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Issue - meetings

Auditor's Annual Report on West Oxfordshire District Council (Value for Money Arrangements and Recommendations)

 

 

Meeting: 27/11/2025 - Audit and Governance Committee (Item 93)

93 Auditor's Annual Report on West Oxfordshire District Council (Value for Money Arrangements and Recommendations) pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Purpose:

To provide Members with the Auditor’s Annual Report on Value for Money Arrangements and Recommendations 2024/25.

 

Recommendation:

That the Audit and Governance Committee resolves to:

1.    Note the contents of the report and annex.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to provide Members with the Auditor’s Annual Report on Value for Money Arrangements and Recommendations 2024/25.

 

Charlie Martin, Key Audit Partner from Bishop Fleming, introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

 

  • The Auditors Annual Report focussed on reporting on the arrangements in place at the Council to achieve value for money.
  • There had been three reporting criteria: financial sustainability; Governance; Improving economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
  • The document was published alongside the accounts when these were signed.
  • There were no significant weaknesses noted in the report.
  • The Auditor explained the red, amber and green ratings in the report and noted that red ratings would be more serious or significant issues of which there were none for the Council.
  • Recommendations to management could be seen at section eight of the report along with management responses. The Auditor confirmed that he was comfortable with the responses received. Action and updates on prior year recommendations were included on page 35 of the pack, all of which had been followed up with management.

 

In the discussion the following points were raised:

 

  • A Member requested an explanation of what would be involved in a peer review. It was explained that it was good practice for such a review to be undertaken once every five years. The Auditor was comfortable with the decision by the Council, considering the Publica reorganisation and imminent Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), not to undertake the review at this stage. However, it was noted that discussions would be ongoing about the right time to undertake the review. In general terms it was explained that a peer review would be facilitated by the Local Government Association (LGA) who would feedback any relevant Governance issues that were found.

 

Resolved: The Audit and Governance Committee noted the contents of the report and annex.

 

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