AUDIT AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE	30 November 2022
Report of the Director of Governance

Progress against the Action Plan prepared in response to the Public Interest Report

Summary

1. To update the committee on the conclusion of delivery of the Action Plan, prepared in response to the Report in the Public Interest dated 19 April 2021.

Background

2. The Council is required to address the recommendations set out in the Report in the Public Interest dated 19 April 2021 and accepted by Full Council on 4 May 2021.  An Action Plan was also approved by Full Council and Audit and Governance Committee was asked to oversee its delivery.

3. Officers prepared a project plan to add detail to the approach to be taken towards delivering the Action Plan which is now attached as an Annex to this report.  Members will note that all actions detailed within this project plan have been completed by Officers, and consequently, the delivery of the Action Plan has now been concluded.

4. It is now incumbent on both Members and Officers to engage positively in work embedding the necessary culture-shift.  To that end, the following actions of note have been undertaken, or are in preparation:

a) representatives from the Local Government Association (LGA) returned to York to discuss progress made on the actions identified in the Action Plan, together with the embedding work presently underway, in advance of the preparation of their Final Report to Audit and Governance Committee, scheduled for early in 2023;

b) further training sessions for Members in relation to the new Code of Conduct have recently been delivered;

c) substantial preparation for a comprehensive Member Induction Programme, to be delivered immediately following the whole-Council elections in May 2023, is underway.  This programme will be mandatory for all councillors (irrespective of length of service), and will include the provision of IT equipment, guidance on its use, and (amongst other topics) training on:

a. the Constitution;

b. decision-making;

c. budget-setting;

d. planning;

e. licensing;

f. scrutiny;

g. Code of Conduct; and

h. data protection and information governance.

Implications

Financial – The Council is a member of the LGA and therefore the support from the LGA is at nil cost.  The previously reported the financial impact of the PIR remains unchanged.

Human Resources (HR) – None directly arising from this report.

Equalities – None directly arising from this report.

Legal – As detailed within this report, the Council has received and accepted the Report in the Public Interest dated 19 April 2021, and therefore is required to undertake necessary steps to address the highlighted recommendations.  As noted above, the various individual steps required to implement the recommendations have now been concluded, and the Council had therefore be seen to have adopted the recommendations in full.

Crime and Disorder, Information Technology and Property – None directly arising from this report.

Recommendations

5. To note the conclusion of the delivery of the Action Plan prepared in response to the Report in the Public Interest dated 19^th April 2021.

Reasons for the Recommendation

6. The Audit and Governance Committee is required by Full Council to monitor the delivery of the Action Plan prepared in response to the Public Interest Report.  Since that delivery has been concluded, the Audit and Governance Committee can now report this back to Council.

Options

7. The Committee is asked to note the contents of the report, and agree the approach outlined therein.

Author and Chief Officer responsible for the report:	Bryn Roberts, Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer
	Report Approved	X	Date	22 November 2022
Specialist Implications Officer(s):  Debbie Mitchell, Chief Finance Officer and Section 151 Helen Whiting, Head of Human Resources
Wards Affected:  List wards or tick box to indicate all					All	X
For further information please contact the author of the report

Background Papers:

· Agenda, Reports and Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of Full Council dated 4^th May 2021

· Agenda, Reports and Minutes of the Audit and Governance Committee

· Agenda and Reports of the Joint Standards Committee on 24^th January 2022

· Agenda and Reports and the revised draft Constitution (published early) for the Audit and Governance Committee on 2^nd February 2022

· Agenda and Reports for Full Council on 24^th March 2022 including the link to the revised constitution

Annexes:

· Annex:  Project Plan developed in support of the Action Plan