Issue - meetings

External Audit Progress Report and Technical Update - Grant Thornton

Meeting: 13/03/2019 - Audit and Governance Committee (Item 4)

4 External Audit Progress Report and Sector Update pdf icon PDF 657 KB

To consider the report of the Council’s External Auditor.

 

Minutes:

Geraldine Daly, Engagement Lead, of Grant Thornton, presented the Audit progress report and sector update, which provided Members with details of the external auditor’s work that had been undertaken.

 

Members were informed that the planning work for the 2018/19 financial statements audit had started, and that a detailed audit plan outlining the approach had been provided as a separate agenda item. It was noted that the statutory deadline for the issue of the 2018/19 opinion was 31 July 2019. Value for money work was discussed and it was explained that the Housing Benefits certification was no longer covered by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd. Exeter City Council had appointed Grant Thornton as the reporting accountants for work in 2018/19 and 2019/20 and had notified the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) accordingly.

 

The 2018/19 audit deliverables and the planned committee dates for the work to be presented to the Members were provided. The findings of the interim audit work, conclusions and recommendations were explained, but there were no significant impacts to the final statements.

 

Members were advised on the Sector Updates and expectations gap which showed the difference between what auditors actually do and what was believed that they do. The Engagement Lead made Members aware that it was the responsibility of the Audit and Governance Committee to challenge audit work.

 

The Audit and Governance Committee noted the External Audit Progress Report.

 

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