Scrutiny Committee - 28/06/2017

At a MEETING of the SCRUTINY COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 28th June, 2017.

 

Present:-

 

BAILIES

 

Kevin KEENAN

Willie SAWERS

Derek SCOTT

 

Fraser MACPHERSON

 

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Margaret RICHARDSON

Stewart HUNTER

Alan ROSS

 

Lynne SHORT

 

 

Bailie Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 19th April, 2017 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 

No declarations of interest were made.

 

II EXTERNAL INSPECTION REPORT

 

There was submitted Report No 224-2017 by the Executive Director of Children and Families providing a summary of the findings and recommendation of the most recent inspection of Millview Cottage Childrens House.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the summary of the inspection report on Millview Cottage which received grades of adequate and good in the two areas covered by the inspection; and

 

(ii) remitted the Executive Director of Children and Families to ensure that the requirements and recommendations included in the report were acted upon.

 

III ANNUAL REPORT ON COMPLAINTS

 

There was submitted Report No 177-2017 by the Chief Executive on complaints statistics 2016/2017, with comparisons to previous periods, and on the action which continued to be taken to ensure that complaints were handled well and to learn from complaints.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the key performance indicators on complaints closed between 1st April, 2016 and 31st March, 2017, with trends from previous periods;

 

(ii) noted the latest update from the Complaints Review Group which met quarterly to check the quality of complaints handling and to promote learning and process improvement from complaints; and

 

(iii) noted the results of the satisfaction surveys sent to everyone who made a complaint closed during each quarter of 2016/2017, with trends from previous surveys.

 

IV LOCAL SCRUTINY PLAN 2017/2018

 

There was submitted Report No 219-2017 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services providing elected members with a summary of the Local Scrutiny Plan 2017/2018 that was recently issued by Audit Scotland on behalf of the various regulatory inspection bodies responsible for scrutinising the services provided by the Council.

 

The Committee noted the information contained within the report and the Local Scrutiny Plan 2017/2018 appended thereto.

 

V ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST MARCH 2017

 

There was submitted Report No 221-2017 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services presenting the Annual Governance Statement for approval and inclusion into the unaudited annual accounts for the year ended 31st March, 2017.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the contents of the report;

 

(ii) approved the Annual Governance Statement which was included as an Appendix to the report;

 

(iii) instructed the Executive Director of Corporate Services to include the Annual Governance Statement in the Annual Accounts for the year to 31st March, 2017; and

 

(iv) noted that a copy of the approved Annual Governance Statement would be submitted to the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership for assurance purposes.

 

VI DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL UNAUDITED ANNUAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 2017

 

There was submitted Report No 240-2017 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services providing background and additional commentary on the Councils unaudited Annual Accounts for the year ended 31st March, 2017.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the contents of the covering report;

 

(ii) noted the unaudited Annual Accounts which had been submitted along with the report;

 

(iii) instructed the Executive Director of Corporate Services to arrange for the Annual Accounts to be signed as required and submitted to the Councils external auditor; and

 

(iv) noted that the key assumptions underpinning the independent actuaries calculation of the Councils IAS 19 liability had been reviewed and accepted by the Council as administering authority for the Pension Fund.

 

VII TAYSIDE PENSION FUND ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT 2016/2017

 

There was submitted Report No 225-2017 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services detailing the governance arrangements of the Tayside Pension Fund for the period 1st April, 2016 to 31st March, 2017 which were the responsibility of Dundee City Council as the Scheme Manager and administering authority for the Fund.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the contents of the Tayside Pension Fund Annual Governance Statement;

 

(ii) instructed the Executive Director of Corporate Services to arrange for the Annual Governance Statement to be signed as necessary; and

 

(iii) noted that the Annual Governance Statement would be considered in due course within the Audited Statement of Accounts of Tayside Pension Fund.

 

VIII TAYSIDE PENSION FUND - UNAUDITED 2016/2017 ACCOUNTS

 

There was submitted Report No 236-2017 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services providing additional commentary on the unaudited Annual Accounts 2016/2017.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) noted the contents of the covering report;

 

(ii) noted the unaudited Annual Accounts which had been submitted along with the report;

 

(iii) instructed the Executive Director of Corporate Services to arrange for the unaudited Accounts to be signed as necessary; and

 

(ii) instructed the Executive Director of Corporate Services to submit the Annual Accounts to the Funds external auditor.

 

IX INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS

 

There was submitted Report No 180-2017 by the Senior Manager, Internal Audit providing the Committee with a summary of the Internal Audit Reports finalised since the last meeting of this Committee.

 

The Committee agreed to note the information contained within the report.

 

X 2016/2017 INTERNAL AUDIT ANNUAL REPORT

 

There was submitted Report No 179-2017 by the Senior Manager, Internal Audit summarising the activities of the Councils Internal Audit Service during 2016/2017 and providing an independent annual opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the organisations governance, risk management and control framework based on the work undertaken.

 

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

 

 

 

 

Kevin KEENAN, Convener.