Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Interim Chief Executive.

Members considered a report that asked the Committee to receive the report of the independent investigation into corporate management actions, organisational systems and environment in response to the Report in the Public Interest (‘the report of the independent investigation’). In receiving the report of the independent investigation, the Committee was further asked to assure itself that the methodology followed in the production of that report enabled the Committee to place reliance upon it in considering the recommendations detailed in the accompanying Part B report.

At the outset of the item, the Committee noted that there were both Part A and Part B recommendations and expressed a desire to consider as much of the report in Part A as possible. Members also noted that an additional Part B supplementary paper had been circulated prior to the meeting.

In introducing the Part A report, the Interim Chief Executive clarified the purpose of the report to the Committee and highlighted three points, namely: to recognise that it was necessary for the Committee to consider the report of the independent investigation for the limited purposes set out in this report only and that due to a number of ongoing confidential processes, the report of the independent investigation would not be publicly accessible at this time; to seek assurance on the methodology of the report of the independent investigation and, while extensions had been granted to two individuals named in the report to complete a factual accuracy check, this did not prevent the Committee from considering the methodology followed; and to consider the suggested lines of enquiry listed at para 4.12 of the covering report.

The Committee heard that the investigation into senior management actions had been commissioned in response to the Report in the Public Interest (RIPI) issued by the Council’s external auditors, Grant Thornton. That RIPI had detailed significant issues relating to the Council’s financial position, its financial governance and its overall effectiveness as an organisation. The independent investigation had been commissioned by the Interim Chief Executive to gain an understanding into how the Council had reached the situation identified in the RIPI and, if any concerns were identified, then due consideration would be given to whether any action would need to be taken under the relevant processes. This action had been noted by the Council at its extraordinary meeting on 19th November 2020.

The Council had subsequently committed itself to delivering a comprehensive improvement plan as part of its bid for a capitalisation direction from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The Council was required to deliver that wide reaching plan as part of the conditions made by MHCLG when it approved the capitalisation direction.

Understanding how the Council had arrived in the position described in the RIPI was essential to ensure that the improvement plan contained the necessary actions so that the Council could avoid finding itself in a similar situation in the future. Members were further informed that the RIPI had been followed by a Non-Statutory Rapid  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6