Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director of Corporate Governance and Strategic Financial Management that provided Members with an update on Payroll issues, an area that had previously been identified as requiring action and improvement.

The submitted report summarised the findings of the most recent Interim Payroll Fundamental Financial Systems review, and progress against recommendations that had previously been made. The most recent review found that good progress has been made on several fronts. So much so that the latest audit review opinion was that system improvements and processes now in place were adequate to address most control risks faced by the service.

The Audit Review’s findings represented a significant increase in assurance level as Members had been advised for several years that the audit opinion was either inadequate or weak and that the Council’s payroll arrangements required considerable improvement and development. The Committee’s report highlighted areas of improvement that had been made.

A Member referred to issues relating to the ‘reconciliation between the payroll system and the ledger’ as outlined at paragraph 3.3 of the Committee’s report and was advised that this was an area that was being worked on and it was anticipated that improvements would be realised and presented in the next report.

Resolved:
That the report be noted.