Report of: The Internal Auditor, BDO

Purpose of report: To update the Audit and Governance Committee.

Recommendation(s): that the Committee notes and discusses the report.

This report will be provided as a supplement to the agenda.

The Chair welcomed the Gurpreet Dulay and Joe Taylor, Internal Auditors from BDO.  

Melissa Hope, Organisational Development Manager, and Sobia Afridi, the Diversity and Inclusion Specialist were also present to respond to questions.  

The Internal Auditor (GD) presented a comprehensive summary, outlining the reports that the Committee were required to consider and a summary of the progress made since the previous meeting. A detailed summary was provided on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity report, including the relevant legislation and guidance local authorities must follow, alongside an overview of the mostly positive progress being made by the Council. A brief summary of the Treasury Management report was also provided, for which The Internal Auditor (GD) noted that a substantial opinion had been determined and some small areas for improvement were noted as being in progress.  

The Chair thanked The Group Finance Director and the Financial Accounting Manager for their consistently high treasury management standards.  

The Chair invited questions from the Committee. 

In relation to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity report, the Chair noted that many implementation dates had been determined for 2026 and asked whether these are on track. The Organisational Development Manager explained that the report presented is new, and officers have already begun to pick up on the actions required, with one already being achieved. The audit results contained no surprises, and therefore the plans for implementation next year are on track.  

Councillor Smith queried whether there are any resourcing issues with the 18 areas yet to be picked up and prioritised, to which the Organisational Development Manager noted that the relevant team is small, however the implementation dates set have been agreed as realistic and reasonable given the spread and assessment of officer workloads. The Committee heard that the most challenging aspect would be the training, and a detailed account of the EDI training structure used by the council was outlined, including inclusive recruitment training for hiring managers and equity and intersectionality training for all staff. The staged approached taken to these training programmes was also explained.  

The Diversity and Inclusion Specialist outlined how the Council would be taking a more proactive approach by reaching out to directorates to organise training events.   

The Chair queried how much of the training is delivered on a hybrid basis, to which the Organisational Development Manager explained that a mixed approach is used to support inclusivity. The Committee heard that training is also delivered flexibly to the requirements of any directorates which have requested it. 

Councillor Regisford requested thoughts from the officers on how training around equality, diversity and inclusion can be translated into lived practice. This was specifically asked in relation to the 18 areas listed in the report for consideration. 

The Diversity and Inclusion Specialist noted that it is challenging, however efforts are made to ensure that a consistent and regular training offering is available to cater to the needs of the council. The Committee also heard that efforts are being made to access the staff community and talk to recipients of training after completion to gain feedback and assess needs. The Diversity and Inclusion Specialist emphasised the value of feedback from EDI training and the time taken to consider this, noting that conversations relating to EDI training must be two-way in order to be meaningful and personal. The Committee heard of her pride in the training offered and feedback systems utilised.   

The Organisational Development Manager provided further examples of training sessions which have been conducted within the wider community and emphasised the focus paid to unconscious bias and intersectionality within these; several examples were provided to the Committee.   

Councillor Corais joined the meeting.  

Councillor Regisford thanked the officers for their comments and recommended that they continue to be progressive in exploring how training translates into lived practice. She welcomed the ongoing engagement with training feedback and emphasised that qualitative measures must be used to highlight nuances in experiences.  

The Organisational Development Manager also provided information on the staff networks and how these offer opportunities for people to meet on a regular basis and share ideas and lived experiences.   

The Chair thanked The Organisational Development Manager and the Diversity and Inclusion Specialist for their responses.  

The Committee reviewed and noted the report.