Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Service
Case reference FOI2023/01330
Published 31 August 2023
Request
Please provide the following information for your Council for 2022/23 (or the current position)
1. The net Revenue Cost for the whole Council:
2. The total cost (Staff salaries, on-costs, system costs, supplies costs, transport costs) of your Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Function:
3. Number of FTE staff in your Internal Audit and Counter Fraud service:
4. The number of Audit days undertaken by the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud service:
5. The productive days per FTE Internal Audit and Counter Fraud staff member:
6. Number of FTE Internal Audit and Counter Fraud staff members:
i. Qualified
ii. Part Qualified
iii. % of High/Medium Audit recommendations agreed and management actions Implemented
7. When was Counter Fraud plan last updated:
8. Number of FTE staff dedicated to Counter Fraud promotion:
9. Number of FTE staff dedicated to Counter Fraud investigations:
10. Number of Fraud incidents reported:
11. Number of Fraud incidents investigated:
12. Number of Fraud prosecutions initiated:
13. Identified value of fraud savings/recovered:
Response
Please provide the following information for your Council for 2022/23 (or the current position)
1. The net Revenue Cost for the whole Council:
A: The net revenue budget for 2023/24 approved by Council on 10 February 2023 is £193.3m (2022/23 £175.9m)
2. The total cost (Staff salaries, on-costs, system costs, supplies costs, transport costs) of your Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Function:
A: The total cost of the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Function is £345k in 2023/24.
3. Number of FTE staff in your Internal Audit and Counter Fraud service:
A: 1 FTE Counter Fraud Service
Internal Audit Services are provided by a third party organisation: South West Audit Partnership
4. The number of Audit days undertaken by the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud service:
A: The Counter Fraud service does not carry out audit work.
The 2023/24 Internal Audit Plan confirms the internal audit programme of work will be equivalent to 900 days.
5. The productive days per FTE Internal Audit and Counter Fraud staff
member:
A: Approximately 220 productive days per FTE of Counter Fraud staff per year.
Internal Audit Services are provided by a third party organisation: South West Audit Partnership with a plan of 900 days for 2023/24.
6. Number of FTE Internal Audit and Counter Fraud staff members:
i. Qualified
A: 1 FTE staff qualified in Counter Fraud Service
The 2023/24 Internal Audit Plan notes that internal audit resources represent a sufficient and appropriate mix of seniority and skill to be effectively deployed to deliver the planned work.
ii. Part Qualified
A: N/A
iii. % of High/Medium Audit recommendations agreed and management actions Implemented
A: Since the last Internal Audit Progress reported to Audit & Governance Committee in November 2022, 18 Medium and 2 High internal audit recommendations falling due for completion have been completed.
7. When was Counter Fraud plan last updated:
A: Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption policy - last updated in June 2022
Counter fraud and corruption strategy 2021-2024 - last updated in June 2022
8. Number of FTE staff dedicated to Counter Fraud promotion:
A: 1 FTE staff in Counter Fraud Service is dedicated to Counter Fraud prevention and detection activities.
9. Number of FTE staff dedicated to Counter Fraud investigations:
A: 1 FTE staff in Counter Fraud Service is dedicated to Counter Fraud prevention and detection activities.
10. Number of Fraud incidents reported:
A: An annual Counter Fraud Report is considered by the Council's Audit & Governance Committee. The last report was considered on the 30 January 2023. The minutes to this meeting can be found on the Council's website using the link here; Anti-Fraud, Bribery &Corruption Annual Report 2022/23
Sections 14.1 to 14.4 of the report outlines the number and types of referrals received by the Counter Fraud Service in 2022. Section 18.2 refers to the number of blue badge cases, and section 19.1 refers to the number of cyber fraud incidents identified in 2022.
11. Number of Fraud incidents investigated:
A: An annual Counter Fraud Report is considered by the Council's Audit & Governance Committee. The last report was considered on the 30 January 2023. The minutes to this meeting can be found on the Council's website using the link here; Anti-Fraud, Bribery &Corruption Annual Report 2022/23
Sections 15.1 to 15.2 of the report outlines the case outcomes and investigations by the Counter Fraud Service in 2022. Section 18.3 refers to the outcomes of blue badge cases investigated and section 19.1 to 19.2 refers to the number of cyber fraud incidents investigated in 2022.
12. Number of Fraud prosecutions initiated:
A: An annual Counter Fraud Report is considered by the Council's Audit & Governance Committee. The last report was considered on the 30 January 2023. The last report was published on the 30th January 2023. The minutes to this meeting can be found on the Council's website using the link here; Anti-Fraud, Bribery &Corruption Annual Report 2022/23
Section 15.3 of the report outlines the types of cases where prosecution was under process in 2022. Section 18.3 refers to the outcomes of blue badge cases prosecuted in 2022.
13. Identified value of fraud savings/recovered:
A: An annual Counter Fraud Report is considered by the Council's Audit & Governance Committee. The last report was considered on the 30 January 2023. The minutes to this meeting can be found on the Council's website using the link here; Anti-Fraud, Bribery &Corruption Annual Report 2022/23
Sections 4.1, 15.4, 16.2 and 17.1 of the report references values of savings and recoveries for counter fraud work undertaken in 2022.
Documents
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