Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources which presented the Auditor’s Annual Report (Value for Money review) for 2024/25 and the 2024/25 financial statements and letters of representation, provided information on the main areas of the financial statements and reported the key findings from the external audit of the accounts.  Copies of the report and supplementary report, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, are filed with these minutes.

The Chairman welcomed Ms Mary Wren, Ms Helen Lillington and Mr Grant Patterson from Grant Thornton LLP, the Council’s external auditors, to the meeting to present the report.

Arising from the discussion, the following points were raised:

i)               An unmodified opinion was anticipated, with delegated authority being given to the Chairman of the Committee to sign off any areas that still required completion.  Work had largely been completed around the audit of the financial statements and it was expected that these would be signed off before the end of the year.

ii)              It was noted that a key recommendation in the Value for Money review related to the High Needs Block/Dedicated Schools Grant.  Although this had been highlighted as a significant weakness, 29 other local authorities were in a similar position. 

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and delegated authority to the Director of Corporate Resources and Chairman of the Committee to approve and sign the financial statements and letters of representation for 2024/25, once the final outstanding items have been resolved, be approved.