Lewes District Council

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Corporate Performance
Thebes Annexe
Lewes District Council
32 High Street
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2LX

Tel: 01273 484156
performance@lewes.gov.uk
Minicom 01273 484488

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Audit & Performance - Policies & Plans

The Audit and Performance Division is part of the Finance Directorate. The Internal Audit Team’s primary role is to assess the effectiveness of the Council’s internal control environment.

The Corporate Performance Team co-ordinates the Council’s arrangements for corporate governance, risk management, performance management, strategic procurement and data quality.

Councillor Ian Eiloart

Statement from the Chair of the Audit Committee, Councillor Ian Eiloart

The Internal Audit Team plays a critical role in supporting the work of the Audit Committee and key elements of the Council’s corporate governance arrangements. As an essential corporate service it provides assurance on the Council’s internal control environment, which in turn enables the citizens of Lewes District and other stakeholders to place trust in the Council. The Internal Audit Team continues to achieve best practice standards and is committed to further service improvements. I fully support the challenging targets that have been set in this service delivery plan for the coming years.

Councillor James Page

Foreword by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Communications, Councillor James Page

I am pleased to introduce this service plan for the coming years. The Corporate Performance Team provides advice and information to senior managers and elected members on a wide range of corporate governance, performance management, risk management, asset management and procurement issues. These issues are fundamental to the proper running of the Council’s affairs and help it to achieve its ambition of  'being recognised as an effective, caring low cost council'.


Our Service Aims And Objectives

Internal Audit

To be an assurance function that provides an independent and objective opinion on the Council’s control environment by evaluating its effectiveness in achieving corporate objectives.

Service Objectives  Outcomes (desired/expected) 
1) To provide an efficient and effective Internal Audit function which achieves its service standards, and improves performance where possible;

2) To deliver the Council’s Annual Audit Plan and Strategic Audit Plan.		 1) The Council is able to demonstrate an effective control environment with no significant control issues, and to make a satisfactory and unqualified declaration in its Annual Audit Management Letter for the relevant reporting year.

Corporate Performance

To provide the guidance and tools needed to support efficient procurement, risk management, performance management, data quality and business planning arrangements within the council.

Service Objectives  Outcomes (desired/expected) 
To support the council to:

1 )maintain efficient and effective approaches to core business management processes (service and corporate planning, data quality, performance management and risk management);

2 ) achieve best practice in procurement and deliver cost and efficiency savings; 

3 ) help ensure that the Council has a Code of Corporate Governance that is fit for purpose and meets best practice requirements.		 1) The Council can demonstrate that the achievement of its aims, objectives and priorities has been in accordance with sound business processes, minimising the potential risks and supporting accountability to the local community;

2) The Council produces an annual Council plan and service plans and publishes them on the website;

3) The Council’s overall progress and performance can be assessed;

4) Performance data is produced and published in a range of formats;

5 The Council secures a satisfactory and unqualified declaration in its Annual Audit Management Letter for the relevant reporting year.

Service Standards

In addition to our Customer Charter we have adopted the following service standards that you can expect from us.

Equalities

Under the General Public Sector Equality Duty (2010) we must :-

  1. eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation;
  2. advance equality of opportunity between different groups in the community; and
  3. foster good relations within the local community

We carry out equality impact assessments (EIAs) for new or existing policies, strategies and services to see what effect they will have on different groups within our communities.  This helps us to identify potential consequences for these groups and ensure any negative impacts are eliminated or reduced.  They can also help us to identify actions to eliminate discrimination and promote positive relations between groups which are incorporated into our Departmental Service Plan.

Further information is available on our Equalities Policy and for copies of our Equality Impact Assessments.


Developing and Improving Our Services

As an internal support function, we are always looking to improve the services and support we provide to senior management, elected members and other service departments within the council. There are a number of factors which effect what we do both national and local.  The main drivers for change likely to impact during 2011/12 are set out below:

National impacts

Local impacts


Performance, Progress and Forward Plans

We have reviewed progress on last year’s Service Plan. A summary is provided here.
PDF Audit and Performance – Service Delivery/Improvement Plan 2010/11 (0.24mb)

Our detailed plans for the year ahead are set out below. Our service plan will be monitored and reviewed regularly and any new/future work programmed in accordingly;
PDF Audit and Performance – Service Delivery/Improvement Plan 2011 – 2012 (0.05mb)


Departmental Policies & Strategies

We are responsible for the production and updating of a number of strategies, policies and plans such as:-

PDF
PDF Guide to Internal Audit (0.02mb)

PDF
PDF Internal Audit Charter (0.06mb)