Issue - meetings

(Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee) To consider the attached report.

The Director of Governance reported that the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy had been reviewed and updated. The Audit and Governance Committee had considered and agreed the Strategy on 26 June 2017 with some minor revisions made in consultation with Chairman.

RESOLVED:

That the revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy, as attached at Appendix 1 to these minutes be approved.

(Chief Internal Auditor) To consider the attached report (AGC-005-2017/18).

The Chief Internal Auditor presented a report on the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy.

The Chief Internal Auditor stated that the revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy brought together a number of fraud related documents including the Council’s Anti-Money Laundering Policy, Bribery Policy and Fraud Response Plan and had been updated to ensure it remained in line with good practice within the sector and current legislation. The fundamental messages contained within the Strategy were that the Council would:

·                 maintain a culture that would not tolerate fraud or corruption;

·                 ensure Officers and Members demonstrated the highest standards of honesty and integrity at all times;

·                 commit to an Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy that included the best practice principles of:

-        acknowledging and understanding fraud risks;

-        preventing and deterring fraud; and

-        being stronger in pursuing fraud; and

·                 work in partnership both locally and nationally to tackle fraud and corruption.

The Chief Internal Auditor explained that this Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy would be implemented in part through the Corporate Fraud Team’s Strategy, which was approved at the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee on 27 March 2017 and would be overseen by the Corporate Governance Group.

When questioned by the Committee, the Chief Internal Auditor confirmed that the Council had no jurisdiction over the Department of Work & Pensions and their investigations of Housing Benefit Fraud. The Corporate Fraud Team did have a good working relationship with both the Housing and Council Tax teams, and there was a hotline for Officers to report suspected Housing fraud.

Resolved:

(1)        That the revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy be recommended to the Council for approval.