Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive of Chorley Borough Council and the Head of Shared Assurance Services attached.

The Committee considered a report presented by the Head of Shared Assurance Service and the Chief Executive for Chorley Council on progress in the delivery of key service developments and performance indicators contained in the 2017/18 Business Improvement Plan up to the end of November 2017 and including the Partnership’s projected out-turn financial position. As Shared Services was launched in January 2009, 2017/18 is the ninth full financial year of the service.

Garry Barclay highlighted key issues as:

• 16 of the 24 projects for the year had been completed or were on track with plans in place to address the remaining 8.
• 28 of the 32 performance measures were on track; and
• there was a projected overall underspend of 0.022m.

Three projects were rated as Red:

• The new GRACE risk management software now largely embedded within the two councils to facilitate the Review of Risk Management Frameworks but production of Framework Documents had been put on hold pending implementation of the new management structures.
• The new CONNIE business continuity software was now largely embedded in services to Enable and re-issue Business Continuity Plans but work was still in progress to update the corporate level ICT disaster recovery plan.
• Review of Management Accountancy processes. Proposals for expanding Shared Services and the Review into Shared Financial Services was being progressed and would be brought to a conclusion upon clarity of agreed service delivery models across the two councils.

Although only South Ribble Council had met the deadline of Closure of Accounts by end of May 2017, in preparation for the new deadlines for the 2017/18 process it was explained that Chorley’s delay was caused by one issue that was outside the control of Shared Financial Services. The CIPFA Cash Flow toolkit that is used to complete the Cash Flow Statement contained a fault with regard to the treatment of a land transaction applicable only to Chorley Council in 2017/18. Once identified, CIPFA needed to investigate and provide a fix.

Despite a few teething problems and the ongoing review of the Shared Senior Management structure the team are confident that the Statements of Accounts can be delivered to the earlier deadline of 30 May 2018. The dates for both Council’s Governance Committees have also been brought forward to accommodate the new regime.

Although slightly off target the Committee was pleased to note that 82.86% of local suppliers were paid within 10 days.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.