED (unanimously): that
1. the report be noted; and
2. a report be prepared on the proposed scope of an internal audit inspection to provide the joint committee with assurance in respect of the integrity of the partnership?s year-end financial statement.
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The committee considered its forward plan. Further to min. no.13 above, it was agreed that an item on the proposed scope of an internal audit inspection be added for the next meeting. It was noted that there was currently only one item identified for the meeting to be held on 14 March 2016, and it was agreed that the need for this meeting would be revisited at the next meeting of the joint committee in January.

RESOLVED (unanimously):
that the forward plan as circulated be noted with the addition of any item(s) discussed above.
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RESOLVED (unanimously):
that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item of business as it involved the discussion of information which was defined as exempt from publication under paragraph 4 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and in which the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing it.
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The committee received a report outlining proposals for the Shared Assurance Services.

RESOLVED (unanimously):
that the joint committee recommends that the proposals in the report be approved by both host authorities as part of the overall budget approval processes for 2016/17.
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